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Data-driven manufacturing is the future, but where does one start? What technology is required? Is there a timeframe for all this—a point at which it’s too late to catch up? What can a manufacturer do right now?

Digital machining experts are answering all these questions and more in individual, 30-minute sessions at Sandvik Coromant’s booth. Those who didn’t pre-schedule need not worry about missing too much, even if no open slots remain by the time they visit. The whole idea of the consultations is to make the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) practical, and at IMTS, speaking to a yellow-coated expert doesn’t require an appointment. 

If the yellow-coats are in high demand, there’s plenty to look at while attendees wait. Dashboard monitors and other digital displays illuminate how pre-, post- and in-process machining analytics can become real-world insight. All of this is put into shopfloor context by the real stars of the booth: the cutting tools themselves, some of which feature embedded sensors. This is the CoroPlus line, which has expanded well beyond the CoroBore+ and Silent Tools boring systems on display two years ago at IMTS 2016.

CoroPlus is more than just cutting tools with sensors. The line includes software, too, which offers functionality ranging from improved interconnection with CAM systems and automated parameter selection (ToolGuide) to digitized tool integration (ToolLibrary) and process monitoring (ProcessControl). The overall idea of CoroPlus is to provide eyes and ears inside the machine’s workzone, thus enabling machinists to rely on data rather than instinct alone.

For all the focus on the IIoT, Sandvik Coromant’s display also proves that cutting tool design remains rife with opportunities for innovation. Consider PrimeTurning tools, which can cut in either direction along the workpiece. Traditionally, chip-control concerns have often limited turning to beginning at the end of the part and approaching from the chuck. To enable turning from chuck to part end instead, inserts incorporate a small entry angle and high lead angle. This results in thinner, wider chips that spread the load and heat away from the nose radius.