LKH Precision CNC tools & advanced consultancy

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Editorial and press work

Taking the pain out of cutting aluminium

Routing aluminium has always been a problem area for certain companies that usually have an expensive CNC machine which happily cuts plastics, foams, PVCs and aluminium composite with ease. However, when asked to cut solid aluminium, there is usually a sudden intake of breath through gritted teeth. Liam Hodson, tooling & machine consultant at LKH Tools provides some guidelines....

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How to make cut acrylic shine like a diamond

Polishing acrylic has been done in a number of ways over the years depending on equipment, skill and the technology available. Today, in most cases, a polished finish straight off the CNC router is something which people want but very few seem to be able to consistently master it on a larger scale. Liam Hodson, machining & tooling consultant at LKH shares some practical tips.....

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LKH Tools at the cutting edge of CNC routing

Advancements in machinery over the

years have often led to machines becoming heavier, faster and more versatile. However, the tooling that goes into the machines has been often

overlooked. It is important to recognise just how vital this is in obtaining the right solution. If a machine manufacturer can produce a machine that is robust, precise, smooth in motion and demonstrates the advancements .....

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A different way to make built-up letters using your CNC router

The first impression of a property or organisation is the external signs and built-up letters can offer high visibility and create a lasting impression. Liam Hodson, tooling & machine consultant, LKH Tools,

outlines options for manufacturing the customer’s vision using the latest materials. Typically, the traditional built-up letter method would require steel being formed around the letter and welded or soldered to the face. This has proven to be both

labour and time intensive as in most cases...

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LKH Tools is the UK distributor of quality CNC tooling from Crown Norge.

Swiss manufactured tools offer unrivalled quality, precision, consistency & tolerances

WHY THE RIGHT ROUTER BIT IS AS IMPORTANT AS THE RIGHT CNC MACHINE.

When looking at purchasing a CNC machine, most of the focus is on choosing the best machine, matched to the budget in mind. Spindle choice, vacuum hold down, extraction system, ease of use and the company supplying the equipment, all play a part in the final decision. Carrying out due diligence on the purchase of a large investment should be done with care and consideration.

However, what is often overlooked, is the correct choice of tooling to put into the machine. This should be considered in the same way as the machine purchase itself. After all, it’s the routing tool which is cutting the material, with the machine just doing the driving.

How do you measure good value?

Everyone wants to get the best possible deal on anything they purchase, however, the price on the invoice is not always the way to measure the total economy. A routing tool which costs under £10 seems like a good deal on a website, so you may buy ten of them. They look the same so why pay any extra?. Too good to be true? Well in most cases it is. The lower end tools are often made from low grade tungsten carbide and manufactured in such high volumes that allow for very little or no quality control measures. Tolerances are often very vague, leading to the operator having to measure or test the diameter before committing to any actual cutting.

How long do they last?

Using lower grade materials and such wide tolerances means longevity can be a real problem. A routing tool needs to be extremely sharp to cut properly and cleanly. A blunt tool will give poor results and how long a tool lasts is measured in how long it can stay sharp. Compare a pack of razors and you will often find the bulk pack of low cost razors being single use only. The same applies to lower cost routing tools. The edge quality soon drops off and the operator must then change the router bit more frequently or ignore it and pass the work on to someone else for hand finishing. This adds a huge amount of additional unseen cost in labour and hand finishing time. Consistency of the work produced also suffers as sizes and edge quality vary dramatically from cut to cut.

“It’s a brand new routing tool, why isn’t the edge finish very good?”

In most cases the same tool design will be employed across multiple materials with the lower cost tooling. The strategy of “pile ‘em high and sell them cheap” doesn’t lend itself to optimisation and variance to each material type. Slight changes in angles and geometries to improve the edge quality are not taken into consideration. In addition, the lower cost tools have often been manufactured to replicate established tooling without fully understanding the tool they are replicating. The constancy issues also make it very difficult to get the same geometries time and time again. Furthermore, in most cases, the manufacturer of the lower cost tools won’t have a development program in place to improve and test their tools to optimise this.

