To address the issue of machining soft, tough and high-alloyed materials that create an issue with swarf clearance, Guhring has introduced the new RF100 Sharp Series of solid carbide high-performance end mills. Chip jamming and swarf sticking to the cutting tool can impact productivity and machining performance.

The new RF100 Sharp delivers high-quality machining results with ‘unparalleled swarf evacuation’ on the most challenging of materials. Not only does it demonstrate extremely smooth cutting action and chip removal, but the end mill is also suitable for a wide range of applications including slotting, ramping, roughing, helical milling, finishing and trochoidal.

With a rake angle of 12deg, the end mills can be applied to materials with high ductility and tensile strength from 300 to 900N/mm². This makes the four-flute end mills suitable for machining steel, stainless steel, aluminium, aluminium alloys and other challenging materials.

The performance of the new RF100 Sharp is derived from a tough carbide grade that combines with an AlCrN coating to prevent tool breakages under the most demanding of conditions whilst the coating technology increases the wear protection, regardless of the cutting speed.

Complementing this composition is a geometry that has an optimised facet that dampens vibration, smooths the cutting action and increases tool life. This tool life improvement is further enhanced with a corner protection chamfer that increases stability and edge strength during the most difficult of machining applications.

It is available in three versions, an extra-long design long (DIN+) that is an extension on the long (DIN) version, but has an even longer cutting edge and there is also a standard length end mill.

The RF100 Sharp with the standard and long (DIN) are available in diameters from 1-3mm in 0.5mm increments with the range including all common sizes up to 20mm diameter. Depending upon the chosen diameter, the RF100 Sharp is supplied with an overall length from 50 to 104mm with a flute length from 3-41mm.

The longest tools in the range have a long neck to facilitate reaching into difficult to machine areas. With the longer series tools, the overall length ranges from 50 to 126mm with a combined flute and neck length that ranges from 5.5mm on the 1mm diameter tool through to 75mm on the 20mm diameter variant.

This increases the reach and flexibility of the series significantly, enabling end users to reach into cavities and difficult to access surfaces whilst retaining unsurpassed chip clearing.