New solid carbide milling cutters for tool and mouldmaking

The new OptiMill-3D series has been specially developed for the tool and mouldmaking industry. Along with extremely heat-resistant coatings and special carbide substrates, the new tools are characterised by the dimensions and geometries specifically adapted to mouldmaking.

Suitable for milling hard parts in the domain of 45 to 66HRc, Mapal says the new OptiMill-3D-HF-Hardened is the new tool of choice. Offered with four or six cutting edges, the company has developed the two variants for high feed milling on particularly challenging materials. To optimise performance and longevity on challenging tasks like interrupted cutting, Mapal has developed a special face geometry.

The four-flute tool is the primary choice for roughing and pre-finishing, however, with fewer cutting edges and a wider chip gullet, rapid and reliable removal of swarf is ensured. Available from 2mm to 16mm diameter, the four-flute tool is ideal for long overhang applications such as machining in deep cavities.

Also ideal for roughing and pre-finishing, the six-flute series demonstrates impressive characteristics when finishing flat surfaces with a high feed rate. It produces high quality surface finishes and flatness, and with a PVD coating, the tool dissipates heat generation to ensure tool life is prolonged. Available from 6 to 16mm diameter the OptiMill-3D-HF-Hardened is complemented by the three- and four-flute OptiMill-3D-HF for softer material machining.

Also new to the solid carbide range is the new OptiMill-3D-CR-Hardened with a corner radius. Designed for finishing 3D mould tools up to a hardness of 66HRc, this line produces smooth, high-gloss surface finishes when machining at maximum feed rates.

Offered in diameters from 4 to 12mm with highly accurate corner radii of 0.5mm, 1mm and 2mm, the PVD coated OptiMill-3D-CR-Hardened is available with a selection of different lengths and corner radii to suit the machining demands of the end user.

The new circular radius milling cutters that are also known as ‘conical barrel tools’ have now arrived at Mapal in the form of the OptiMill-3D-CS series. Suitable for mouldmaking applications in deep cavities, complex free-form shapes as well as the manufacture of turbine blades and impellers – the new series offers high levels of productivity and performance.

The special feature of the tools is the optimal geometric combination of radius and form that makes a larger path spacing during pre-finishing and finishing possible. The machining time can be drastically reduced and the quality of the surface finish on the parts significantly improved.

For machining deep, difficult-to-access cavities, the OptiMill-3D-CS in droplet shape with diameters from 2 to 12mm and an effective radius up to 95mm is the first choice. For machining large surfaces and surfaces with tool restrictions, the cutter is also offered in a tapered shape in diameters from 6-12mm with an effective edge radius of up to 250mm.

The conical barrel tools require a high-performance CAM system to work effectively. However, the combination of a suitable CAM system and the Mapal barrel tools can yield claimed performance and material removal rate increases in the realms of 70% and more.

Mapal www.mapal.com