IG96 – New grade

With the IG96 carbide grade, Horn is expanding the range of applications for the S224 and S229 grooving systems for machining general and stainless steels. The carbide grade features a coating approximately 9 µm (0.0004") thick and is available for the L, KF, HR and KR geometries. The internally applied coating increases the grade’s high-temperature strength and ensures a stable machining process even under demanding conditions. Users benefit from cost-effective machining of a wide variety of steel materials, as well as short lead times made possible by the in-house HiPIMS coating technology.

Field tests demonstrate the potential of the new carbide grade. When machining C55 steel, an S229.0600.L4 insert in IG96 achieved a tool life of 500 components. The version previously used achieved a service life of between 250 and 280 components under identical cutting conditions. Service life was also significantly increased when machining 42CrMo steel. A custom insert in IG96 achieved 534 components, whereas comparable tools only reached 300 components. The carbide grade’s higher wear resistance enables longer tool life and reduces the frequency of tool changes. IG96 thus supports productive and reliable machining in numerous groove turning applications.