The new VSM490 series of Widia indexable-insert shoulder mills from Tamworth-based Industrial Tooling Corporation Ltd (www.itc-ltd.co.uk) is said to eliminate the need for finishing operations and improve productivity when machining a wide variety of materials.

In addition, the double-sided 90deg inserts offer four cutting edges to reduce tooling costs.

This latest addition to the Widia Victory Shoulder Mill (VSM) range includes insert grades that can undertake the machining of cast iron, stainless steel, steel, aluminium, titanium and a host of aluminium alloys.

The cutter’s versatility is provided by a positive geometry and the availability of both 10 and 15mm inserts, along with an extensive selection of tool-holders.

Four insert geometries are offered. The ALP geometry is for use with low-power machine tools cutting non-ferrous materials, while ML is for stainless steel and light machining on a variety of other materials.

The MM geometry is for ‘more robust’ applications, and the heavy-duty MH geometry is first choice for high-performance roughing on cast iron, thanks to its “edge-protecting geometry and additional margins”.

The VSM490 gives customers a full slotting solution with 100% radial engagement, shoulder milling with step-down capabilities that provide low or high engagement, as well as low or high radial engagement.

Furthermore, the VSM490 can be applied to contour milling, Z-axis plunge milling, trochoidal slot milling and HPC (high-performance cutting) face milling.