Seco has further expanded the industry’s widest selection of disc milling inserts and cutter bodies. In response to customer demands, Seco has introduced the 335.14 small-diameter exchangeable head system, 335.16 cutter for T-slot operations and cassette versions of the 335.25 cutter that incorporate round inserts.

Incorporating small-diameter exchangeable carbide heads, the 335.14 offers a versatile, precise cutting profile that easily tackles any type of material. These cutters are ideal for groove milling, circlip grooves, full radius profiles and chamfering. Reliable exchangeable head systems control machining costs. The 335.14 product line comes in a wide variety of cylindrical and integrated collet chuck shanks in diameters from 9.7 mm to 34.7 mm that cut widths from 0.7 mm to 5.15 mm.

The highly stable 335.16 cutters incorporate 4-edged inserts to economically perform demanding T-slot operations. Modern insert geometries reduce machining forces and noise for optimum tool life. Centralised cooling channels effectively remove chips and provide excellent surface finishes and finished part quality. Cutters come in diameters from 25 mm to 50 mm based on standardised T-slot dimensions. The wide selection of insert geometries and grades cut many materials in widths ranging from 11 mm to 21 mm.

The expanded line of 335.25 disc mill cutters now includes new cassettes for 16-mm and 20-mm round insert diameters. These cutters perform well in various full side, face or half side and face operations for applications involving corner radii. The exchangeable cassettes ensure long, reliable cutter performance. The large choice of insert geometries and grades provide freer cutting operations and increase cost-efficiency in any type of material. Regular and extra-large cassette sizes accept 16-mm and 20-mm round insert diameters. Cutter diameters range from 100 mm to 315 mm.

Stability is everything when it comes to porcupine cutters, a characteristic feature of the Walter BLAXX range.

Walter is now extending its high-end range: As are its fellow cutters for face milling and shoulder milling, the new Walter BLAXX F5038 porcupine cutter is also characterised by an extremely solid and therefore stable tool body.

In conjunction with the tangential, quadruple edge, system indexable inserts made of Tiger·tec® Silver cutting tool materials, the user thereby achieves top values in process reliability and cost efficiency. In comparison to conventional tool solutions of this type, machining times are reduced by up to 30 percent. What’s more, the accurately arranged, precision indexable inserts produce flawless and step-free shoulders that, to the greatest possible extent, make re-machining superfluous.

A new range of tangential face milling cutters and inserts for heavy roughing has been launched by Dormer Pramet. An important addition to Pramet brand’s wide assortment of milling products for heavy machining, the tangential mounting of the new robust double-sided inserts ensures rigid clamping. This results in good impact strength and cost efficient machining due to both high feed and cutting depth capabilities. For use on Pramet’s S60LN15C cutter, with a 60° approach angle, the tangential inserts LNEX are suitable for face milling of cast iron and steel in heavy machining conditions. Tomasz Cymorek, international application engineer at Dormer Pramet, said: “Construction of the tangential milling cutter ensures the stable clamping of the inserts, while its mounting means the cutting force is along each insert’s thickest, strongest axis. This helps to withstand greater forces and gives us at least 30 per cent higher tool life in heavy conditions compared with the radial option. “Our new range of inserts will be suitable for large work-pieces on big castings and forgings for, in particular, the power and marine industries.” To support the new range of cutters, Pramet has developed the M and KR chipbreakers. M has a positive geometry for standard work-pieces and promotes low cutting forces. Chipbreaker KR has a more negative geometry for hard work-pieces and is the first-choice for heavy cutting conditions. The inserts have been produced using the new grades M5326, M8326 and M8346, which were developed specially for heavy milling to offer additional durability. Pramet launched the grades in November 2014,

Meanwhile, Pramet now has a complete range of ADMX16 inserts for productive 90° shoulder milling. From 1 April, it is adding five new radii (0.4mm – 5.0mm) and a new ADEX insert with HF geometry for high feed machining. ADMX16 offers a universal solution for machining steel, stainless steel, cast iron, copper and aluminium. The inserts’ highly positive geometry allows low cutting forces for durability and reliability. Its optimised shape ensures ADMX16 provides a smoother operation and successful chip evacuation, leading to a quality machined surface finish.

Dormer Pramet’s introduction of the milling ranges form part of a wider product launch on 1 April 2015 – the first combined unveiling since Dormer and Pramet merged last year.

When machining complex parts made from expensive materials, secure performance is clearly vital. With this in mind, cutting tool specialist Sandvik Coromant has introduced a range of small CoroMill® Plura thread milling cutters designed to counter the threat of tool breakage and component damage associated with conventional taps.

The advantages of thread milling compared with tapping are well documented. For example, a thread mill can address a range of hole diameters instead of just one hole size. The thread mill can also place threads closer to the bottom of a blind hole, while more room is available for chips to fall away, thus aiding machine uptime by avoiding the entanglement of swarf around the tool.

However, the greatest benefit is the avoidance of scrapped parts. Few who have worked in a machine shop will have escaped the pain of a broken tap in an expensive component. Often, the part is ruined, along with the tool of course. Only occasionally will a trip to the spark erosion shop save the day, but at a heavy cost in terms of both time and finance.

Medical parts are no exception. Machined commonly from surgical grade stainless steels and hard cobalt-chrome alloys, threading is often one of the final operations. As a result, plenty of value has already been added to the component – there is no margin for error.

The new CoroMill Plura range of small thread mills are designed purposely for the type of components required in the medical sector. Ideal for both right- and left-hand threading in materials up to a hardness of 63 HRc, the tools can generate threads from M1.6 to M12 depending on hole depth and material. UNC and UNF type thread mills are also available.

When milling stainless steel there are many challenges to overcome, including difficulties with chip formation, tool life and productivity. The latest insert geometries for CoroMill 345® have been designed specifically to offer the light cutting action and low forces required to surmount such challenges. Numerous benefits include not only higher metal removal rates and greater throughput, but the ability to use CoroMill 345 on small taper machines (ISO 30 and ISO 40 machines), in vibration sensitive applications or where there are weak fixtures.

The innovative new inserts feature eight edges, four on each side, and although they sit negatively in the cutter, a very high rake ensure positive, light cutting. This not only promotes excellent chip formation in stainless steel, but improves the working environment thanks to its soft machining sound. A wiper insert is also available where a brilliant surface finish is sought, while internal coolant is available for cutters up to 125 mm in diameter.

By way of testimony, outstanding results were achieved in a recent customer performance test. A pump body made from 316L stainless steel was subject to dry roughing operations on a horizontal machining centre. Using CoroMill 345, both cutting speed and feed speed could be increased against a competitor cutter. This helped deliver 50 per cent more components with 22 per cent higher metal removal rate, without wearing out the inserts. In fact, using the new inserts, three components per edge could be achieved, against just two using the competitor cutter.