Several new cutters and insert grades are being introduced at Westec 2007 that their manufacturers said deliver high performance, durability and long life for milling operations on a many materials including difficult-to-machine and hard materials.
As an upgrade to its HELI2000 and HELIPLUS families of milling cutters, Iscar Metals Inc. (www.iscarmetals.com), booth 2858, introduced a 19-mm (0.728-in.) length cutting edge for face milling, high shoulder applications, deep slots and for steep helical interpolations that penetrate deep into cavities.
HP AD 1906 inserts, with a construction similar to that of HP ADKT 2207 inserts, feature a high helix, positive rake angle and sharp cutting edge. Iscar said this design exerts a low force, thereby leaving a high surface finish along a 0.707-in. (17.96-mm) shoulder. As a result of this finish and insert length, the HELIPLUS 19 mm can replace other extended-flute milling cutters that use shorter inserts.
Like the HP ADKT 2207, the HP ADKT 1906 is a thick insert designed with two clamping holes for secure clamping. Iscar said this feature allows for high cutting speeds and high-tool-load applications.
Insert types available include:
- HP ADKT 1906, with 0.04 in., 0.047 in. and 0.063-in. (1.016, 1.194 and 1.600-mm) corner radii options for general applications.
- HP ADCT 1906, peripherally ground inserts with sharp cutting edges for finishing and semi-finishing applications, as well as for machining titanium and other high temperature alloys.
- HP ADCR 1906, also peripherally ground inserts with sharp cutting edges and a super positive, polished rake for machining aluminum.
Emuge Corp. (www.emuge.com), booth 4322, expanded its milling product line to include solid carbide, poly-crystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitrate (CBN) end mills that are engineered for specific cutting applications. The end mills are produced from submicro-grain carbide. They include: Hard Cut for materials that range from construction steels and tool steels to cast iron; S-Hard-Cut designed for milling hardened steels and cast irons; and N-Cut designed for cutting everything from construction, alloyed, tool and hardened steels to aluminum, alloys and synthetics.
PCD tools efficiently machine highly abrasive, nonferrous materials, including graphite, high-silicon aluminum alloys, fiber-reinforced synthetics and copper alloys. These tools feature a coolant-through design for efficient evacuation of dust and chips.
The new end mill program includes radius corner end mills and high-productivity tools in cutting-diameters from 0.0937 in. to 1 in. A full range of metric size tools is also available.
Aeromaster high productivity router cutters from Seco Tools Inc. (www.secotools.com), booth 2564, are designed for slotting, square shoulder milling and pocketing operations in aluminum. The tools are designed for high speed, high metal-removal rates in aluminum. "In one application our customer achieved a metal-removal rate of 345 cubic in. per minute using a 2-in. diameter, two-flute Aeromaster," said Jay Verellen, Seco Tools product manager for milling.
The Aeromaster family includes: High Productivity Routers, with cylindrical shanks from 1.25 in. to 2 in., shell mill from 2 in. to 4 in. or a two-piece flexible Combimaster style from 1.25 in. to 1.5 in. The inserts for these cutters are from Seco's VPGX 2206 catalog and allow a 0.395-in. maximum depth of cut.
Smaller Aeromaster cutters are available with cylindrical shanks from 1 in. to 1.5 in., 2-in. shell mills or two-piece Combimaster cutters ranging from 1 in. to 1.5 in. Compatible inserts for these cutter bodies are Seco's XPKX 12T3 designation, and allow a 0.295-in. maximum depth of cut.
Sandvik Coromant Co. (www.coromant.sandvik.com/us), booth 3250, said its new insert grade GC4230 was designed with improved edge-line toughness for light to heavy milling of alloyed and unalloyed steels. The company said the insert grade has toughness that is beyond standard chemical vapor deposition (CVD) grades, allowing increased cutting speeds and metal-removal rates.
The company also introduced a dampened, silent version of its CoroMill 390 endmill. With integrated dampening, the company said this endmill eliminates vibration to improve performance in deep cavities and pockets. Sandvik said this allows cutting parameters to be increased without risk to workpiece quality.
