1.5" dia. Long Carbide End Mill-4.5" loc

[Smit]

We are using 1 1/2" dia. 5" length of cut carbide end mills to finish large cams, but we are looking to replace these end mills with something more cost efficient, faster and just plain better. I've had no luck through the solid carbide companies, Kennametal or Carboloy. Does anybody have any ideas on what might be a satisfactory replacement for these?

Thanks in advance for any input

[Noel]

that thing must push off like a bitch.What material and cutting conditions are you how many using.how many futes.mabey put it on the ftp site and everyone could chew on it .

 

 

Noel

[Hardmill]

What kind of material?

Hardness?

How much material is being removed?

 

PEACE

[Don S at Barefoot CNC South]

Smit,

Try the Hanita line, we have found them to hold up with heavy feeds and speeds, the HSS are running close to carbide speeds in that range of size. This also depends on what material you are cutting.

 

Don

[crazy^millman]

Well to be honest I think Wire edm would be your best bet. I use to have spline hubs cut in 4150 HT at 56RC and it cost me about $240 a part and would send the male master for fit checks and then make the other male part in sets. I also use to get some cams done that way also. I am also thinking you miht look ta CBN grinding wheels to do this also. I use to make some paper grab rollers that where 5" long and would grind the bores on them also and hold +.0002 -.0000 on the bore in a VMC.

[Smit]

My apologies for not giving more information in my initial post. The material we are cutting is ductile iron 120-90-02, heat treated to RC 34. The machinist handbook indicates this is pretty tough stuff. The cam itself is about 4.5" x 70" x 45", so we have to machine half, rotate and machine the other half on our Haas VF-8. We locate on dowel pins to do this. The material is roughed using a carboloy plunge cutter, with a .250 stepover, to about .015 from finished size. The 1 1/2" carbide removes this .015 and whatever the scallop height is. A 2nd pressure pass is made with the finish mill, it will then cut less than .001 taper. The 1 1/2" dia. 8-flute x 6" long carbide mills we use have been sharpened quite a few times and are getting quite a bit undersize, so we are going to have to replace them eventually. So far the only way to effectively replace them, that I've found, is to have them made from a special order blank. That carries a price tag of nearly $800 per cutter. We don't need the full 6" of flute length (so far), but it must be 4.6" minimum. I was hoping to find an inserted carbide mill that would give us the length of cut we need and also give a pretty good finish.

Sending these parts out to a shop with a horizontal (or wire EDM?) large enough to machine them complete is attractive to me, but I've been told we will do these in house so that option isn't there.

[David Czerw Triumph Gear Systems]

Smit,

There is a company in Maine that I believe can help you with your delima. Its called Helical Solutions. I've used Ø1.00 x 6. 5 flute solid carbide endmills from them on titanium and they cut great.n I've also been very pleased with their h.s.s tooling. I think if you call Dave at 207-282-3956 and tell him your position he would be more than happy to help you.If you do call tell him dave at A.C.R said hi.

[crazy^millman]

Yeah good luck Smit been there also. I went here and found this. Carbide Endmills

 

I hope that helps also.

[maestro]

My Data flute catalog shows they have a 1.25 dia 7 flute carbide endmill with 5.0 length of cut with an overall length of 7.5. Is this length of cut enough. These are available with good coatings also. List for about $650, although I have never paid the full list price. Usually get about a 30% discount. I have not used this particular endmill, but I have used one of their 3/8 dia 2 flute endmill sticking out of a holder 4.25. Ran at 2000 rpm with no chatter on finish passes. These people make som fine cutters.