Cutters Said to Cut Cavity Milling Time In Half

Plunger Milling cutters from Iscar Metals Inc. (Arlington, TX) are said to cut cavity machining time in half, providing high metal removal rates in a variety of applications, including the machining of deep cavities, high shoulders, slots, and straight or sloped walls.

The system incorporates a combination of drilling and milling operations into a single tool. When plunging, the tools are subjected mainly to axial forces, with minimal radial forces compared to those involved in conventional side machining of cavities. Machining in the axial direction results in increased stability, higher feeds, and longer tool life.

The milling system consists of three cutter styles. The PL cutter is designed for plunging into solid material with a center cut. It is recommended for deep cavities and functions with minimum overlapping between successive cuts. The PLH has a center hole for more effective flushing and to eliminate the zero cutting speed in the center. It is similar to a modified trepanning cutter but requires different successive steps to remove the remaining center material.

PL and PLH cutters are equipped with new PLMT 13-5 TR double-sided inserts. Featuring a roof-type shape, the inserts have two short and two long cutting edges. The inserts may be screw-clamped in any of the seats on the cutter for use of either side of the insert on the cutter face, or they may be clamped on the tool periphery. Used on the cutter face in the tangential position, the inserts' long cutting edge provides high removal rates, more strength, and secure clamping in the pocket during plunging operations. The inserts also may be clamped in the peripheral position using the short cutting edge on the front and the long edge on the periphery.

The third cutter style, designated PLC, is a multi-function tool for side plunging operations as well as for light peripheral milling in semi-finishing conditions. It uses standard Iscar Heliquad SDMT inserts with 4 helical cutting edges. The inserts, with 12-mm cutting edge length, can be used for plunging to a maximum frontal width of 10.5 mm.

Iscar says Plungers save cost by reducing tool inventory, because only a few tools are required to machine a great variety of complicated shapes with high removal rates. The tools are available in multiple sizes and types for a wide range of applications. Endmill and arbor clamping cutter styles feature a variety of clamping options to handle roughing under high loads.

ISCAR Metals, Inc., 300 Westway Place, Arlington, TX 76018-1021 USA. Phone (817) 258-3200; fax (817) 258-3221.