"...and this is why..."

Why write so much about special PCD reamers???

The answer is simple, actually.

With carbide turning inserts, there is a great deal of technology and development that goes into the manufacturing and performance of the inserts.??There are various chip breakers, coating types and thicknesses, as well as different blends of materials to name a few of the features incorporated into each insert. There is a great deal that makes each specific grade "special" in some form or fashion.??However, the manufacturers of turning inserts make hundreds of thousands of each variation.??Even if you, the customer, cannot acquire stock of the specific insert you have been using, there are many other variations and they all fit in the same pocket on the turning tool holders you are already using.

With drills, it is much the same story.??Though the universe does shrink when it comes to 25xD drills, for example, there are other manufacturers and even other variations within the same manufacturer.??You might be down for part of a day, however, there will be other options available within 24 hours.

However, for special PCD boring tools or reamers, the universe shrinks tremendously.??There is an almost 100% probability you are using the only unique version of that tool in your machining processes that exists on the planet.??The company that manufactured the tools originally might, and that is a big MIGHT, have something somewhere they can make for you in a few days or weeks.??The tools you are using were made only for your operation, only for your specific part, and only for the specific characteristic on your part.?

Duplicating the tool by another manufacturer is difficult as well.??Where there are many places that can grind a special carbide step drill, there are a very limited number of manufacturers in the United States and around the world capable of manufacturing a special PCD boring tool, especially in the metalworking industry.??The reason is due to the equipment required as well as the expertise and experience needed to successfully operate that equipment.??

This is why you should expect a great deal more knowledge to reside with the salespeople who want to work with you.??The phrase “and this is why…” should be part of any discussion of the design of a new tool, the application of a new tool, the troubleshooting of an existing tool, or most any conversation around special PCD tools.??The salespeople you work with must know this information in order to have a substantive conversation with you and to be of value to you as a trusted advisor.??

Test potential and current suppliers prior to agreeing to work with them on new projects. Be less interested in where their company is located and other companies they currently sell to and be more interested in what equipment they have, the grades of PCD they use, their manufacturing practices, how they inspect the tools they propose to provide to you, and the valuable insights they offer to creatively solve your problems.

And why for every area discussed.

“And this is why…”

Examples of using “and this is why…”

1. “We recommend a 15-degree 0.2mm chamfer on the front end of the boring tool, and this is why…”
2. “We use H13 steel to manufacture our tool bodies, and this is why…”
3. “We recommend using a fine grain PCD material in this application, and this is why…”
4. ?“We will process this tool using wire erosion, and this is why…”
5. “We recommend holding a 0.003mm tolerance on this diameter, and this is why…”
6. ?“We typically use a 10-degree radial relief for boring at this diameter, and this is why…”
7. ?“We recommend using a 0.002mm per millimeter back taper in this application, and this is why…”
8. "We recommend leaving this amount of stock for the reaming operations, and this is why..."

The list goes on...

Why should you expect the salesperson or technical specialist who visits and works with you to know the answer to “and this is why…?”

Read back to the fifth paragraph in this article.??The special PCD tools you use were designed and manufactured only for your specific application.??You are signing your name on the purchase requisition and on the approval drawings for the tools you are using.??Incidentally, it is the signed approval drawing that will cause the biggest problems in the future if the tools do not perform as intended.

When it comes to spending $250,000 to tool up a new production line, I would rather have someone working with me who knows the answers to “and this is why…” instead of someone who knows all the best lunch spots, wants to discuss the previous weekend’s football games, and who shares the latest memes.??

Expect at least a basic understanding of the special tools being quoted to you from the technical salespeople who visit you.???Failure to know this information demonstrates they are there to sell something to you instead of to work with you as a trusted advisor.??There is a difference.