Warning: That new insert you got might not seat right if you don't check the pocket first

I was running a job last Tuesday outside Tulsa. Tried to swap in a new carbide insert mid-run. It sat crooked and I didn't catch it. First pass gouged the part. Wasted a $60 block of aluminum and 45 minutes of cycle time. Now I always hold the insert up to the light before locking it down. Anybody else had a bad batch of inserts lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

jones.brooke12d ago

Buddy of mine runs a small shop outside Memphis, got a box of TNMG inserts from a new supplier last month. First one he popped in looked fine until he took a cut on a stainless shaft. That insert chipped on the third pass, sent a chunk flying past his face. He checked the rest of the batch with a loupe and three of them had hairline cracks running through the coating. Called the supplier and they played dumb, said it was "user error." He eats that cost still, 200 bucks down the drain.

drew_patel5712d ago

That "user error" excuse is such a cop out, but heres something nobody brings up. Those cracks might not be from the supplier at all, they could be from how the inserts were packed and shipped. If they tossed a bunch of loose inserts in a box with no foam or dividers, the vibration during transport can create micro fractures in the coating that you only see under magnification. Your buddy should check the packaging they came in. If it was just a plain cardboard box with inserts rattling around, the shipper is just as responsible as the supplier. Either way, 200 bucks is a cheap lesson compared to what that chunk could have done to his face.