High Performance Machining of Titanium - The Holistic Solution

The attributes of Light-Small-Simple-Fast and Smart are permeating through-out industrial manufacturing in both Processes and Products. Advanced materials are at the core of it and manufacturing networks are following the materials from which innovative and advanced parts are made. Titanium is one of the most sought-after materials in the Aerospace Industry due to its superior strength and light weight. While titanium's superior strength-to-weight ratio makes it the designer's material of choice, machining it with productivity and cost-effectiveness continues to pose great challenges on the manufacturing floors throughout the Aerospace Supply Chain. However, High Performance Machining of Titanium can be achieved with robustness and relative ease by embracing the entire machining envelope and optimizing all parameters through a well-defined holistic approach. Machine Tool dynamics, Cutting Tool geometries, Precision Tool-Holding, accurate Workpiece-Clamping, advanced Cutting Fluids and well-tuned Machining Data have to be tuned to one another to machine titanium with predictability, high repeatability accuracy and economically. With a steady increase of composite material for structural parts, titanium usage is on a similar upswing for stacked material compositions. Here the titanium part of the stack determines the outcome of the advanced, holistic machining process as well.