Posted as a supplement to "Variations on a theme," a feature article published in the June 2015 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering, this video shows Millstar’s indexable-insert milling tools machining aluminum. Tried-and-true aluminum alloys continue to do the job for multiple applications, and toolmakers have enhanced their offerings to more effectively machine a metal that’s generally considered easy to cut. One such offering is a new line of indexable-insert cutters for milling aluminum from Millstar, Orion Township, Mich. Vice President Ron Field said one industry the cutting tools are targeting is moldmaking, which has seen an increase in the production of 6061 and 7075 aluminum plastic-injection molds. An aluminum mold won’t last as long as a steel one, but it’s easier and cheaper to machine and offers better heat conductivity for water lines, so the molded parts cool quickly and cycle times can be reduced.
