WHAT'S NEW: END MILLS

MAXIMIZE HIGH-PERFORMANCE ALUMINUM MACHINING
MaxiMet? end mills from Kennametal Inc. (Latrobe, PA) are the high-productivity answer for aerospace and general engineering shops seeking to improve performance in machining high volumes of aluminum from parts. MaxiMet end mills are excellent where both maximum metal removal rates and superior wall and floor finishes are required.

One reason is the unique flute design that results in unsurpassed rigidity behind the cutting edges, enabling extremely high feed rates. The results are more metal removed in fewer passes, lowering costs per part. Additionally, a special edge condition and wiper facets on the MaxiMet corner geometry provide superior surface finishes. Available in two- and three-flute styles with choices of corner radii, MaxiMet end mills can be used for roughing, semi-finishing, finishing, and super-finishing operations. The only limitations are the speed and horsepower of the machine tool and the balance of the setup.

MaxiMet end mills also are excellent in thin-wall applications. They are effective in slotting operations up to 1xD axially and side milling operations up to 0.5D radial and 1.5xD axial. Three-flute MaxiMets utilize HARVI? unequal flute spacing to reduce harmonics in the cut. Less vibration and tool deflection allow higher metal removal rates and machining speeds.

?With MaxiMet solid-carbide end mills, Kennametal will provide its aerospace and general engineering milling customers best-in-class cutting tools that can significantly reduce their manufacturing cost per part in high material volume removal,? according to product manager Steve Abrams. www.kennametal.com

TAPERED END MILLS FOR IMPELLERS, BLISKS, TURBINE BLADES AND TIRE PROFILES
Emuge Corp. (West Boylston, MA) offers Tapered End Mills that are uniquely designed for the machining of specific components in several key manufacturing segments including automotive, aerospace, energy and HVAC. The end mills are conical in shape, with a highly accurate ball nose capable of completely machining impellers, blisks, turbine blades and tire profiles without a single tool change during 3-axes and 5-axes operations.

?We can now offer customers manufacturing these specific components with a milling tool solution that will eliminate tool changes and increase productivity,? says Stephen Jean, milling products manager at Emuge. ?For example, when machining an impeller, one Tapered End Mill can rough and finish the individual blades as well as the flow surfaces at the impeller hub.? Also, Jean reports that when machining tire profiles, it is possible to finish the entire mold segment including the interlock bevel and the tire tread features including all radius detail with a single tool.

Offering an application-specific solution, these tools are available in a wide range of sizes. Uncoated designs are able to mill aluminum and specialty steels including nickel-chrome steels and Inconel. End mills with a TiALN coating can machine steel materials at up to 45 Rc as well as cast and non-ferrous metals. These Tapered End Mills are available in two standard forms, one with shorter flute lengths for increased rigidity. In addition, special tools made to customer specifications are offered.

The Tapered End Mills join a comprehensive line of solid carbide tools that are precision-manufactured for optimum performance, durability and tool life. The new end mill line reflects the expertise and manufacturing techniques developed over 90 years of application, research and continuous product enhancement. www.emuge.com

INCREASE METAL REMOVAL RATES AND TOOL LIFE IN HARDENED STEEL JOBS
Seco Tools Inc. (Troy, MI) continues the success and growth of its high feed milling (HFM) program by adding the Jabro JHF180 MEGA-64 solid carbide end mill series for machining hardened steels (48 to 62 HRC). Particularly suited for mold & die applications, the JHF180 has shown tool life improvements of up to 400 percent over standard carbide end mills.

A unique feature of the JHF180 is a rigid 0.9 deg tapered neck design that reduces tool deflection, enables deep cavity milling, and improves surface finish. The unique flute cavity design and angle on the back of the tooth guide and eject the chips away from the cutting edge. It also features a highly wear-resistant MEGA-64 AlTiN coating with an 8 percent carbide substrate.

The high feed milling strategy is based upon transferring the cutting forces from the radial direction to axial, which reduces the risk for vibrations and stabilizes machining. It relies upon small depths of cut combined with high table feeds, producing a thinner chip that carries the heat away from the cutting edge and reduces cutting forces. This approach reduces heat generation to extend tool life and provides a higher metal removal rate than normal; up to 200 to 300 percent faster than traditional milling.

