Just ran my 10,000th part on the same insert edge

I was running a long job on 4140 steel and the tool life monitor said to change it after 8,000 parts, but I let it go to see what would happen. The finish held up perfectly and the insert didn't chip, which goes against everything I was taught. Has anyone else pushed a tool way past its expected life with a specific material?

3 comments

3 Comments

milest2725d ago

Totally get that. I ran a job on some 303 stainless where the book said to swap inserts at 500. I pushed it to 750 out of pure curiosity and the parts still looked great. Sometimes those tool life numbers feel more like a suggestion than a hard rule, especially if your setup is really solid. Makes you wonder how much extra life we're leaving on the table by following the monitor too closely.

drew_park24d ago

But man, that's playing with fire... you got lucky with 303. Try that on something gummy or abrasive and you'll wreck a part right at the end of a run. Those numbers are there because someone already blew up tools to find the edge. Pushing it might save a few bucks on inserts, but it risks a way bigger loss if you trash a pricey piece of material or mess up a delivery.

kim_west19d ago

Come on, you gotta push it a little sometimes! If nobody ever tried past the book numbers, we'd all still be running way too slow. A solid setup and good coolant can handle way more than the basic recommendations. I wrecked a tool once testing limits on 4140, but the next time I nailed it and doubled my insert life.