Image
  1. Archive
  2. Cutting Tool Digest

Small-hole thread mills

Sept. 1, 2004
Single Profile Thread Mills (SPTM) thread small holes with coarse threads in tough materials — a common mold and valve-industry problem. The tools have a solid-carbide-micrograin substrate with a TiAlN coating.

Single Profile Thread Mills (SPTM) thread small holes with coarse threads in tough materials — a common mold and valve-industry problem. The tools have a solid-carbide-micrograin substrate with a TiAlN coating.

SPTM tools are multifluted for depths to 3 diameter with reduced tool pressure. Available in a range of pitches, they handle threads such as 5 /8-11 UNC or M20 2.5 and can cut internal as well as external threads.

Scientific Cutting Tools Inc.
Simi Valley, Calif.
sct-usa.com

U.S. CUTTING TOOL INSTITUTE BILLINGS INDEX
Index for May '03—April '04
May $119,703,248 110.0% November $116,384,449 107.1%
June $123,443,633 113.6% December $121,200,994 111.7%
July $111,215,159 102.1% January $126,819,295 119.2%
August $116,382,313 106.8% February $130,560,000 123.0%
September $125,456,973 115.4% March $154,823,146 145.4%
October $132,331,224 121.3% April $142,985,844 134.7%

Drills for aluminum

Sandvik Coromant's CoroDrill Delta-C A1 drill is for ISON materials, particularly aluminum alloys with a Si content of 8% to 12%, or less, in aerospace and automotive applications. It comes in diameters from 0.118 to 0.787 in., with or without internal cutting-fluid supply, and in five drill types. The design is said to enhance hole tolerance and quality while reducing burr formation.

Sandvik Coromant
Fair Lawn, N.J.
coromant.sandvik.com

Drilling/milling tools

Walter's Xtra-tec drills — B4013, B4015, and B4017 — come in lengths of 3 , 5 , and 7 diameter, respectively. Each has two indexable inserts with two cutting edges for high feedrates. A prism-shaped insert seat provides stable positioning, while a single clamping screw makes for fast and accurate insert changes. Its sintered face and positive-insert geometries result in high productivity, even on low-powered machines.

The F4033 face-milling cutter has double-sided square inserts with eight cutting edges. The F4041 shoulder milling cutter has rhombic-shaped indexable inserts with four positive-cutting edges and a 90° approach angle. Reportedly, the cutter prevents steps on machined shoulders to eliminate the need for finishing operations. Positive-cutting angles also provide a soft-cutting action with high feedrates and low-power consumption.

Walter Waukesha
Waukesha, Wis.
walterwaukesha.com

Die /mold copy mills

ValMill V500 copy mills perform die/mold contouring, peripheral cutting, slotting, drilling, and cavity milling. The cutters come in eight end-mill sizes ranging in diameter from 0.500 to 1.5 in. and in lengths from 4.07 to 7.44 in. and in five face-mill sizes from 2 to 6 in. in diameter. For roughing, semifinishing, and finishing operations, V500 copy mills use either top form chipbreaker style RDMT or RDMW round inserts that thin the chip so tools run at high feedrates with less chatter.

V500 end mills use two inserts on each cutter, and face mills have from four to nine inserts depending on diameter. Inserts come in two coated grades for carbon and alloy steels, tool and die steels, stainless steels, high-temperature alloys, and more. The VP5040 milling grade is multilayered PVD TiAlN/TiN-coated, and VP5135 is a MTCVD multilayer coated grade of TiN/Al2O3/TiCN for rough milling and poor-machining conditions.

Valenite Inc.
Madison Heights, Mich.
valenite.com