The new JHF180 is available in diameters from 2 mm to 16 mm with reach options ranging from 2X to 7X diameter and comes with 3, 4 or 5 flutes depending upon the style. Seco recommends shrink fit, hydraulic or precision collet chucks as preferred clamping systems and the use of oil mist to optimize performance. This new end mill range is suitable for HFM applications including face milling, slotting, ramping, helical interpolation, ramping and Z-level machining. www.secotools.com

INCREASE FEED RATES, REDUCE CHATTER
Helical Solutions? (Gorham, ME) new HEVR-5 and HEVR-RN-5 five-flute, variable-pitch end mills are designed for roughing and finishing of steel and exotic materials with increased feed rates and reduced chatter.

HEVR-5 and the longer-reach, reduced-neck HEVR-RN-5 tools are crafted of certified premium sub-micron grain carbide and feature geometries specifically engineered to cut ferrous material. The tools are available with an AlTiN (titanium aluminum nitride) coating for oxidation resistance and extreme hardness for slotting, peripheral milling, ramping and helical interpolation of stainless and other steels, cast irons, titanium alloys as well as cobalt- nickel- and iron-based high-temperature alloys.

The HEVR-5 tool series features corner radii for added strength and has a variable-pitch design for increased depth of cut, up to one times the diameter of the tool resulting in an increased metal removal rate along with minimizing any possibility of chatter. Additionally, and due to its unique design features, it is not uncommon for customers to utilize the HEVR-5 for both roughing and finishing, reducing the number of tools and setups.

The HEVR-RN-5 series is designed for applications requiring extended reach into pockets or machining around obstructions. The stub flute length and a reduced neck contribute to excellent tool rigidity even considering the greater tool length.

Speeds and feeds for the tools range from 80 to 250 sfm and 9 to 27 ipm for stainless, 60 to 125 sfm and 2 to 10 ipm for high-temperature alloys, 500 to 600 sfm and 23 to 76 ipm for steels, 400 to 600 sfm and 24 to 73 ipm for cast irons, and 160 to 190 sfm and 7 to 15 ipm for titanium.

?Although these tools can be used for roughing applications, they are ideal for finishing the hardest and most-difficult-to-machine materials,? says national sales manager Scott Tiehen. ?And with the higher speeds and feeds, and increased tool life they provide, they offer significant benefits in efficiency and cost.?

Helical recommends using high-pressure coolant, flood, mist or dry milling with air blast when machining with these tools, which are available in ¼ in, 5/16 in, 3/8 in, ½ in, 5/8 in, ¾ in, 1 in and 1¼ in diameters.

Helical Solutions supplies high-quality, high-performance cutting tools for aerospace, energy, medical and every other industry and application. Founded in 2001, the company specializes in tools for hard-to-cut materials like aluminum and titanium and in tools customized for particular customer applications. Among the tools Helical offers are coolant-thru tools, form tools, chamfer end mills, corner-rounding end mills, double-angle cutters, dovetail cutters, lollipop cutters, radius end mills and taper end mills. www.1helical.com

?BREAKTHROUGHS? IN SOLID CARBIDE END MILLS
Available in print or in PDF format, the Hanita (Latrobe, PA) ?Breakthroughs? catalog details a comprehensive offering of high performance solid-carbide end mills. These include VariMill II?  the next generation of vibration-free ?vari-style? end mills, AluSurf? end mills for aluminum, X-Feed? styles for high feed machining of hardened materials up to 67 HRC, Vision Plus? micro size end mills and expansions of its VariMill I? and ArCut? carbide end mills for aluminum.

Further, the catalog highlights Hanita?s proven experience in developing custom tooling solutions for end mills and other tooling styles. Unique advantages such as in-house PVD coating facilities (TiN, TiCN, TiAIN, AITiN, and Z-coat), a wide range of raw materials (HSS, HSSE, HSS-Powder, Solid Carbide, Brazed Carbide), capabilities of 0.010 in to 3.000 in diameters, and an extensive engineering and design group, position Hanita as the one of the leading partners for application-specific tools. The reader can also learn more about Hanita?s recycling and reconditioning services in this catalog.

