Uwe Krumm Burbach GmbH (UKB) is considered Europe's leading partner for edging tools and shear blades. But when the contract manufacturing department had to machine components two metres long made of high-tensile-steel, the company found its existing tools were reaching their limits. Only intensive consultation and the tools provided by Walter AG lead to a breakthrough for the project.

All the tools available at UKB failed when machining a component made of the high-grade steel X36CrMo17 (1.2316), which is often used in the plastics and foodstuffs processing industries.

The hardened and tempered profile steel is particularly tough and wear-resistant; an operating strength of up to 1100 N/mm² caused the tools to wear out in a matter of minutes. However, almost a half of the components, measuring approximately two metres in length and half a metre in diameter, have to be machined.

Production Manager Peter Diehl contacted Walter field service employee Andreas Greiner and Walter Application Engineer, Achim Hoepfner. In the preliminary discussions, they clarified the actual task and created an initial concept.

"In the preliminary stage, as application engineers, we first exchange ideas on this type of project in order to be able to present a rough concept during the first visit. Together, we consider what tool and which indexable inserts could be suitable," explains Mr Hoepfner. After two and a half days of hard work at the customer's site, a solution was found and the joint project could begin.

(Continued on the next page)