The range of solid-carbide milling cutters from Rugby-based Mapal Ltd (www.mapal.com) has been extended with the introduction of new models from its OptiMill range; these include the new ‘Wave’, ‘Trochoid’ and ‘Alu-HPC-Pocket’ series.

The trochoidal milling cutters from the Mapal OptiMill-Trochoid range now feature specially formed chip-breakers designed to ensure short chips and their reliable discharge for maximised process reliability and performance. Depths of cut up to 5xD can be accommodated.

Meanwhile, Mapal says time-consuming ramping processes or the machining of pilot bores are frequently required when milling pockets.

In order to eliminate these steps when machining aluminium, Mapal is offering its OptiMill-Alu-HPC-Pocket solid-carbide milling cutter.

That said, the company’s OptiMill-Uni-Wave is for full slot milling with groove depths up to 2xD.

Moreover, this solid-carbide cutter can be used for a wide range of materials — and at high feed rates; it features a knurled roughing geometry which ensures that short and tightly rolled chips are produced during machining, thereby making swarf evacuation from the work envelope an extremely efficient process.

This new line of milling cutters is available as standard in a variety of new diameters and lengths.

Mapal has also introduced a new power chuck for these new milling cutters; this offers strong clamping and minimal radial run-out, and it features a patented spring element in the location bore that ensures a ‘defined form closure’ between tool and chuck.

Moreover, tools can be reliably clamped in the chuck by hand without the use of a torque wrench, thereby improving the speed of clamping while still ensuring reliability during high-speed milling operations.