New Extended Flute Milling Cutters Carrying Square Inserts for Machining Titanium and High Temperature Alloys

ISCAR introduces a breakthrough in extended flute milling cutters for machining exotic materials. The 4 cutting edged insert is specially and uniquely positioned on the cutter body to enable large volume metal removal unsurpassed by other cutters with its characteristics. The durable cutter possesses high depth of cut capabilities for shouldering and slotting applications. The distribution of the inserts and uneven angle of attack provides a quiet and chatter free operation. In addition, the strong flushing capabilities provide the coolant pressure required when machining titanium and exotic metals.

The aerospace industry today is seeing a growing role of titanium and high temperature alloys (HTSA) in producing machine parts. In new designs, the need to reduce component weight has led to the introduction of high-strength titanium grades such as 10-2-3 or 5-5-5-3 as a real alternative to steel and stainless steel in key elements of loaded structures. The latter grades are difficult to cut; their machining by existing methods does not meet productivity requirements in this industry.
In order to provide the necessary level of metal removal rate (MRR) and tool life that will ensure full use of modern high-efficiency machines, the industry requires new solutions from cutting tool manufacturers.

ISCAR has developed a new family of indexable milling cutters to answer this need: XQUAD, especially designed for productive rough machining titanium alloys. The cutters are also suitable for milling HTSA and hard-to-cut stainless steel of austenitic, duplex and PH types. The new family applies to ISO S and ISO M material groups.

XQUAD cutters are available in two types: carrying 10 or 12 mm insert sizes.

High performance of the new family is based on advantageous combination of all three newly developed integrants:
- Cutter design
- Insert geometry
- Insert carbide grades


Cutter Features

SDK-10/12-C/HP Extended Flute Cutters

• 90° extended flute shell mills carrying square inserts with 4 cutting edges.
• Designed for rough milling operations that require extremely high depth of cut, such as machining deep shoulders, cavities, high edges and full slots.
• Alternating rake angles are produced by different inserts mounted in the tool, which is combined with varying flute pitch to provide efficient chatter dampening, smooth progressive penetration into material and stable cutting action.
• Cutter design ensures that one cutting point is always in contact with the material during entrance and exit. This ensures optimal and steady harmonic oscillation, reduces power consumption and maximizes tool life.
• High material removal rates due to spacious chip gullet (flute) that enables uninterrupted chips flow.
• Coolant channels directed to each insert cutting edge.
• The SDK …-HP cutters have coolant nozzles for high pressure coolant supply (HPC) through the cutter body. HPC dramatically improves effectiveness of chip evacuation and temperature stability in the cutting edge, significantly increases tool life.

Insert Features
One-sided inserts with 4 cutting edges

SDHW 100408-TN / SDHX 120508-PD-N

• Reinforced flat rake face for high-load resistant cutting edge
• Intended mainly for rough milling shoulders and slots
• Insert geometry designed for effective milling of difficult-to-cut aerospace materials

SDHT 100408-PDEN / SDHT 120508-PDEN

• Positive rake face
• Designed mainly for milling stainless steel and titanium grades that feature relatively good machinability. The inserts may be recommended also for semi-finish operations.

SDHW 100408-TN-CS

• Serrated cutting edge for chip-splitting action that contributes to reducing cutting force and diminishing vibration
• Intended for rough milling when chip evacuation is difficult or low rigidity conditions (poor clamping or long overhang)

The inserts have 2 splitting grooves on one cutting edge and 1 on the opposite side. It is recommended to mount the inserts in an alternating edge configuration on adjacent cutter flutes, to achieve the most effective chip splitting.

New Insert Grades
The inserts are produced from ISCAR’s more advanced coated carbide grades, which were introduced recently.

IC882 (S20-S30) (M25-M40)IC882 (S20-S30) (M25-M40)
A carbide grade featuring a tough submicron substrate, new PVD hard coating and a post-coating treatment.
Designed for machining materials with poor heat conductivity of ISO S and M material groups. The grade has high resistance to thermal cracks, oxidation, chipping and wear, ensuring long tool life.

IC5820 (S15-S25) (M20-M35)
A carbide grade featuring a tough submicron substrate, strong new CVD hard coating and a post coating treatment.

It is characterized by substantially improved impact strength, higher heat resistance, oxidation, notch wear and built-up edge formation resistance. These properties result in longer tool life, reliable wear and chipping resistance, enabling increasing cutting speeds and boosting MRR.
High coolant flow rate, pin pointed cooling and HPC significantly improve the grade performance.
Recommended primarily for milling titanium alloys.

Applications

• The new XQUAD tools were developed especially for manufacturers of aerospace components, to achieve extremely high metal removal rates.
• For slot, shoulder, contour and pocket milling operations in titanium and high temperature alloys components.

Benefits

• High process reliability due to stable design
• Maximum metal removal rate due to high depth of cut and maximum number of teeth
• Reduction of machining cost
• Reliable production for long-term process
• Soft-cutting geometry, thanks to helical cutting edges and positive rake angle