With the new Xtra·tec S3 series,
Walter is expanding its range of indexable insert milling cutters. The new Xtra·tec S3 series enables greater cutting depths, higher feed rates, and maximum stability—even under difficult cutting conditions or with unstable workpieces.
The name S3 stands for the line’s three core advantages: Stability, Supply, and Selection, as the first tool in the series, the new M6420 demonstrates. Its innovative, patent-pending chip space design enables reliable chip evacuation even with high chip volumes. This allows large volumes of chips to be safely evacuated, particularly during roughing of a wide variety of ISO materials.
The stability of the new series is achieved through an innovative, patent-pending, vibration-damping chip-flute design. Demonstrated through FEM analysis, the cutter body has up to 30% higher rigidity, which significantly extends tool life. High cutting forces acting on the cutter body, particularly during high-feed milling strategies, are effectively minimised. In combination with the large contact and support surfaces of the M6420, feeds of up to 3mm per tooth can also be consistently achieved.
Another factor for the performance and long tool life is the optimised coolant supply. With up to three coolant channels per insert seat, the milling cutter makes maximum use of the coolant volume available from the machine without any loss of pressure. The targeted supply increases the coolant volume by 48%, which lowers the temperature at the cutting edge while ensuring efficient chip removal, especially when machining at high feed rates with large cutting depths.
To simplify handling in everyday production, Walter relies on a user-friendly, intuitive selection system for the S3 series based on a self-explanatory nomenclature of insert geometries: L5 is the light-cutting geometry, M5 is the medium geometry designation, and R5 is the roughing geometry. The easy identification via the initial letters improves handling. With four cutting edges per insert and wear-resistant Tiger·tec Gold grades, Walter says further increases the cost-effectiveness of the inserts.