Hardox 500 effectively machined

Not every machining problem can be solved at a desk. Sometimes a controlled test under real-world conditions is needed – using actual machines, tools, and a material that places the highest demands on our milling technology. This test focused on machining Hardox 500, a hot-rolled wear-resistant steel with a nominal hardness of 500 HBW.

Materials at Their Limits

Hardox 500 is primarily used in bucket liners, crusher jaws, mining buckets, and earth-moving equipment. What makes this steel so valuable in these applications is precisely what makes it so challenging to machine.

Extreme hardness and toughness: Hardox 500 combines high hardness with a toughness that quickly pushes cutting edges to their limits when using conventional strategies. The risk of chipping and uncontrolled wear is correspondingly high.

Thermal stress: Without coolant, heat generation at the cutting edge increases significantly. Choosing the right cutting material and the appropriate geometry is therefore crucial for a stable process.

Process uncertainty: Especially when machining such a material for the first time, reliable reference values are often lacking. Customers risk costly tool breakage and scrap, or play it safe with inefficient parameters that unnecessarily cost time and money.

For the customer trial at our TechCenter, application engineer Marco Bock chose the PF05 solid carbide end mill (162418) – a solid carbide end mill from the Pokolm portfolio designed for machining hard and tough materials. Air was used exclusively as the cooling medium, a constraint that is mandatory in certain manufacturing environments and which significantly increases the demands on the cutting material and geometry.

The objective of this test was to systematically analyze the technological performance limits of our solid carbide tool when machining Hardox 500 and to define reliable process limits. As a practical basis for the customer.

The machining was performed as a circular pocket cycle with a radial engagement of 70% of the milling cutter’s diameter. With an axial feed rate of 0.4 mm and a cutting speed of 300 m/min, the parameters were selected to place the tool under highly dynamic conditions – without causing uncontrolled wear. After 25 minutes of operation, the test was concluded as planned: the tool life had not yet been exhausted at that point.

Metric sizes

*The coolant leak visible in the video is due to residual coolant in the system or a temporary leak that occurred during recording. This does not affect the machining process shown or the performance of the tool used.

Imperial sizes

*The coolant leak visible in the video is due to residual coolant in the system or a temporary leak that occurred during recording. This does not affect the machining process shown or the performance of the tool used.

Impressive Performance Reserves

The test yielded clear results: The PF05 solid carbide end mill machined Hardox 500 under air cooling with high process stability and at parameters significantly higher than those typically used in practice. 

Through the targeted investigation of extreme machining parameters, we were able to gain significant insights at the TechCenter regarding process stability, tool loading, and economically viable performance reserves.

The results obtained serve as a basis for evaluating our technology, particularly with regard to its future use under highly dynamic machining conditions. 

At the same time, the test enables us to effectively position our new solid carbide portfolio in the market by demonstrating to customers, in a practical setting, the high-performance capabilities and technological potential of our milling tools.