Cutting Tools

Monolith

Monolith extended-reach endmills from Ultra-Tool International Inc. have overall lengths up to 12" (304.8mm); runout at that length is 0.0003" (0.0076mm). SmoothFlute variable-helix, 5-flute, 45°-helix and roughing styles are available, as well as 2- and 3-flute tools for cutting aluminum.

Miniature carbide endmills

Microcut Inc.’s line of miniature carbide endmills are from 0.002" to 0.125" (0.051mm to 3.175mm) in diameter and are available with long shanks and long reaches. The company offers AlTiN- and diamond-coated endmills and special rotary cutting tools, including thread mills, keyseat cutters, double-angle cutters, microdrills, spotting drills and dovetail cutters.

PCD inserts with CB3 chipbreakers

Rani Tool Corp. offers German-made PCD inserts with CB3 chipbreakers from Becker Diamond Tools. The chipbreaker has a semiserrated wave profile on the flanks of the cutting point, which increases the material-removal rate and produces short, controlled chips. The inserts are suitable for machining with flood coolant or minimal-quantity lubrication.

SwiftCARB Corner Rounders

SwiftCARB offers a complete line of straight-shank and shell-mill indexable-insert corner rounders. According to the company, the tools increase cutting speeds and feed rates by 25 percent, and the tools’ inserts can be changed quickly, which enhances efficiency. The company stocks more than 70 radii, from 0.010" to 1" and from 1mm to 25mm.

WP chipbreaker

Kyocera Precision Tools Inc. says positive-style inserts with its WP chipbreaker and a wiper cutting edge impart fine surface finishes at low cutting forces. The chipbreaker stabilizes chip conditions at low feed rates, controls excess chip breaking during high-feed and high-load machining and prevents tearing of the finished surface by controlling adhesion. The inserts are for machining steel and stainless steel and are available in a variety of CVD- and PVD-coated grades.

FMT beveling tools

FMT beveling tools from Fastenal Co. are for cutting inside and outside bevels, pipe beveling, countersinking and generating radius paint edges. The spark-free, heat-free tools enable users to make head changes in 30 seconds. The electric FMT Bevel Mate is capable of bevel depths up to ½" (12.7mm), and the pneumatic FMT Bevel Mite is capable of bevel depths up to ¼" (6.4mm).

Facing Hard Facing

Greenleaf Corp. introduced its WG-300 ceramic composite  tool material about 25 years ago. The ceramic matrix  is reinforced with silicon-carbide "whiskers” that boost  toughness. Initially applied in the relatively constant cutting  conditions of turning operations, the composite tools  provided a significant increase in productivity when roughing  aerospace alloys. Shops are now using WG-300 tools in hard  milling operations. 

A Cutting Moment

Travis Biggs, applications engineer, technical service, for Greenleaf Corp., offers the nitty gritty on the tools used in this 1 minute and 40 second video featuring a 5/8" ball nose tool followed by the company's Extreme Feed Mill 1" dia., 4-tooth cutting tool.

Focus: Sandvik Coromant

Don Nelson, publisher of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, recently sat down with two Sandvik Coromant representatives to learn more about the company's outlook and strategy for the aerospace market, its new CoroMill products and why the company puts such an emphasis on its partnership with end users. Interviewed are Brian Norris, vice president of marketing, and Chris Mills, aerospace development-North America and the company's national portfolio manager.