Machining 718 Inconel at High Speed

Extremely hard materials can be vexing to work with mistakes are very expensive simply because of the cost of the material. This video was sent in by a machinist that has worked with high speed and advanced materials for more than 20 years. It is not uncommon for people to run inconel at SFM of about 50. This video shows that it can be cut at 4,000 on a rigid machine provided the set-up is right. It requires the right programming, tooling, tool holder and a fast, rigid machine. All of these components are critical to the success of this application. If one variable is wrong it could fail. This is a pretty impressive cut that was used as a demo live at IMTS in 2006. The set-up used is listed below.

• Material: 718 Inconel
• Machine Okuma MB
• Kennametal ceramic inserts
• BIG Kaiser, Big Plus Holder 1 1/4′
• 4000 SFM
• .002 Chip load per tooth

This video is presented courtesy of Hardmilling.com