With the "FightMax" mill series, the tool manufacturer Inovatools is sending a winner into the ring for machining steel materials. The tool specialists have once again hit the bull's eye with the new VHM-HPC roughing/finishing milling cutter "FightMax" INOX. The special geometry and chip clearance as well as the defined cutting edge preparation in combination with the microgeometry as well as high-performance coating prepare the new milling cutter optimally for meeting the special cutting requirements of this versatile material with the right tactics.

Nirosta, chromium steel, VA steel, rust-free steel, nickel-chromium steel – INOX has many names in the cutting world. And just as the names for this material group are hugely diverse, so too are the specific characteristics depending on the chromium, nickel, titanium and molybdenum share. On the one hand, this defines the area of application, e.g. in the foodstuffs or chemical industry, etc.; on the other hand, these characteristics make cutting complex and difficult.

"Successful cutting of all materials covered by the superordinate term INOX is a special discipline," said Douglas Kline, managing director at Inovatools USA LLC. "The tool basically has to fight with the edge zone hardening and the material's high level of toughness. Since the materials are poor thermal conductors, rapid chip clearance is particularly important. In addition, the tool must have been designed in such a way that the chips that tend to bond and stick can be discharged reliably. What is therefore required are tools that have been precisely tuned to meet the requirements of INOX machining."

In the "FightMax" INOX, Inovatools uses a balance mixing ratio of special ultrafine grain carbide. The four-edged HPC power package has an unevenly split and an unevenly twisted geometry with highly polished chip space. This gives the tool the necessary performance, ensures quiet, vibration-free concentricity, and guarantees quick and reliable chip removal. This is supported by the smooth high-performance coating DUOCON, which also gives the "FightMax" INOX the necessary stability in the fight. The VHM-HPC roughing/finishing milling cutter is available in short and long versions with diameters from 6.00 mm to 20.00 mm.

Kline said: "The new milling cutter is particularly resilient thanks to our specific microgeometry for INOX machining. In addition, the defined cutting edge rounding gives the 'FightMax' INOX extreme edge stability when HPC milling. This makes it suitable for the special cutting requirements and also guarantees very long service lives, even with high feed rates and cutting speeds."

In practice, the roughing/finishing milling cutter emerges as a winner, e.g. in machining the austenitic, acid-resistant 18/10 Cr-Ni steel 1.4301 (X5CrNi18-10). According to Inovatools, the "FightMax" delivers an up to 41 percent longer service life in the wear test compared to a comparable tool from the market (cutting data: v_c = 91 m/min, v_f = 426 mm/min, a_e = 11 mm, a_p = 12 mm) with very fine surface quality.

Kline said: "The 'FightMax' INOX has been specially optimized in line with the unique cutting conditions of rust-free materials. Thanks to its design advantages, it is suitable as a roughing and finishing milling cutter depending on the cutting parameters. Our technical consultants will be happy to give tips on selecting the right tool depending on the INOX material group and on setting the specified operating values. Naturally, it is also possible to identify the right tool for a specific cutting application with our cutting data computer INOCUT, for example. This app is available at www.schnittdaten.eu and www.inovatools.eu. It works via the specific recommendation of cutting values, depending on the working cross-section, material and tool."