Cutting tool manufacturer Horn has extended downwards in size its M475 grooving and cut-off milling system. A user could previously select a grooving width of either 5, 6 or 8 mm, but now smaller inserts with a cutting width of 3 or 4 mm are available. In the UK and Ireland, the tools are available via the German manufacturer’s subsidiary in Ringwood, Hampshire.

The M475 system employs precision-ground, indexable inserts with four cutting edges. Positive geometry and a round chip-breaker groove, together with the new RC4G carbide grade, deliver economical, productive machining performance, reports the company. High toughness and hardness enable the machining of steels at elevated cutting speeds. These attributes also serve to increase insert life significantly.

The cutter bodies are available from stock as side, shell and screw-in milling cutters – the two latter variants feature internal coolant supply.

Side milling cutters range in diameter from 80 to 200 mm and have cutting widths of 3, 4, 5, 6 or 8 mm. As shell mills, the tools are available in diameters from 63 to 200 mm and with identical grooving widths. The screw-in cutters are for a groove width of 5 mm and are available in diameters from 40 to 63 mm as standard. The effective number of teeth of depends on tool diameter and ranges from two to 13. Special surface treatment of the tool body offers protection against abrasion from chips.

More information www.phorn.co.uk

With the new WSM13G, WSM23G, WSM33G and WSM43G grades, Walter is expanding its Tiger·tec Gold range for grooving applications and also making it suitable for universal use. The diversity of the new grades ensures their suitability for everything from grooving and parting off to groove-turning, in virtually every material.

Walter developed the multi-layer Tiger·tec Gold PVD insert coating especially for the main types of wear that occur when grooving. The company says that the special performance of the inserts is credit to the combined TiAlN and TiSiN multi-layer coating. This makes the layers of the grades hard and resistant against both flank face wear and plastic deformation.

Complementing the multi-layer coasting is a special post-treatment process that ensures smooth rake faces, less friction and more toughness. Walter is offering the grades in four versions with different levels of hardness or toughness.

The WSM33G universal grade is suitable for 80% of grooving applications in steel, stainless and heat-resistant alloys. If the level of wear is too high, users can choose from two harder grades for ISO M, S and P materials. The WSM13G is suitable for finishing and medium machining with uninterrupted cutting, while the new WSM23G is for stable conditions, high-speed cutting and where machine shops are using oil as the cooling lubricant.

For particularly heat-resistant materials such as Inconel 718, Walter says that the WSM13G grade achieves maximum tool life in combination with 150 bar precision cooling. If a tougher grade is necessary, the WSM43G is suitable for interrupted cutting, machining at low cutting speeds or unstable conditions.

Walter is offering the new grades for all its grooving systems.

More information www.walter-tools.com