Work piece examples include:

Valves, electronics parts, hydraulic fittings, pipe tapers, compression fittings, regulator valves, sprinkler systems, petcocks and pressure relief and shut off valves. Hollow Mills are an excellent and accurate method to produce diameters for cutting or rolling threads.

Case Histories

Plumbing Fixtures

Genesee was asked by major US manufacturer of plumbing and heating components to design tooling to produce:

• 1/8, 1/4 and 3/8 pipe thread ends
• 5/32, 1/4 and 3/8 tube ends
• and two different multi diameter form ends of a series of different brass and stainless valve and fitting parts.

The customer had new, specially built machines for this process but also wanted to continue manufacture on existing machines.

THE SOLUTION:

Specially designed Genesee hollow mill bodies that hold sets of match ground HSS or carbide tipped form blades were produced.

• Tools for the new machines were designed with #30 mm taper.
• Tools for existing machines were designed with straight shanks.
• Other than the shanks, the tools are identical to accept the same sets of blades.
• All twelve details of the blades can be used in any tool body.

The hollow mill was provided with a depth-adjustable spot drill to ensure the concentricity of subsequently drilled holes.

Drain Tees

A major American commercial and consumer plumbing and fixture manufacturer required tooling to produce the three similar fitting ends of their brass drain tees.

• Each end required a small diameter on the end with a 45° chamfer to a larger pre-thread diameter.
• Each end had extensive internal chamfer and bore work for which the customer used special internal tools.

The customer had new, specially built machines for this process but also wanted to continue manufacture on existing machines.

THE SOLUTION:

Genesee designed a special inserted blade hollow mill with four match ground carbide tipped blades.

• Two blades produce the smallest diameter and chamfer while two blades hollow mill the larger diameter preparatory to thread rolling.
• The tool was provided with ground hole, set screws and depth adjustment mechanism to hold any of the required internal tools.

Chip removal holes for internal tools and special shank per customer’s requirements.