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

Cutting-tool specialist Walter GB has introduced a range of boring tools with tangentially-arranged indexable inserts to meet demands prevalent in the automotive sector.

Specifically, Walter says that the tools will be used to rough and finish bores in multiple steps, at higher feed rates and generating better surface finishes than those produced by conventional tools, even in applications without good chip clearance.
An additional benefit is the reduction of chatter, which is achieved by combining an extremely stable tool body with separate indexable-insert geometries that feature a second clearance angle – thus reducing the effective clearance angle, which is usually high for tangential tools.
Applications for boring of 4xD can be achieved, while small diameters (from 24 mm) can be machined with three teeth. The square-shaped inserts can be installed at any approach angle; a face chamfer (wiper) also works at 72° and 90°, which guides the tool and helps to minimise noise. In addition, the inserts are cost-effective, with four plus four cutting edges.
The availability of numerous insert grades makes the tools particularly advantageous for users machining workpieces from cast iron, chrome nickels, steel or aluminium, such as turbine or gearbox housings, gears, cylinder bores, and steering knuckles.
For further information www.walter-tools.com

Located in Poole, Allied Tooling is a business that has completely evolved its cutting-tool services over almost 40 years of existence.

The company offers a comprehensive range of services, from the supply and sharpening of TCT saw blades, to bespoke CNC and PCD tooling for the woodworking and metal-cutting industries. Allied has recently spent almost £1.2m on new equipment, including Vollmer and Anca grinding machines, and three machines from Haimer.
The company acquired a Haimer Tool Dynamic TD Comfort balancing machine, a UNO 20/70 Microset pre-setter and a Power Clamp Economic Plus NG heat-shrink machine.
As to why the company opted for the Haimer UNO 20/70 Microset pre-setter, Allied Tooling’s Rod Knight says: “It is simple to use, the software is very user friendly and we even selected a version with the extra travel height of 700 mm for our particularly long tools.”
Looking at the heat-shrink system, Knight states: “With the Haimer Power Clamp Economic Plus NG, we can now offer a service where we heat-shrink customer tools into holders for them. What we do is re-lap or re-grind tools in the holders, which are perfectly concentric. This is a service that has taken our business into an area that we didn’t have before. We can provide a complete refurbishment service on the tools.”
Moving on to the arrival of the Haimer tool balancing system, Knight says: “Everything we do on our Vollmer machines has to be balanced to within 2.5G. It’s essential, especially as some of the machines using these tools are now running upward of 24,000 rpm. If you have a tool that isn’t balanced when working at those speeds, it won’t be long before you have a spindle that is out of sync.”
For further information www.haimer.biz