The new Thrill∙tec™ TC645 Supreme thread milling cutter from Walter USA LLC, Greer, South Carolina, is said to boost productivity by combining the machining steps of chamfering, core-hole drilling and threading in a single tool and operation.

The TC645 Supreme orbital drilling and thread milling cutter is able to first produce a chamfer at the thread entry, then use helical interpolation to create the core hole and threads.

Image courtesy of Walter USA

The left-hand cutting tool is ideal for small-series and mass production jobs alike, according to Walter. Mass production jobs benefit from long tool life and short cycle times. Shops using the tool on small production runs benefit from the reduction in tool changes and machine slots.

Made with Walter's own WB10TJ grade coating, the TC645 Supreme is suitable for machining of steel, stainless steel, cast iron, nonferrous metal, super alloys and titanium alloys (ISO P, M, K, N and S material groups). A modified milling geometry on the tool face and an internal coolant duct for emulsion are said to maximize the tool's life when machining workpiece materials as hard as 48 HRC.

All these features combined, along with a 20° helix, help to optimize chip removal, even when cutting at high speeds and feeds per tooth, according to technical data from Walter. The company added that the tool can be used for blind-hole and through-hole threads in dimensions of 2 or 2.5 x diameter deep.

Walter offers the TC645 in dimensions of M4 to M12, UNC 8 to UNC ½ and G1/16 to G¼, with plans for additional versions coming soon. The shank is in accordance with the DIN 6535 HA standard.

In addition to maximizing process reliability and its universality, the Thrill∙tec TC645 Supreme also offers a low cost per thread with its fast machining and indexing times, according to Walter.