Article by: SANDVIK & MEGA Tech
Advanced machining centres and multi-task machines have become a big part of metal cutting, and traditional solid carbide end mills have profited from this. The end mills’ simplicity and productivity are a good match in the quest to simplify setups and maximize the number of operations in a single flexible machine.
MEGA Tech proud to present Sandvik Coromant , Let’s discover how Sandvik Coromant’s own expertise in metal cutting has paved the way for innovations in milling.
The most typical solid carbide end mill diameter range, from two to 16 millimetres (0.079 to 0.625 inches), overlaps at the top end with exchangeable-head and indexable-insert tooling, which progressively becomes more competitive as the diameter increases.
Sandvik Coromant has ramped up efforts to create more reliable and productive solid carbide milling tools, with a focus on steel (ISO P) and stainless steel (ISO M). The tools, called the CoroMill Plura HD, are available in six tool styles and are designed for heavy roughing operations — cutting large amounts of material with maximum efficiency.
The tools’ high-volume flute design is optimized for maximum chip evacuation efficiency by means of finite element method ( FEM ) analysis, and it enables excellent full-slotting capability. Thanks to dedicated end-tooth geometry, the tools also manage steep ramping angles.
Furthermore, the cutters are very easy to use and offer high process security, thanks to a large window of feasible cutting data. One reason for this is the optimized differential pitch to minimize vibrations, which also enable high cutting speeds in shoulder milling with large engagements.
The CoroMill Plura range of tools excels in shoulder milling with large radial engagements, as well as in full slot milling at large depths of cut, up to 2 x DC, which are possible thanks to the innovative flute design.
CASE STUDY: 253% increase in tool life
Challenge: How to increase the productivity of end milling with improved process security.
Solution: Look for dedicated solutions, from end mill holders to cutting geometries and carbide grades.
One customer, a manufacturer of medical equipment, tested the CoroMill Plura HD for its process reliability and tool life with unchanged cutting data. The manufacturer used the tool with three components, one made from steel P1.4.Z.AN – AISI/SAEm, one from cast steel ASTM A732 2Q and a third from cast steel ASTM A27 grade N2. After machining at different cutting, feed at rotating speeds, the customer saw a 253% increase in tool life and no chipping of the outer edge, compared to competing milling tools.