What is Cutting Tool Regrinding and Downsizing?
Regrinding is the process of taking an existing, worn insert and reconditioning the cutting edge of it to create a new, clean edge to work on. Tool downsizing is the process of taking an old insert that cannot continue to be used effectively at its current size and reconditioning it down to the next ISO size.
Regrinding and downsizing allows you to save money and only spend a fraction of the cost to extend the life of your existing tool. It is also a great option for the environmentally conscious, reducing unneeded use of the environment’s resources and helping to minimize carbon footprint.
Benefits of Cutting Tool Regrinding and Downsizing Inserts
Reconditioning and downsizing your inserts provides several benefits including:
- Cost-effective
- Extended life of inserts
- Turn in scrap material to earn credit for new inserts and regrinds
- Get reconditioned inserts with the same standards and tolerances of new tools
- Reduced carbon footprint
The Cutting Tool Regrinding Process
We have a simple cutting tool regrinding and downsizing process to help you get the most for your money.
Step 1: Send in Your Inserts
We can regrind and downsize inserts from the following materials:
- Carbide
- Ceramic
- Cermet
- PCD
- CBN
- Cerbide
We put all different material inserts through the same sorting process where our engineers will determine if your insert is a candidate for regrinding or downsizing. We are equipped to handle both small and large orders.
Step 2: Provide a Report
Once our engineers have done a thorough evaluation of your inserts, we will provide a detailed report of our findings and recommendations. In this report, we offer pricing information as well as scrap credit options you can use toward your next regrind or insert order.
Step 3: Start Grinding
Once we get your approval of our report, our engineers will work with you to determine the best tool regrind option for your specific application. Our cutting tool regrinds are high quality and many times are held to tighter tolerances than new inserts.
We offer a variety of cutting tool regrinding services including:
- Periphery Grinding: Grinding around the periphery, or outer edge, of the insert to a specified size and tolerance.
- Thickness/Vertical Surface Grinding: Grinding the face, or thickness, of the insert to a specified size and tolerance.
- Horizontal/Form Grinding: Grinding on the surface to create a high degree of flatness, parallelism, and a superior surface finish.
- Edge Preparation: Reapplying the original hone or land edge of the insert.
Tipped Tool Services
In addition to our cutting tool regrinding and downsizing insert services, we also perform tipped tool reconditioning for PCD and CBN inserts as well.
Our tipped tool reconditioning services include:
- Relap: Cleaning the tool tip by grinding and brushing to clean the cutting edge. This tool can then be used in its original holder.
- Reset: Removing the tool tip, analyzing the wear, placing a shim behind the tip, and brazing the old tip back on. This process saves both time and money for businesses in need of a quick fix.
- Retip: Removing the tool tip from the insert, brazing a new tip on, and grinding to the exact form as before. Retipping your current tool extends its usability and prevents you from having to replace the entire body of the tool.
Interested in saving money while extending the life of your cutting tools? Contact us today to get started regrinding and downsizing your inserts.