While the high strength-to-weight ratio of aluminium makes it a highly popular material for automotive and aerospace applications, the main problem encountered when machining it is the formation of built-up edges due to the aluminium adhering to the insert.
With its latest offering of milling cutters for aluminium applications, Taegutec (
www.taegutec.com) has minimised the tendency of aluminium to stick to the cutting edge while also ensuring that there is good chip evacuation from the cutting edge and that the core strength of the tool is sufficient to withstand the cutting forces.
Two additions to the company’s ChaseAlu line of cutting tools are XEVT 16 (an upgraded version of the current XECT 16) and XEVT 22; both feature a stable V-shaped location, as well as a special ‘stopper’ that ensures rigid clamping and optimum stability.
Both inserts feature highly positive helical cutting edges and polished insert surfaces to ensure high precision and excellent surface finishes in aluminium and non-ferrous machining applications. They are designed to deliver high levels of productivity in demanding high-speed milling operations such as shouldering, slotting, face milling, step-down milling, profiling, straight ramping and helical ramping.
Moreover, both XEVT types are available in several corner radii; and XEVT 16 inserts are interchangeable with the current TE90XE and TFM90XE cutters in order to enhance the productivity of companies currently using XECT 16 inserts. In extensive real-world tests, TaeguTec’s ChaseAlu XEVT 16 has achieved significant increases in both productivity and tool life.