Mapal (www.mapal.com) has introduced new OptiMill-3D high-performance solid-carbide milling cutters that have been developed specifically for tool and mould making and feature ‘extremely heat-resistant coatings and special carbide substrates’.

Suitable for milling parts with a hardness of 45-66 HRC, the OptiMill-3D-HF-Hardened milling cutters are available with four or six cutting edges and feature a special face geometry that allows them to work reliably at high feed rates and in difficult application conditions, such as interrupted cuts.

The milling cutter with four cutting edges offers ‘generously dimensioned’ chip flutes and is designed for roughing as well as pre-finishing.

Mapal says it is the tool of choice for machining with long projection lengths and in deep cavities.

The tool with six cutting edges can be ‘used optimally’ for roughing and pre-finishing, as well as for finishing flat surfaces at high feed rates.

It produces high levels of surface finish and flatness.

An OptiMill-3D-HF with three and four cutting edges is available for soft machining; these cutters have similar dimensions to the OptiMill-3D-HF-Hardened.

Meanwhile, the ‘corner radius milling cutter’ OptiMill-3D-CR-Hardened is used for finishing 3-D moulds up to a hardness of 66 HRC.

Mapal says it has been designed to produce smooth high-gloss surface finishes at high feed rates.

Crucial to the performance of these cutters — available in the diameter range 4-12mm, with various lengths and corner radii — is the high accuracy of the corner radii.

Finally, the new OptiMill-3D-CS ‘circular radius milling cutters’ are designed for machining deep cavities in moulds, complex free-form shapes, and both turbine blades and impellers.

A particular feature of these tools is the ‘optimal combination of radius and form’, which allows larger path-spacing during pre-finishing and finishing.

For machining deep and difficult-to-access cavities, the OptiMill-3D-CS in ‘droplet shape’ is recommended, while the tapered cutter is recommended for large surfaces and those with restricted access.