The range of Guhring cutting tools for the machining of composite materials has been expanded with the innovations in a newly published brochure titled ‘High Performance Tools for Machining Modern Composite Materials’.

Available to download from the Guhring UK website or local representative, the 24-page publication includes the latest solid carbide and PCD drills, as well as end mills, taps, slot drills, and PCD compression milling cutters. The Guhring range has been specially adapted to the respective structures of composite materials to ensure optimum chip evacuation, as well as uniform hole diameters across all material types.
Guhring’s latest catalogue introduces new and extended product ranges that include solid-carbide stub drills and Kevlar drills from 2.5 to 10 mm, CR100 and FR100 geometry end mills for CFRP/GFRP, ISO metric machine taps, and 90° and 120° multi re-grindable PCD drills. Additional products include two, three and four cutting edge PCD slot drills and end mills with through-coolant. These tools are available in a variety of shank forms, tolerances, surface finishes, coatings, helix and rake angles, and cutting edges.
Diamond coating is a critical feature for optimising performance when cutting FRP. The Guhring diamond coating is called Cristal, and this is applied in-house to optimise performance, consistency and tool longevity for the end user.
Among the challenges of developing cutting tools for the composite industry are quality characteristics that are important for metallic cutting, but also the fraying of fibres, delamination, burr and thermal damage prevention during machining,
and the splintering of fibres. Guhring has invested significantly in its R&D efforts
to overcome these difficulties.
For further information www.guhring.co.uk

Tungaloy has introduced its DoQuad-Mill, a face-milling cutter that is designed to address interference between the tool and workpiece.

Standard face-milling tools generally prevent end users machining close to walls or fixture clamps due to inclined entry angles, says Tungaloy. In contrast, the DoQuad-Mill has been developed with a near 90° entry angle that ensures the cutter is interference-free and therefore capable of face milling extremely close to walls and other features.
The double-sided square insert incorporates a concave cutting edge profile with a large inclination angle. This design improves swarf evacuation and generates barrel-shaped chips, a feature that prevents swarf re-cutting. The inserts incorporate a large rake angle that generates low cutting forces and a smooth cutting action, thus reducing stress and force on both the machine spindle and cutting tool. This capability makes the cutter suitable for customers operating low-powered machine tools, or working with low rigidity or weak fixture settings.
DoQuad-Mill offers cutter diameters ranging from 50 to 100 mm diameter in either standard or close-pitch insert designation. The standard pitch variant is designed to ensure chatter-free milling, whereas the close-pitch cutter is suited to applications where high-feed and high-speed machining is essential. DoQuad-Mill inserts are available with corner radii of 0.8, 1.2 and 2.0 mm. For precision machining applications that require high-quality surface finishes, a wiper insert is also offered.
The DoQuad-Mill is available with a selection of insert grades and coatings to cater for the machining of various material types. This choice includes the AH3135 PVD grade, which has a high fracture resistance, making it the company’s first choice grade for machining steel and stainless steel.
For further information www.tungaloy.com/uk

New from Kennametal is the next generation of the company’s Mill 4-12KT tangential shoulder mill, which is designed to produce high-quality surface finishes in nearly all steel and cast-iron applications.

“Our Mill 4-12KT uses 15% lower cutting forces, an important consideration with today’s lighter duty, 40-taper machine tools,” says Tim Marshall, senior global product manager. “That allows customers to feed faster without putting additional stress on the spindle. And in long overhang situations, or where the part fixture is less than optimal, lower forces equate to less chatter, reduced edge chipping and smoother surface finishes.”
The tangentially mounted inserts with four cutting edges per insert deliver reduced tooling costs. Seven corner radii from 0.4 to 3.1 mm are available, as well as medium and coarse pitch cutter bodies from 50 to 200 mm in diameter (with through-coolant). Offering an axial depth of cut range from 0.5 to 12 mm, the tool covers most shoulder milling applications.
A number of factors contribute to significant performance increases, even in aggressive cutting conditions. For instance, the tangential ‘on-edge’ insert design allows the insert to take advantage of the strength of the carbide thickness, more so than radially mounted inserts found on traditional milling cutters. In addition, a shallow pocket design permits the core size
of the cutter body to be sufficiently robust.
For further information www.kennametal.com

Sandvik Coromant is introducing its lightweight CoroMill 390, which features a cutter body produced using additive manufacturing.

The lighter overall weight of the tool helps to minimise vibration and improve security during machining operations that require long overhang set-ups. In turn, gains in productivity can also be achieved.
Additive manufacturing offers a superior way of producing complex structures with high precision and without joints. Use of the process can make components lighter, stronger and more flexible than ever before. With regard to tool bodies, additive manufacturing allows for the generation of shapes and features not possible with metal cutting. In addition, virtually any material can be printed, as in this case, a titanium alloy.
”When designing our new lightweight CoroMill 390, material has been tactically removed to create the optimal cutter design for minimising mass,” explains Thomas Wikgren, manager – product application management. “This is called topological optimisation, and it makes the cutter more compact and significantly lighter than a conventional version, thus helping machine shops to boost productivity in long-overhang operations. Moreover, a shorter distance between the damper in the adaptor and the cutting edge improves performance and process security.”
The lightweight CoroMill 390 has been designed to provide the solution. Combined with Silent Tools milling adaptors, this tooling combination subdues vibration to aid productivity and process security in demanding applications involving long overhangs. In addition, the cutter can be used to perform long-reach face milling, deep shoulder and side milling, cavity milling, and slot milling. The tool is available in 40 and 50 mm diameter variants. Three or four different inserts (size 11) can be specified to suit the application. Differential pitch and internal coolant are provided on all cutters.
For further information www.sandvik.coromant.com

Turning heat-resistant super alloys (HRSAs) has always been a challenging prospect for the modern machine shop.

However, TaeguTec is now simplifying this challenge with the arrival of insert designations that have been added to its T-Turn turning series of cutting tools.
With a glossy yellow sheen, the PVD coated TT3010 grade is characterised by its high abrasion resistance and high bonding strength, which result from its ultra-fine substrate. In combination, this abrasion-resistant, high-bonding strength, ultra-fine substrate – and a special coated layer – enables chipping resistance to prevent built-up-edges. The grade is suited to low depths-of-cut finishing applications.
Alongside the TT3010 will be the new PVD coated TT3020 grade. This insert uses an ultra-fine substrate that is said to generate high abrasion resistance and toughness during machining. With a smooth coated layer surface manufactured through a special treatment process, the TT3020 demonstrates resistance to built-up-edges. For HRSA materials, this is TaeguTec’s most frequently recommended grade for the machining of scaled surfaces and light external applications in the low-to-medium speed range.
Both grades are available with two new chip breakers, MGS and FGS. The MGS chip breaker is a negative insert with a sharp cutting edge that reduces cutting resistance and heat generation during machining. In contrast, the FGS chip breaker is a positive insert that has a sharp cutting edge to generate low cutting resistance while guaranteeing precision machining. The chip breaker serves to minimise heat when machining high-temperature alloys.
For further information www.taegutec.com