Endmills that can take the heat

END USER: Northwood Industries Inc., (419) 666-2100, www.nwindustries.com.
CHALLENGE: Efficiently machine stainless steel parts without breaking endmills.
SOLUTION: 6-flute, solid-carbide endmills.
SOLUTION PROVIDER: IMCO Carbide Tool Inc., (800) 765-4626, www.imcousa.com.

When a machine shop is faced with either running cutting tools aggressively and breaking them in the process or pampering the tools and taking too long to complete a job, it must find a better way. Northwood Industries Inc. found itself in that situation when machining large, 316 stainless steel plates for the solar power industry, noted Greg Shepard, CNC machinist for the Perrysburg, Ohio, manufacturer.

Founded in 1968, Northwood operates in a 23,000-sq.-ft., air-conditioned plant, where more than 20 shop employees perform production machining, prototyping, fabrication and assembly for a host of industries, with automotive being a significant one. The company also offers design engineering and reverse engineering services.

When endmilling stainless steel plates up to 20 ” (508mm) wide × 60 ” (1,524mm) long × 3/4 ” (19.05mm) thick, Shepard emphasized that a small increase in machining parameters pays big dividends in cycle time. However, when applying ½ “-dia., 4-flute carbide endmills at 2,000 rpm, 20 ipm (0.508 m/min.) and a 0.125 ” (3.175mm) DOC, endmills were breaking “left and right” and he couldn’t complete the job.

IMCO Carbide Tool’s new INCONEX M8 series 6-flute, solid-carbide endmills are suitable for roughing and finishing.