With the FIGHTMAX, tool manufacturer Inovatools, based in Kinding-Haunstetten, Germany, is sending a well-trained HPC fighter into the ring to instill fear into its opponents. The tool is something of a powerhouse when it comes to machining steel, showing barely any signs of wear even in extended bouts, and demonstrates impressive endurance, according to the company.

With rapid feed rates, substantial working depths and high removal rates, cutting tools are exposed to extreme machining forces during HPC milling, sometimes with enormous alternating stresses exerted on the tool edges. According to Marcus Schubert, product manager at Inovatools, "During development of the FIGHTMAX, Inovatools explored entirely new avenues regarding matters such as carbide, microgeometry and coatings."

The VHM HPC endmill is made from tough, extremely fine-grain carbide, which, in its optimal mixture, handles with aplomb the stressful loads to which the tool is exposed. The H5-quality shank design with concentricity of 0.005 mm ensures quiet and vibration-free operation. The special unevenly split and twisted geometry of the four-edged tool assists with vibration-free operation and, in conjunction with reinforced cutting edges, enables high feed rates even at considerable working depths. Meanwhile, the defined, uniform edge preparation after grinding boosts the performance of the FIGHTMAX even further.

The large groove cross-sections with an extremely smooth finish guarantee the best possible chip evacuation from the contact zone. The special, smooth VAROCON PLUS coating not only aids the swift removal of chips but also makes the FIGHTMAX highly resistant to temperature and wear. This is a prerequisite for a long service life. Special shank designs ensure a secure fit in the tool clamp, even in extreme cutting conditions. Short and long versions of the FIGHTMAX are available, with diameters ranging from 6 mm to 20 mm.

Marcus Schubert: "Depending on the application, the FIGHTMAX can be operated at much higher feed rates than conventional HPC endmills available on the market. At the same time, the contouring accuracy is better and the tool has a longer service life. Owing to the excellent surface quality, there is no need for costly and time-consuming rework, as users can perform roughing first with just one FIGHTMAX and then finishing as well with different cutting parameters."

In comparative tests with German, European and Asian HPC endmills, the FIGHTMAX demonstrated impressive performance in HPC milling of steel (a_e = 12 mm; a_p = 12 mm, f_z = 0.06 mm, n = 4,775 rpm, v_f = 1,146 m/min, v_c = 180 m/min), with a service life 62 percent longer than that of the best comparison endmill. The wear comparison returned similar results (load capacity of milling spindle 100 percent = 20 kW): the best competitor threw in the towel after 50 meters, with a wear figure of 0.13 mm; after that, only the FIGHTMAX continued milling, ending after 81 m, or the end of the test, with wear of 0.17 mm.