AERO-EXTL 3-flute carbide end mill improves cycle time and surface finish in aircraft component production
Yoshi Saito | OSG Thai
Originally established as Weston SEA in 2005, Senior Aerospace Thailand Ltd. (Senior Aerospace) changed to its current name in 2014 and is a manufacturer of complex precision components and assemblies for the commercial aerospace market. Its key productions include compressor aerofoils, aluminum and hard metal structural parts and aircraft-seat structures.
Photo courtesy of Senior Aerospace.
Employing 560 staff, Senior Aerospace is located in the city of Sriracha, Chonburi, Thailand, with an estimate production floor space of 22,000-square-meter.
A photograph of a completed seat-structure. In general, all of Senior Aerospace’s structure works consists of machining intricate shapes from billet aluminum, surface enhancements of raw materials followed by detailed assembly work. Photo courtesy of Senior Aerospace.
Senior Aerospace is a subsidiary of Senior plc, an international manufacturing group that specializes in high-technology components and systems in the aerospace, defense, land vehicles and energy markets. Established since 1933 in the United Kingdom, Senior plc today has approximately 7,500 employees and operates in 14 countries worldwide.
Recently, Senior Aerospace was looking to enhance tool performance on its engines and aircraft-seat structure production made of aluminum and hard metal. Senior Aerospace’s objective was to improve cycle time and quality.
From left, Senior Aerospace’s manufacturing engineers Narinchot Wiwatchaiyachan and Thanawan Desunthia are in charge of the company’s engines and aircraft-seat structure production.
Due to confidentiality reasons, details such as the production volume, part tolerances and specific machining conditions cannot be disclosed. However, the company has been producing these parts for approximately five years using a Mazak machining center. Side milling including roughing and finishing are required to manufacture these parts. Senior Aerospace was originally using cutting tools from two European manufacturers as well as domestic cutting tool providers in Thailand. OSG was given with an opportunity to evaluate the applications and proposed the AERO-EXTL 3-flute extra-long type carbide end mill to Senior Aerospace.
The AERO-EXTL is a part of OSG’s AERO end mill series for high-speed milling in aluminum alloys. The AERO series is perfect for high-power equipment over 80kW. It is designed to maximize the full potential of high-performance equipment. The AERO series is most ideal for high-efficiency processing of large aluminum aircraft components. The AERO-EXTL 3-flute finishing carbide end mill features sharp cutting edge to enable excellent cutting, and an optimal flute geometry to facilitate trouble-free chip evacuation. Furthermore, its DLC coating provides a shiny surface with optimized end mill performance particularly in aluminum alloys that require welding resistance and lubricity. Its thin coating layer enables a sharp cutting edge, which contributes to smooth and superb surface finish, even in high feed milling.
OSG’s AERO-EXTL 3-flute finishing carbide end mill is able to generate superb surface finish in aluminum applications even under high feed condition.
Although details of the surface roughness cannot be disclosed, Senior Aerospace is extremely pleased with OSG’s AERO-EXTL and mentioned that no other cutting tool was able to provide them with such great result.
From right, OSG’s sales supervisor Suwimon Khamtorn explains new tooling solutions to Senior Aerospace’s manufacturing engineer Narinchot Wiwatchaiyachan.
For more information on Senior Aerospace
For more information on OSG’s AERO carbide end mill series
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