The advantages of Nickel-based alloys is that they are able to withstand high thermal and mechanical loads, while being extremely corrosion-resistant, making them suitable for many applications, often in extreme conditions. These advantages, however, present challenges when machining the ‘super-alloys’.

Fortunately, Ceratizit (www.ceratizit.com) has developed MonsterMill NCR, a solid carbide end mill that is more than a match for these materials. Whether used in the aerospace, chemical, or energy sectors; components made from Ni-based alloys often push machinists and cutting tools to their limits.

In order to maintain product quality and productivity, therefore the use of tools that have been specially designed for this application is imperative. In developing MonsterMill NCR, Ceratizit has eliminated the unpredictability out of working with these materials, making the difficulties associated with machining Inconel and similar materials a thing of the past.

The geometry of MonsterMill NCR is precisely tailored to machining Ni-based alloys in order to generate a stable and reliable cutting process, this is aided by the reinforced core diameter and increasing taper of the cutter core, which assists in effectively counteracting tool wear in order to achieve impressive tool life.

The final piece of the jigsaw was the application of the innovative Dragonskin coating to greatly improve MonsterMill NCR’s ability to resist the abrasive nature of these super-alloys, while also providing excellent heat stability, thereby process security.

In cutting tests MonsterMill NCR achieved a tool life equivalent on machining 13.2m in length when cutting NiCr19Fe18Nb5Mg material, this is almost 35% more than its closest competitor.

Tony Pennington, managing director at Sheffield-based Ceratizit UK & Ireland, said: “These super-alloy materials are becoming increasingly common across many engineering sectors here in the UK, therefore having the MonsterMill NCR in our catalogue will be a significant advantage to any of our customers that are faced with the challenge of machining them.”

MonsterMill NCR is available from stock, with next-day delivery before noon on any order placed up to 6.30pm the day before. The cutters are available in a range of diameters from 4 to 20mm, along with a wide choice of corner radii from 0.1 to 6.3mm to suit a wide range of applications, specifically in the aerospace sector.

More details can be found online at cuttingtools.ceratizit.com/gb/en/ncr or by requesting a copy of the latest Up2Date supplementary catalogue.