At an aerospace parts machining site, we encountered a major challenge:

Inconel 718 — hard to machine, short tool life, and unsatisfactory cost performance.

To find a more stable and efficient solution, we’re launching the 25th Knowhy Hero Challenge, inviting all machining experts to share your experience and insights. Let’s explore a better way together.

🧩 Challenge Details

Part Information

• Part Type: Aerospace component

• Material: Inconel 718 (HRC 40)

• Machining Range: Rough and semi-finish turning

• Machining Areas: Inner diameter, outer diameter, and end face

• Machine Type: Vertical lathe

• Tool Type: WNMG080408

• Clamping Method: Plate locking

Cutting Parameters

• Vc = 35 m/min

• Ap = 0.8 mm

• f = 0.16 mm/r

• Tool life: 45 min

(The part image is AI-generated for illustration purposes only.)

⚙️ Current Machining Status

1️⃣ The program enforces tool changes every 45 minutes.
2️⃣ Tool life was initially set at about 80% of test results to ensure machining safety during R&D.

🎯 Challenge Requirements

1. Improve cost-performance by at least 20%.

2. Maintain or exceed current tool life (≥ 45 min) under the same cutting parameters.

3. Ensure surface quality and appearance meet drawing requirements.

4. Maintain machining efficiency—cycle time must not be longer than before.

💡 Collaboration Benefits

🏆 Supply Qualification:
If your tool solution passes testing, you’ll be granted at least one year of supply qualification.

🌍 Industry Recognition:
Outstanding solutions will be showcased through Knowhy’s industry channels — helping your company gain brand visibility and technical reputation.

📬 How to Participate

Submit your enterprise solution via:
📧 Email: Marketing@knowhy.com.cn
📞 Tel: +86-177-0157-7102

We welcome global tool manufacturers, machining solution providers, and R&D teams to join — whether through process optimization, tool innovation, or fresh machining concepts.
If your solution can enhance efficiency and quality, it deserves to be tested and validated.

🕓 Challenge Duration

Open for long-term submission

🔍 Evaluation Process

Our expert team and customer engineers will jointly review all submitted solutions, assessing innovation, practicality, and feasibility.
Winning solutions will not only receive real business opportunities but also gain industry-wide exposure and potential future orders.

🧠 Final Note

In machining, there’s never a single right answer — every optimization is built on experience and practice.
If you’ve developed or tested similar processes, we invite you to take on this challenge.
Let’s make high-temperature alloy machining more stable, efficient, and valuable — together.

Copyright Notice:
All technical materials and related content in this article are the property of Suzhou Knowhy Industrial Technical Service Co., Ltd. and are provided for reference only.
Unauthorized commercial use is prohibited.
Knowhy reserves the right of final interpretation and legal action for any violations.