Recognizing Hanita?s global reach, the newly launched catalog is available around the world in English, French, Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (simplified), Russian, Turkish, Polish, Czech, and Dutch. www.hanita.com

CUTTING TOOLS FOR ACRYLIC
Onsrud Cutter LP, a leading supplier of CNC router tooling, has introduced a line of cutting tools designed for acrylic sheet materials. The 63-500 series of solid carbide spiral ?O? flute tools will produce a superior edge finish on either cast or extruded acrylic plastic. This is especially important in plastic products such as exhibits, signs or P-O-P displays where the public constantly views the finished edge of the product.

Onsrud Cutter is the only cutting tool facility in the U.S. that manufactures high-speed steel, carbide tipped, solid carbide, diamond coated and PCD CNC tooling. Onsrud manufactured their first router bit in 1920. www.onsrud.com

ONE TOOL FOR ROUGHING, SEMI-FINISHING, SLOTTING, AND PROFILING
Where achieving higher metal-removal rates will save a shop time and money, or where one tool can efficiently replace multiple tools used for roughing, semi-finishing, slotting, and profiling, and still deliver outstanding results, the new VariMILL II? family of solid-carbide end mills from Hanita (Latrobe, PA) deserves close consideration.

VariMILL II end mills are being called the next generation of high-performance vari-style end mills. They are especially effective in roughing and semi-finishing applications in stainless steels, high-temp alloys, nickel- and carbon-based alloys, and titanium.

Features include a unique design with five unequally spaced flutes, a patented flute form and end geometry, and AlTiN coating that enables extremely heavy cuts and exceptional tool life while virtually eliminating tool chatter. VariMILL II end mill geometries eliminate chatter and harmonics so well they can slot up to 1xD, and perform side milling operations up to 0.5D radial and 1.5xD axial.

The best way to see the superiority and versatility of this cutter is to ?take more than just a linear pass during a test,? says product manager Steve Abrams of Kennametal. ?Take heavy cuts, move through corners, take pocket cuts, or step-down processes. Use the cutter in a variety of ferrous materials, especially difficult-to-machine materials. VariMILL II will perform exceptionally well in all these applications.? www.hanita.com

HIGHER FEED RATES FOR FINISHING DIFFICULT MATERIALS
Manufacturers that machine steels and exotic materials ? especially aerospace and medical titanium ? now can turn to Helical Solutions (Gorham, ME) family of HXF multi-flute end mills for finishing tools that offer smoother cutting, better finishes and optimized production time.

The HXF and HXF-RN end mill series features corner radii for added strength and high-helix angle flutes for smoother cutting and a better finish. The tools are designed for small radial depths of cut up to 6 percent of cutter diameter and axial depths of cut up to one to 1.5 times cutter diameter. However, with the tool?s increased number of flutes, along with the proper use of ?radial chip thinning techniques,? a customer will undoubtedly experience an increased metal removal rate and improved tool life.

?It?s not uncommon for people to run finishing end mills a bit too slow,? says national sales manager Scott Tiehen. ?The HXF?s multiple flute options, along with chip-thinning techniques, can really enhance their finishing operation and reduce cycle time. Of course, the final feed rates will depend on the finish requirement of the part. Customers using the HXF multi-fluted finishing end mills must also look at using high-quality tool holders that run true and induce very little run out.?

HXF and the longer-reach, reduced-neck HXF-RN end mills are crafted of certified premium sub-micron grain carbide and feature geometries specifically engineered to cut difficult material. The tools are available with an AlTiN (titanium aluminum nitride) coating for oxidation resistance and extreme hardness for peripheral milling stainless and other steels, cast irons, titanium alloys as well as cobalt- nickel- and iron-based high-temperature alloys.

?These tools can be used for any finishing and light (radial depth of cut) roughing at high feed rates in difficult-to-machine materials commonly found in aerospace and medical applications,? says Tiehen. ?And with the higher MRR and increased tool ife they provide, our HXF tool will offer significant benefits in efficiency and cost per finished part.?

The HXF-RN series is designed for applications requiring extended reach into pockets or machining around obstructions. The stub flute length and a reduced neck contribute to excellent tool rigidity even considering the greater tool length. Both the HXF and HXF-RN are available in ¼, 3/8, ½, 5/8, ¾ and 1-inch cutting diameters along with a selection of 7 to 14 flutes, depending on the cutter diameter.