In contrast, the Crown Norge range of tools available from LKH Tools in the UK, are manufactured in Switzerland from the highest grade of European tungsten carbide on the market. Made using the latest state of the art Swiss machinery and overseen by skilled, experienced operators under strict quality and tolerance control measures. This ensures consistency throughout the range, i.e. knowing that the next tool is the same as the last.

The geometries of the tools have been developed over many years of market research and simply listening to machine operators. The tools in each range have been developed to match to each of the common material types and thicknesses. The angle, length of cut, shank length and diameters have been developed in laboratory conditions and then rigorously tested at live manufacturing sites over many years to find the optimum balance of strength, longevity, speed and quality of cut. Coatings have been developed to improve the tools performance in many materials. This reduces heat and friction when cutting aluminium dry for example.

“What does all this mean in real terms?”

The edge of cut will require no additional hand finishing or labour prior to assembly or shipment. Acrylics and plastics are cut with an exceptional edge finish and can be polished further by using the available polishing tools. Aluminium can be cut dry at high speed without the need for coolant. ACM can be cut and folded at high speed using the ACM range of tools. Polycarbonates, PVC and foams can be machined at higher speed, giving both a superior edge finish and tool life. In one extreme case, a company using lower quality tools was able to save up to 6 hours of machining time a day by switching to the new coated MP (Multi-Purpose) Superior tools.

The correct settings for each of the Crown Norge tools are provided with the tooling distributed from LKH Tools in the UK. This stops the trial and error process which many companies have had to endure before finally establishing a result which is acceptable. Guidance on the correct setting up of the tools are offered to each customer to provide the optimum setting for their machine type and material choice.

Eliminating the hidden labour and time cost alone makes the Crown Norge tools a more cost effective choice but, in most cases, one of the Crown Norge tools can lasts up to ten times longer than other tools on the market. However, they are not ten times the price. This combined with the guidance and support offered by LKH Tools, truly makes them the best overall economy and choice when considering purchasing tools for your machine.

"Balanced tools. These tools are designed for high speed spindles but also produce the best finish on materials at normal speeds."

Why?...

"To get the best cut edge, you need to eliminate as much vibration as possible. This can come from poor vacuum hold down, poor extraction, worn or incorrect collet, un-balanced tool or spindle."

"Its one of the major causes of premature spindle wear and failure"

Why should you choose Crown Norge & LKH Tools?

Our high quality, Swiss manufactured tooling for all types of routing machines, is renowned for exceptional cut quality, longevity and performance in a variety of materials. We also provides technical assistance on the correct choice and use of the tooling along with training, software and application support to customers in a variety of applications and industries. LKH Tools slogan “Taking the guesswork out of CNC routing” is backed up with over 25 years of experience in the industry while Crown Norge defines “Innovative cutting tools” as its company Moto. This has certainly been the case as a number of industries first’s came from Crown Norge. Unique coatings, considered dimensions and balanced tooling (for high speed spindles) to name but a few.

The Crown Norge tools are manufactured to an incredibly high standard using highest grade European carbide. In addition to this, the machines used to manufacture them are regularly inspected, tested and updated to ensure these consistent standards are met for each tool produced. The grinding wheel is assessed at regular intervals and adjusted accordingly by experienced and highly skilled operators. The tools are individually inspected prior to approval, ensuring these high standards are met consistently.

The additional care and attention given to each tool is reflected in the final result. The disciplined approach to manufacturing of the tool, ensures the operator has the confidence to use the same settings from the first tool to the last. Removing the need to adjust the machining perimeters due to tooling differences. With higher than ever sheet material costs, it is critical to get it right first time, every time. Any slight variances in the routing tool could mean re-cutting of the job and scrapping a sheet of expensive material. The higher cut quality, tool longevity and performance of these tools is highlighted even further when comparing the overall total economy. The Crown Norge tools from LKH Tools, are the best value for money.

Polishing clear acrylic

Meeting the demand for highly polished clear acrylic, the PCD, MCD and MCVD diamond polishing tools are are also available in addition to the standard carbide and coated carbide tools.

