The Haimer Mill solid-carbide end mill – for roughing, finishing, drilling, profiling, ramping and slotting in nearly all materials – is now available in a short and a long version.

For a long time, Haimer says that manufacturers, especially those in the areas of mechanical engineering, medical and contract machining, have been asking for a milling tool that they can use universally in steel and stainless steel, but also in cast iron, copper and even hardened steel.

The Haimer Mill tools, which are available as end mills according to DIN 6527 with a sharp edge, corner radius or chamfer, show substantial results in most cases. The same edge geometries are available as modular tools for the Haimer interchangeable head system, Duo-Lock.

Characteristics for Haimer MIll end mills are the unequal cutting edge, the centre-cutting design and a neck for higher cutting depth. The end mills are supplied with an h6 shank tolerance and come fine-balanced. Run-out accuracy is <10 μm. To offer users even greater benefits, the Haimer Mill range has now been expanded further. A short version with a cutting-edge length of 1.25xD is suitable for all applications that require less cutting depths. The mill, which features no neck clearance and reduced shank length, uses the cutting edges at low ap (axial depth of cut) values and achieves high stability. In addition to the short version, a long version is available for engineers who want to machine higher workpiece walls. With the new 3xD Haimer Mill, it is possible to achieve consistent high-quality surfaces for such requirements, reports the company. For further information www.haimer.biz

Sandvik Coromant is upgrading its range of turning inserts for machining ISO-P steels. The tooling specialist has launched two carbide grades, called GC4415 and GC4425, which are said to deliver increased toughness, heat resistance and predictable wear.

GC4415 and GC4425 are suitable for manufacturers machining mid to high batch sizes from low-alloyed (P 2.1 to 2.6) and unalloyed (P 1.1 to 1.5) steels, respectively. Sandvik Coromant says that GC4425 outperforms competing solutions in a majority of steel-turning applications. Users can deploy GC4425 and GC4415 for both finishing and roughing, in applications with continuous cuts and light interruptions.

Meanwhile, GC4415 complements GC4425 whenever there is a need for more heat resistance. In addition, the grade’s new post-treatment boosts performance in intermittent cutting operations, avoiding any sudden breakages.

According to Sandvik Coromant, inserts based on GC4415 and GC4425 grades show superior wear resistance over competing inserts, which contributes towards extended tool life and predictable performance. This performance attribute also minimises material waste, both from the workpiece and the insert.

In one case example, a general engineering manufacturer subjected a 421 / 280 pre-heat treated steel workpiece to multi-directional external roughing with a GC4425-grade insert. Compared with using a competitor’s ISO-insert for the same process, the customer was able to achieve a 100% productivity increase, with a reduced cycle time of 50% and a 30% cost reduction.

For better sustainability, the carbide substrate of these new grades contains a high proportion of recycled carbide material, more than 50%. Making grades from recycled material saves virgin raw material, and requires less energy and fewer CO2 emissions in production.

For further information
www.sandvik.coromant.com

Quickgrind has extended its product offering with the arrival of the Mirage Super range of solid-carbide end mills. Designed for a multitude of applications in a wide range of materials, the new Mirage Super is available in standard or application-specific formats to give end users high-performance characteristics when cutting stainless steel, titanium and other superalloy materials.

Building upon the reputation of the existing Mirage series, Quickgrind has introduced its next-generation coating technology and combined it with the very latest micro-grain carbide substrate that increases performance, even on challenging materials such as titanium, Inconel or stainless steel.

The only boundary with regard to diameters, lengths or geometries for the Quickgrind Mirage Super is the machine tools that produce these high-end cutters. Mirage Super is available with four, five, six or more flutes in diameters from 3 to 32 mm, with any combination of edge preparation radius, chip breaker, through-coolant or neck reduction. Suitable for trochoidal milling applications on challenging materials, the Quickgrind Mirage Super can achieve full flute engagement at 3xD.

This performance arrives by way of the new XRed-SL coating technology that has been developed using advanced arc technology which Quickgrind is introducing in this new cutting-tool range. The process deposits coatings at far higher energy levels than possible with conventional arc sources, providing a significantly increased coating density that leads to improved abrasion resistance and reduced tendency for chipping at the cutting edge. This coating also has fewer growth defects and this results in a smoother surface, which can be improved further with the appropriate post-treatment.

It is possible to regrind and recoat the new range a number of times.

For further information
www.quickgrind.com

Allied Machine is releasing its high-penetration drilling system, the T-A Pro. The T-A Pro drill combines material-specific insert geometries, a redesigned drill body and a proprietary through-coolant system to allow penetration rates which the company says run at speeds of up to 30% faster than other high-performance drills on the market.

Coolant outlets direct maximum flow to the cutting edge, providing quick heat extraction where it is needed most, even at significantly higher speeds. In addition, material-specific insert geometries produce good chip formation, while the drill body incorporates redesigned straight flutes for maximum coolant flow and rigidity.

These design elements combine to extend tool life, create consistent-quality holes and provide chip evacuation. As a result, the T-A Pro drill is said to offer machine shops and high-production manufacturers a spade drill with high speed and cost per hole averaging 25% less than existing drills.

The T-A Pro drilling system from Allied Machine is available in diameters ranging from 11.1 to 47.0 mm, and is suitable for stub, 3xD, 5xD, 7xD, 10xD, 12xD and 15xD hole depths. Allied Machine’s drill comes in both metric and imperial shanks, with flat and cylindrical variants. The carbide insert geometries will initially cater for the following ISO material classes: steel (P) with AM300 coating; cast iron (K) with TiAlN coating; and non-ferrous (N) with TiCN coating.

Product manager Sal Deluca says: “The T-A Pro drill is designed for use in applications ranging well beyond general-purpose drilling. It truly will target all industries, offering phenomenal tool life at high penetration rates, especially in situations where the balance of chip formation at high penetration is critical.”

For further information
www.alliedmachine.com

Railway-focused cutting tools can often be complex due to the specific requirement needed to machine a certain component in an efficient and reliable manner. Therefore, across many applications, the majority of cutting tools for the railway industry are classed as specials. However, there are several tools available within Dormer Pramet’s standard assortment that are suitable for the production of various railway components.

The company’s Penta HD and Econ HN, for example, are milling tools from the Pramet indexable range for applications that include the machining of switches, base plates and wagon parts, such as frames, wheel axles and bogies.

When machining switches, one of the first operations is roughing the top and bottom sections of the rail. This requires a large diameter cutter, enabling the fewest number of passes possible. Both the Penta HD and Econ HN assortments have indexable cutters up to 315 mm diameter.

Dormer Pramet developed the Penta HD milling cutter specifically with switch machining in mind. Offering up to 10 mm depth of cut and a feed rate of 0.7 mm per tooth, the range enables high metal removal rates and productivity.

Another railway operation that can benefit from the use of standard tools is the machining of base plates – the connecting element which attaches the rail to the tie or sleeper. When machining the bottom part of base plates, for example, face milling cutters with diameters up to 160 mm are often used. The Pramet Econ HN assortment offers a 45° face milling cutter, which is available from 25-315 mm in diameter and includes HNGX 06 and HNGX 09 inserts.

For further information
www.dormerpramet.com