Walter is expanding its Tiger·tec® Gold range with two new PVD-coated grades, WKK25G and WSM35G. This is the Tübingen-based company’s response to the continuing trend towards machining steels with difficult cutting properties such as stainless steels used in the energy and aviation industries.
The WKK25G is designed to machine cast iron workpieces. It meets the most stringent requirements for process reliability that are commonplace in the automotive sector, it is suitable for highly abrasive materials and difficult operating conditions. This includes interrupted cutting or wet machining. The WSM35G can be used universally with ISO materials from groups M and S, covering austenitic stainless steel or nickel-based alloys. This grade has been designed to enable users to achieve long tool life, especially under good conditions and during wet machining.
Both new developments use the same technical platform as their successful predecessor: The Walter Tiger·tec® Gold grade WSP45G. The perfect balance between wear resistance and toughness is based on the only PVD Al2O3 technology of its kind in the world to date with a multi-layer structure. This incorporates a TiAlN layer for high wear resistance, Al2O3 for high temperature resistance and a ZrN top layer for minimised friction and improved wear detection.
This new coating generation ensures excellent cutting edge stability, tool life, as well as high process reliability, even in complex applications. Successful applications include engine housing parts made from Inconel or titanium in aircraft construction, as well as engines and turbochargers in the automotive industry. In these applications, Walter managed to increase the tool life compared to previous cutting tool materials by 30% or more
