Mapal grows turnover and remains on track

In the 2022 financial year, group turnover at tooling specialist Mapal increased by 6.5% to €558m. The first months of the current year also showed increases, which is why the company is cautiously optimistic about 2023 and expects turnover to grow to €590m. “The first half of the year was very positive, so we’re now working on achieving our targets despite increasing economic risks,” says Dr Jochen Kress, president of the Mapal Group. “We have used the past few years intensively and faced up to the changing conditions in order to be prepared for the future.”
For further information www.mapal.com

New WalterKrato-tec coating advanced drill

With its X•treme Evo Plus drill, Walter is launching a new tool in the DC180 Supreme product range. Krato•tec coating technology for drilling and reaming tools now extends the market potential of these solid-carbide drills. This is credit to the WJ30EZ grade – developed in-house at Walter – with an AlTiN multi-layer coating that enables the drills to reach high cutting speeds. It also makes the drill suitable for universal use in all ISO materials from groups P, M, K, N, S and H.

When compared with alternative products, the DC180 Supreme has a tool life that is up to 50% longer, reports Walter. The drill with internal coolant channels is for use with emulsions, oil and MQL. Its geometry incorporates a straight cutting edge that gives it a high level of stability and process reliability. Walter offers the DC180 Supreme with a diameter from 3 to 20mm for a diverse range of applications.

As standard, Walter is introducing the DC180 Supreme in dimensions of 3xD in accordance with DIN 6537 short and also 5xD following DIN 6537 long to its range. The tool specialist can also offer special tools with intermediate sizes and step drills upon request with short delivery times via its Walter Xpress service.

Walter Xtreme Evo Plus drills from the DC180 range are part of the Supreme product line for large-quantity production runs and heavy-duty drilling operations. Thanks to its long tool life, high productivity and high wear resistance in demanding applications, Walter says that the DC180 Supreme reduces costs and is suitable for difficult machining operations.
For further information www.walter-tools.com

CVD-coated carbide grades for steel turning

Kyocera Corporation is introducing new CVD coating materials, CA115P and CA125P, for turning insert grades used in automotive and industrial steel machining. The new coating technologies achieve a high level of wear and fracture resistance, resulting in a long tool life. In addition, Kyocera is launching a PMG chip breaker, which covers a range of machining applications, along with the new insert grades.

The new CA115P and CA125P insert grades – the main grades for external and internal turning for steel machining – have a newly developed coating and carbide substrate. According to Kyocera, the coating achieves the industry’s highest level of uniformity in alumina crystal orientation through the company’s proprietary crystal-forming technology during the CVD process, which helps to ensure outstanding wear resistance.

By combining this ultra-uniform alumina layer with a proprietary TiCN layer and new carbide substrate offering greater high-temperature strength, the insert grades achieve higher wear resistance and fracture resistance, as well as long tool life and stable machining. In addition, the PMG chip breaker supports various machining conditions, from medium machining to roughing, making it possible to consolidate tools and deliver productivity improvements.

CA125P grades support a wide range of machining conditions, from continuous to heavy interrupted machining, and are highly versatile main grades. CA115P grades are for high-efficiency machining in continuous to light-interrupted machining, contributing to productivity improvement through long tool life and stable machining.

Kyocera’s new PMG chip breaker achieves smooth chip evacuation in medium roughing. In addition, the low-cutting-force design of the cutting edge suppresses crater wear on the rake face, which enables lasting chip evacuation.
For further information www.kyocera.co.uk

Ferocious five-flute milling with latest VariMill

The Widia VariMill series is once more seeing improvement with the arrival of the new VariMill Chip Splitter range, which is available in the UK from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC).

Designed for dynamic milling, ramping, helical interpolating and side milling at high speeds and feed rates, the new VariMill Chip Splitter series delivers high levels of chip control that allows the tool to run with a longer axial depth-of-cut while productively diving into deep pockets in steel, stainless steel and high-temperature alloys. Suitable for cutting materials ISO groups P, M, K, S and H, ITC says that the new series is a genuine high-performance tool that delivers exceptional material removal rates.

Presented as a five-flute solid-carbide end mill that is available in Widia’s WP15PE and WS15PE carbide grades, the VariMill Chip Splitter has features that improve chip evacuation by breaking the chips into the smallest possible segments. This simplifies swarf removal from the work area, and improves cutting speeds and feeds when processing small pockets up to 5xD or when machining at full depth-of-cut.

The five-flute end mills are available with a straight or Weldon shank in 3xD or 5xD variants. Straight shank 3xD end mills are available in 10, 12 and 16 mm diameters with the Weldon shank designation also offering a 20 mm diameter variant. The 3xD tools have a flute length from 32 to 60 mm with an overall length of 80 to 125 mm. Similarly, the 5xD plain shank variant is available from 10 to 20 mm diameter with the Weldon shank also offering an 8 mm diameter variant.
For further information www.itc-ltd.co.uk

Nine-edge cutters lift circular milling productivity

Groove, cut-off and gear milling are just three processes that the circular interpolation milling system from Horn now performs even more productively following the introduction of a range of tools with nine cutting edges. The system can be used from an inside diameter of 8 mm for the precise boring of grooves down to 0.25 mm wide, or for milling splines. Standard tools and special variants are available.

Smaller diameter circular interpolation mills from Horn were previously available with exchangeable heads having a maximum of six teeth. Three extra cutting edges offer higher material removal rates, raising productivity by shortening cycles and, at the same time, extending tool life. In addition, the cutters run more quietly and with less vibration compared with tools having fewer teeth. Consequently, the dimensional accuracy and surface finish of components see improvements.

Horn stocks the nine-edged milling systems M911, M913 and M928 in widths from 1.5 to 3 mm. Maximum milling depths are 3.5, 4.5 and 6.5 mm respectively. The cutter heads are available with different coatings to suit the material in cut. Due to its mass, the solid-carbide tool shank ensures vibration damping during milling. Horn designed all variants of the shank for internal coolant supply.
For further information www.phorn.co.uk