Milling

Iscar Metals Inc.'s Heli Tang T490 milling cutter for roughing accepts inserts with serrated, chip-splitting grooves. These grooves can improve performance when the machine power is limited or when evacuating chips from narrow slots or deep cavities, according to the company.

Emuge Corp. has introduced "circle-segment" cutters, a class of endmills designed to reportedly enable substantially more material removal with fewer passes in 5-Axis machining, over 80 percent cycle time reductions and up to 50 percent smoother surface finishes.

Walter has introduced the Walter Prototyp MC251 solid-carbide mill, positioned with the Advance product line designation. Advance referring to mid-level performance and price.

Significant developments in CAD and CAM functionality in the latest release of VISI, from Vero Software, give users additional speed and quality throughout their design and machining processes. VISI Brand Manager Massimo Vergerio says CAD updates in VISI 2017 R1 are focusing on the user experience and adding enhancements to allow customers to speed up their design process.

Seco has expanded the high-feed machining applicability of its Jabro-HFM JHF980 solid-carbide endmill with new 4- and 5-flute options. The additional flutes allow part manufacturers in industries such as aerospace and medical to achieve maximum productivity when performing face, slot and select plunge milling operations.

In response to both the growth in quantity and complexity of structural aerospace components, an updated range of CoroMill 390 Silent Tools has been developed by Sandvik Coromant. The upgraded Silent Tools dampening technology will allow machine shops to machine deep pockets on titanium aerospace frame parts with greater security and higher metal-removal rates.

Cutting tool and tooling systems specialist Sandvik Coromant has made its high performance steel milling grade, GC1130, available for use with CoroMill QD and CoroMill 331 groove milling cutters. GC1130, which is the latest Zertivo grade from Sandvik Coromant, delivers high metal-removal rates and secure performance levels in both wet and dry machining operations.

For 10 years, FANUC Corp.'s highly accurate ROBONANO automated milling machines have been in use in Japan's semiconductor industry. Now the newest iteration of the machine is in the U.S. to help researchers studying emerging materials and manufacturing processes.

HELLER says it offers new levels of flexibility and precision with its FP 4000 5-axis horizontal machining center with twin drives in the Z-axis. The FP 4000 is a practical choice for a variety of industries, including tool and die or contract manufacturing where 5-axis milling is needed for productivity and process dependability.

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.

As automakers strive for increasingly fuel efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles, they're turning away from traditional iron favorites such as gray and ductile iron (GCI and DCI) to compacted graphite iron, or CGI. Also known as vermiculate graphite iron, CGI's mechanical attributes meet or exceed its counterparts, sometimes drastically so. Unfortunately, CGI is also more difficult to machine, requiring cutting tools both tough and wear-resistant. And because of the continuing call for cost-effective machining solutions across all manufacturing industries, these tools must also offer a low cost per part and predictable tool life. For facemilling applications, Kennametal says that tool is Mill 16.