Sumitomo Electric Hardmetal has released five different grades of RDMT button-style indexable inserts for carbon, alloy and stainless steels, as well as cast iron. The inserts are said to be advantageous in applications where high resistance to wear and insert fracturing is required.
Available in sizes of 8, 10, 12 and 16 mm inscribed circle, the five grades cover PVD-coated ACP100, 200 and 300, and CVD-coated ACK200 and 300 variants.
The ACP100 grade for milling steel and ACK200 for cast iron incorporate Sumitomo’s Super FF coating that the company says enables up to 1.5 times greater efficiency in machining and provides more than double the tool life of conventional grades under normal cutting conditions. Chipping resistance and adhesion strength are also said to be enhanced.
Similarly, the ACP200 and 300 grades for milling steel and ACK300 for cast iron employ Sumitomo’s Super ZX multi-layer nano-technology coating, which combines alternating 10nm thin layers of TiAN and AlCrN to deliver benefits matching those of Super FF.
The ACP200 is suitable for general milling in steel and die steels, while ACP300 is recommended for interrupted machining in stainless steel workpieces. Meanwhile, ACK300 has been developed for the general and interrupted milling of cast and ductile irons.
In a recent milling demonstration on die steel, the Sumitomo ACP200 grade increased the number of workpieces completed from 300 to 400, says the company. The machine was run at 150 m/min with 0.3 mm/tooth feed rate and 3 mm depth of cut.
For further information
www.sumitomotool.com

Seco says that its high-feed range of milling tools is always being upgraded and improved. As part of this continuous improvement programme, the company has introduced two new ranges to its high-feed milling tool portfolio.
The Jabro JHF181 solid carbide end mill range provides specific high-feed geometry for machining hardened steel, super alloys and titanium. It is available in diameters ranging from 2-16mm and is suitable for machining small workpieces and cavities.
Also new is the High Feed 6 (HF6) with double-sided, six-edged inserts. The HF6 range consists of shell end mill bodies featuring fixed pockets and strong negative inserts with six cutting edges. HF6 tools have a wide application range and are suitable for the machining of ISO P and K classification materials.
“By working with Seco, manufacturers can incorporate and integrate high-feed milling into their operations and, by doing so, achieve part process times between 3 to 10 times faster than when using conventional methods,” says Mike Fleming, Seco’s sales and marketing manager.
Seco’s high-feed milling range covers a diameter range from 1 to 208 mm. Brands include Jabro, Combimaster,
Minimaster, Easy Shrink and Highfeed 2, 4 and 6.
In essence, high-feed milling involves employing shallow depths of cut using tools with large cutting radii and/or small lead angles to ensure that cutting forces, created during the machining process, are directed back towards the machine tool spindle in an axial direction. Axially-directed cutting forces provide increased tool and machining stability which, in turn, allows higher feed rates to be employed – up to 10 times the normal rate, says Seco.
For further information
www.secotools.com

YMT’s Tooling &Workholding Division has launched the range of Alfa-Sys products for assembling and pre-setting cutting tools into the UK market. The company is now the exclusive agent for the complete Alfa-Sys portfolio, which is manufactured in Liechtenstein.
The range starts with the Alfa-Clamp tool device for the assembly of tool-holders, cutting-tool bodies and indexable inserts. This unit can be specified with 90 or 45° incremental locking points, and is secured to a bench or work surface to provide a stable tooling assembly station. Quick-change holders are matched with commonly-available spindle tapers that include BT/CAT, Capto, HSK-A, VDI and KM.
Once assembled, the cutting tool can be pre-set using one of the Alfa-Set units. The pre-setters can be bench-top or free-standing, and feature contact-free vision systems to measure the exact location of each insert, as well as the tip geometry. A TFT touch-screen provides measurement options, feedback and graphical confirmation.
“From experience, we know a tool can be pre-set in around 3 minutes using the Alfa-Set units,” says Jason Short, manager of the Tooling &Workholding Division. “Based on this, we can demonstrate savings of between £10,000 and £30,000 per year for shops running four or six machines.”
For benchtop users, the Alfa-Set 33- and 35-Swift can measure tools up to 250 mm diameter by 380 mm long for the 33-Swift, and 500 mm long for the 35-Swift. Offering additional functionality, the free-standing Alfa-Set 23/44/64 units can measure a range of tool assemblies up to 600 mm diameter and up to 900mm long.
For further information
www.ymtltd.co.uk

A versatile new range of milling cutters and inserts form an important part of Dormer Pramet’s first product launch of 2017. Expanding the company’s range of milling cutters, the development adds an adaptable option to support a wide range of insert shapes and operations from roughing to finishing.
The SOD05 cutter, developed under the Pramet brand, reduces tool changeover time and inventory costs with its universal pocket, which is capable of carrying octagonal, round and square inserts. It means that the cutter, available in diameters from 32-125 mm, can perform face milling, shoulder milling, slotting, plunging and ramping in steel, stainless steel, cast iron and non-ferrous materials.
To support the new cutter, Dormer Pramet has added to its range of octagonal (OD), round (RD) and square (SD) inserts. The OD insert has eight cutting edges and low cutting forces, promoting an economical option for face milling, while the RD inserts are suitable for high-feed roughing, shallow profiling and ramping. SD inserts have four cutting edges and offer a 90° option for square-shoulder milling, providing depths of cut up to 10 mm.
All insert types have the same radial and axial positions of edges – allowing for easier CNC programming and manual operations.
Meanwhile, Dormer Pramet has announced a new range of small diameter cutters (12-40 mm) for turn-milling operations, which have a high number of teeth to improve productivity.
For further information
www.dormerpramet.com