Elbor cutters: overview, features, GOST and reviews

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

For the processing of solid workpieces in industry, powerful precision machines are used. They are characterized by a high speed of rotation of the cutting equipment, which allows for finishing the product to the desired dimensions. But it is impossible to qualitatively implement such operations without nozzles that match their characteristics.

Traditional alloys, even tool steels, do not always withstand peak loads, forcing operators to look for better consumables. To solve this problem, CBN cutters, or rather inserts, increase the reliability of the main processing element and increase the efficiency of mechanical action on the workpiece.

General information about Elbor

The most popular material used in manufacturing as a cutting part is diamond. It has a high degree of hardness, can withstand heavy loads and is durable. In turn, elbor can act as an alternative to a natural mineral. In terms of mechanical properties, it is practically not inferior to diamond, and in terms of hardness it is 3-4 times superior to traditional abrasive consumables. At the same time, elbor as such is not fullycutting tool.

The workpiece is of prefabricated design, the main part of which can be made of common solid and tool steels. At the end of such elements, elbor plates for cutters are fixed, which directly perform mechanical abrasive action. These are inserts based on crystals, which are cubic boron nitride. The shape and size of the overlay plates may vary depending on the intended use and design of the carrier.

Performance features of CBN equipment

Even against the background of carbide and mineral-ceramic cutters, the technical and physical properties of CBN are impressive. Suffice it to say that it can show machining resistance several times higher than the above-mentioned materials. This allows, for example, at a spindle speed of about 500 m/min, the correction of workpieces made of cast iron. This is how rough mechanical finishing is manifested, but elbor cutters can also be used in the final formation of the contours of parts.

By the way, the depth of elimination of the outer layer can reach 0.1-0.2 mm. The very cutting ability of CBN differs in that less effort is required from the machine to complete the processing. On the one hand, this makes it possible to effectively cope with hard alloys, and on the other hand, to spend minimal amounts of energy resources in servicing less problematic workpieces.equipment. Reducing the requirements for power potential is due to the peculiarities of the mechanical contact of CBN with the surface of the workpiece.

Characteristics of CBN cutters according to GOST

The design parameters and dimensional characteristics of the parts are carried out according to the general standards attached to the elements with diamond tips. In particular, you can focus on GOSTs under sections 13288 and 13297-67. In accordance with the technical requirements, the length of the product can vary from 40 to 125 mm. In this case, the step will be 20 mm - that is, there are consumables for 40, 60, 80 mm, etc. At the same time, the length of the working part itself varies from 10 to 40 mm - this indicator also determines the diameter of the functional base, which is an elbor cutter. GOST indicates that the thickness of the inner core of the part should be from 6 to 12 mm. The full diameter varies from 10 to 40 mm. That is, it can be thin elements for fine grinding, and massive cutters for rough surface correction of the shape.

Process conditions

To maintain optimal processing parameters, it is necessary to create special conditions under which the equipment can provide a quality result. It is recommended to use cutters in the absence of vibration effects and the beating effect. High vibration amplitude can lead to lining chipping.

One of the most common consumables of this type is an elbor boring cutter, through whichfinishing the ends of blanks made of hardened steel. In such operations, experts advise performing multi-stage processing in different modes. Accordingly, depending on the requirements for the final result, different combinations of rough turning and fine grinding are used at a speed range of 60-80 m/min. When working with several planes, in which it is also planned to make holes for the bushings, it is recommended to first bore and then start drilling.

Positive feedback on parts

In practice, operators of machine tools provided with CBN parts note a high degree of durability with effective mechanical action on the workpiece. In a short period of time (compared to traditional cutters), users get the product of the desired shape, regardless of the base material.

The benefits of tooling in terms of maintenance are also indicated. This is the case when the tool has a self-sharpening effect. That is, CBN cutters retain their optimal working condition, without requiring special shape correction. For this reason, the risk of losing the desired cutter geometry due to incorrect dressing is eliminated. At the same time, operators also emphasize the absence of the need to take care of maintaining the temperature balance in the cutting part. The material can withstand thermal stress, so water cooling may not apply.

Negative reviews

Since elbor was originally developed asmaterial for sharpening, taking into account all the nuances of the technological process, there is practically no criticism of its performance. Is it worth noting the skepticism of turners towards cutters with overlays as such.

If in terms of the effectiveness of the abrasive action they fully justify themselves, then the design features suggest certain restrictions on the use of such elements. But this applies not only to CBN inserts for cutters, but also to diamond counterparts.

Fields of application of elbor consumables

This equipment is used in almost all areas of metalworking industries. Depending on the specialization of the enterprise, the tool can perform sharpening, fine adjustment, grinding, etc. It is important to emphasize that, unlike many traditional elements for metal processing, the elbor turning tool effectively copes with both preliminary and final finishing of products. As for the range of target materials available for such processing, they include not only cast iron and hardened steels, but also mineral-ceramic high-strength blanks.

Conclusion

Cutters of this type, of course, are not advisable to use for most tasks in the processing of metals with average hardness. Moreover, soft alloys can be deformed with such a tool. Therefore, it is worth talking about the narrow specialization of the elbor cutter. The price of the instrument also limits its use - on average 1,5-2 thousand rubles.

Obviously, there is no need to equip household models of lathes with such consumables. However, with the loss of the working properties of conventional carbide cutters, the user will just have to turn to enterprises offering elbor sharpening services. If we talk about alternative options, then the closest will be the same diamond cutter. It is more adapted to the common tasks of processing metal products of varying degrees of hardness. But in terms of working qualities in relation to high-strength dense blanks, diamond parts lose to elbor ones.