Helical recommends using high-pressure coolant, flood, mist or dry milling with air blast when machining with these tools. www.1helical.com

SOLID CARBIDE END MILLS FOR MACHINING ALUMINUM IN MOLD/DIE, AEROSPACE, AUTOMOTIVE AND MACHINE TOOL MANUFACTURING
Emuge Corp. (West Boylston, MA) offers Alu-Jet-Cut Solid Carbide End Mills that are uniquely designed for large-volume machining of aluminum. Developed in conjunction with major aircraft manufacturers, Alu-Jet-Cut tools are the new benchmark for material removal in monolithic airframe structural components manufacturing where, on average, up to 95 percent of the weight of a solid block of material is machined away. The tools have proved capable of twice the rate of material removal of any previously known carbide end mill.

Alu-Jet-Cut end mills are well-suited for industries reliant on rapid material removal in aluminum, including mold and die, aerospace, automotive and machine tool manufacturing. ?These end mills were developed with one intention, to devour aluminum. By incorporating a series of specialized features into one tool, we can present a tooling solution capable of doubling throughput as quickly and simply as the next tool-change,? says Stephen Jean, milling products manager at Emuge.

Alu-Jet-Cut end mills are capable of phenomenal cutting speeds in excess of 3,000 surface feet per minute. A tough, wear-resistant carbide substrate helps resist vibrations that could otherwise lead to premature chipping of cutting edges at the extremely high cutting speeds typical of the Alu-Jet-Cut range of operation. Additionally, an innovative chip conveyor (chip breaker) provides control over chip shape and directional flow to increase chip evacuation capacity, thus enabling stable operations with full radial engagement (slot milling), at one times diameter depth of cut to achieve material removal rates in excess of 650 cubic ipm.

The tools undergo a specialized grind/polish process that provides a high quality surface within the flutes to dramatically reduce the tendency for aluminum build-up or ?cold welding? along the cutting edges. This high quality surface combined with the shear velocity at which the tool operates, reduces the period of heat transfer from chip to tool by up to 60 percent that of standard carbide end mills.

These end mills also feature progressive flute spacing to further minimize vibrations at high cutting speeds. For increased process safety and reliability, the tools offer a unique shank design by undergoing a special surface treatment to roughen the shanks while still maintaining an extra narrow h5 tolerance. This serves to increase the coefficient of static friction within the holder/shank interface, which is typically considered the weak spot in high volume machining.

The tools are offered in various corner radii, roughing and finishing designs. Roughing cutters are available with 3 flutes and finishing cutters with 3 and 4 flutes. All tools are made with through-coolant capability that is also suitable for minimum-quantity lubrication.

Alu-Jet-Cut End Mills join a comprehensive line of solid carbide tools that are precision-manufactured for optimum performance, durability and tool life. The expanded end mill line reflects the expertise and manufacturing techniques developed over 90 years of application, research and continuous product enhancement. www.emuge.com

FINISH STEEL AND EXOTICS WITH INCREASED FEED RATES
Helical Solutions (Gorham, ME) offers the seven-flute HSF-7 end mill, designed for finishing steel and exotic materials with increased feed rates, ideal for all finishing applications but especially useful for the demanding aerospace industry.

The center-cutting HSF-7 is crafted of certified premium sub-micron grain carbide and feature geometries specifically engineered to cut difficult-to-machine materials. The tools are available with an AlTiN (titanium aluminum nitride) coating for oxidation resistance and extreme hardness for peripheral milling in steels, stainless steel, cast irons, titanium alloys as well as cobalt-, nickel- and iron-based high-temperature alloys.

The tool?s seven-flute design allows for higher feed rates compared to conventional end mills, and its high-helix flute design allows for free cutting at higher speeds and feeds. The HSF-7 allows operators to experience 75 percent production increases over four-flute tools and a 40 percent production increase compared to five-fluted tools.

?These tools are ideal for finishing the hardest and most-difficult-to-machine materials,? says national sales manager Scott Tiehen. ?The addition of this higher feed rate while finishing with light axial depths of cut offer significant benefits in efficiency and cost to your finishing operation.?

Helical recommends using high-pressure coolant, flood, mist or dry milling with air blast when machining with these tools, which are available in ¼-inch to 1 ¼-inch diameters, in stub, regular, medium, long and extra-long lengths. www.1helical.com