Available in a variety of diameters and length’s, these are to be used as a secondary pass to remove 0.05-0.1mm of material leaving a polished and clear edge for up to 30mm thick material.

This will produce vertical edges and with no heat to distort the material, they are ideal for applications where curves, intricate shapes, joints and stepped profiles are also required to be polished. In conjunction with the straight polishing tools, a bevelling polishing tool allows for polished countersunk holes or to chamfer the edge of the material to remove sharpness for handling. The polishing tools perform at their best on a rigid machine, with a good vacuum hold down. Any vibrations from the material moving or machine flex will be shown in the edge of the material.

(PCD = Polycrystalline Diamond)

(MCD = MonoCrystalline Diamond)

(MCVD = Chemical Vapour Deposition Diamond

The unique coating on the MP Superior range of tools was first introduced in 2018 and is still the best option for high speed, dry routing of aluminium and other non-ferrous metals today.

The available sizes in the range have been increased from the initial launch in 2018. Sizes are now available from 2mm to 10mm diameters and also with greater options for up to 50mm thick materials. The MP Superior tools run faster, last longer and produce an exceptional quality of cut without the need for coolant or oil.

The acrylic GEN2 (Generation2) range of tools are a relatively new alternative to achieve polished results in clear acrylic. Available in 3mm, 4mm and 6mm diameters, they are ideal for applications such as a smaller production run or where the slightly higher degree of polished edge from a diamond polishing tool is not warranted. These carbide tools are ground specifically to provide the best edge possible in clear acrylic. Additional grinding time during the manufacturing process and specific cutting angles on the helix of the tool, produce a polished edge in a single cut and without the need for a secondary clean up pass. The GEN2 tool can also be used in other clear materials such as polycarbonates, a material very difficult to normally produce a polished edge on.

Customers who have the option for higher rotation speeds (such as 30,000-60,000 RPM) benefit from the specific range of tools available for these higher spindle speeds. Additional balancing in the tool design produces a improved cut surface finish and smoother rotation of the tool. At high rotation speeds, any imperfection in the balancing of the tool can lead to excessive vibration, poor quality of cut, tool wear and in extreme cases, premature spindle failure.

With different machine type, tool and material combinations available, getting the best results first time can be a challenge. LKH Tools provides the customer with the correct machine cutting parameters to accompany the correct tool choice. This can also be optimised based on the customers requirements, machine and material specifics. This reduces any costly mistakes potentially made by the end user and the trial and error process often machine operators have to go through. Utilising the onsite CNC routing machine at LKH Tools allows for testing of new materials, tool designs and optimisation for the customer. Difficult to cut and new materials can be sent to LKH Tools for testing. The correct tool and machine parameters are then provided back to the customer. Machine operators and customers which are new to CNC routing also get a big leap forward on the learning curve with assistance and advice available, provided by telephone, online or onsite. When using the correct tool and settings, the cut quality and production time dramatically improves. In addition, it will also reduce or eliminate any labour intensive hand finishing afterwards.

With all the common sizes and dimensions of router tooling stocked at the UK office in Nottingham, LKH Tools offers next working day delivery. This is invaluable for meeting tight deadlines when production has come to stand still due to unforeseen circumstances. Customers also have the option to collect in person. This also allows them to visit the showroom for advice, inspiration and to fine tuning and expand their CNC routing knowledge.

"Does this look familiar?"

"If it does then its time to order some new ones. Collets should be replaced every 3 to 6 months if used regularly."

"A concentric collet holds the tool equally and improves the cut quality. If a tool breaks, it can often be down to the collet. Check the collet for wear or damage as soon as a failure happens. It's not always the tool or machine at fault."

ER32 collets are available at £15.80 each

UK Distributor for Crown Norge

Call us: 0115 666 0060

e-mail: enquiry@lkhtools.co.uk

Where to find us:

Unit 15a,

Cowlairs,

Nottingham

NG5 9RA

UNITED KINGDOM

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