We are experiencing short tool life turning stellite materials

[jmars]

We turn a rotor and cut the tips down with and intermittent cut. What
is the best tool material to use when machining stellite?

 

[JNieman]

That's an excellent question for your tooling supplier, if you're trying your best and failing with what you have. I would speak with a Kennemetal supplier about suggestions. You'll have to supply them with a lot more details about your setup, machine, and application, though. Good suppliers will have techs with industry experience that can advise you on tooling selection. Chances are, they may have already run into situations similar to what you're doing.

Specifying tooling in advanced situations like this is not as simple as "What's the best tool for cutting stellite" unfortunately.

 

[racookpe1978]

And not only what you are machining - but the very detailed specifics of EACH machining operation: tool pressure, feed rate, work turning rate, diameter vs speed control, metal temperature, cooling and coolant chosen, tool setup and extension length, machine type ....

"What size hammer should I buy?" is an equivilent question: Without many more details, we cannot tell you. Your tool supplier cannot tell you. Stellite is chosen because it has a wear resistant surface = hard to machine.

 

[dicer]

Tool material carbide. And just like everything else in machining fast surface speeds kill cutters, intermittent cuts kill cutters. So the choice is fast and no tool life, or slow and easy and have tool life.