IMPROVED PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY

In bottom face finishing of the outlet sealing surface on a Hastelloy-X forged case, a competitor’s end mill—originally not designed for bottom finishing—had been used temporarily. Frequent rework was required, and visual surface quality, beyond measured roughness, became a critical issue.
By adopting the 6-flute VFM (AH715), cutting speed and feed per tooth were increased while achieving a 50% higher material removal rate. A glossy surface finish was obtained, significantly improving the visual appearance of the machined surface.
As a result, rework in the bottom finishing process was eliminated, leading to official adoption. The proven reliability of VFM in other applications successfully extended to this bottom finishing operation.