General Cutting Tools is an authorized Ingersoll Cutting Tools distributor. We are based in Chicago serving Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana and ship nationwide as well as around the world. Contact us for more information.

SERIES: 12Y1N_D, 12Y1S_D, 12Y1U_D

Series Features:

Ingersoll Rapid Thread Mill

• Insert length: 21mm, 30mm, 40mm
• Available for both 4 and 5 insert style holders
• Used for large diameters, long threads and long overhangs
• Standard inserts are suitable for multi-insert tools
• All inserts have the same profile position
• Bodies can be mounted on standard Shell Mill adapters
• One tool for external and internal right and left hand threads

Diameters:
2.480″, 3.150″, 3.940″

Insert Sizes:
21mm (0.827), 30mm (1.181), 40mm (1.575)

Thread Form:
ISO, UN, NPT, NPTF, BSPT, W

Applications:
Internal and External Thread Milling

Materials:
Cast Iron, Steel, Stainless Steel, Aluminum, Titanium and other high temperature or nickel-based alloys.

The combination of true 0º lead angle and a wiper flat combined on the same insert design is a relatively new feature for Ingersoll’s Maxline family of face mills. The only other standard product line that combines these two features today in the Maxline family is the long edged VMAX inserts (NNE324R/L109). Due to their size, these VMAX inserts are not capable of the same axial depth of cut and feedrate as the new 18 MM SMAX inserts. Traditionally, this combination of true 0º lead angle combined with wiper flats has been featured in the Hi-Positive insert lines of Ingersoll and our competition. The new 4 edged 18 MM SMAX insert will allow our Maxline product to offer an alternative for shoulder milling applications where large 2 index Hi-Positive inserts have historically been used.

The 45º lead angle face mill provides potential for even higher chip thicknesses than the 0º lead angle series. As with any 45º face mill the effective chip thickness is only 71% (chip thinning) of the calculated chip thickness at the centerline of the tool. The potential for higher feedrates and reduced radial cutting pressures result. Lead angle face mills also improve heat dissipation and reduce the rate of tool wear, both by spreading the work of chip creation along a longer section of carbide when compared to 0º lead face mills at the same axial depth of cut. Another advantage of lead angle face mills is that entering and exiting of the work piece is “softened” because the entire leading edge of the insert does not contact the work piece simultaneously, as the top of the insert enters the cut first.

Advantages:

The figures below further explain some of the technical advantages of the new SMAX face mill product compared to older Maxline product; as well as much of our competition. For the purposes of this comparison we will compare the new SMAX 18 MM face milling insert to CDE style inserts that Ingersoll Cutting Tools originally developed, and are an industry standard today.

SMAX leading edge image

It is clear from the above figures that the wiper flat on the end of the SMAX 18 MM insert is a significant design enhancement for the Maxline product line. This new face mill series allows us to give our customers the combination of “tangential” insert orientation strength, true square shoulders when necessary, and the consistent finishes that result from a ground wiper flat on the inserts.

Ingersoll SMAX Pocket

As with any indexable face mill designed specifically for heavy duty applications, the ability of the cutter body to adequately locate and hold the inserts in place is of primary concern. The design of the new SMAX insert allows our pocket to trap the insert in the correct location, and in a secure “dovetail” configuration that eliminates some of the holding stress on the insert screw. Most positive geometry inserts in the market today rely on holding the insert in a pocket with obtuse angles between the bottom of the insert and the rake face or flank face, depending on the insert design. A design with obtuse pocket angles allows a percentage of the cutting force on the leading edge of the insert, to be transferred to lifting the back of the insert out of the pocket. Typically, the insert screw has sufficient axial strength to deep the insert in the correct position, but over time the insert screw can become fatigued and may lead to failure. However, when using the SMAX pocket design, the higher the cutting force on the leading edge of the insert, the more force that is translated into holding the back of the insert down and into the locating corner where it belongs. To explain this SMAX pocket feature see the above figures. Also note that when using the SMAX insert design, the bottom of the insert that sits against the pocket is as wide as the top of the insert. This wide insert bottom provides better stability as a larger bearing surface between cutter and insert is achieved. Most positive geometry inserts in the market do not offer this feature, whether “tangential” (like the CDE example shown), or “conventional” (like a positive square SEKT or similar).

Both the 0º and the 45º lead angle cutter bodies feature differential radial spacing between insert pockets. This variable angle allows unequal insert spacing around the circumference of the cutter. The unequal spacing of insert pockets is helpful in dampening harmonic vibrations that can be otherwise present in the milling system.

Metric face mills using the SMAX 18 MM will also be available from our Ingersoll Germany division in the first half of 2005; for applications where metric diameters or adaptations are necessary.

Competitive Information:

There is significant competition for rough milling and one-cut applications. This type of face milling has been a strength for Ingersoll since the first tangential insert designs were used decades ago. Below is a table, divided by lead angle, showing some of our competitors’ cutter series. The table identifies only clear advantages the SMAX product family has over each competitor cutter and does not include an “X” where performance levels are similar and would typically be proven through customer testing.

In general, the primary performance advantages of the 18 MM SMAX face mill family is the size of the insert (large depths of cut), the surface finishes than can be created, and the free cutting molded rake face of the insert to reduce power consumption. Use these advantages to your benefit when promoting the SMAX family over our competition, and use the size and strength of the inserts to over power the feedrate capabilities of our competitors smaller inserts when testing on the customers’ spindle.

Carbide Grade Information:

The introduction of the 18 MM SMAX face mill line will include four standard insert grades.

Grades IN2015, IN2040, IN1530 and IN2005 will be the grade options for standard face mill inserts.

The intended applications are as follows: (Also refer to the Maxline catalog)

• IN2015: Grey, Ductile, and Nodular Irons.
• IN2040: Carbon Steels with good work piece rigidity. Dry only.
• IN2005: Hi-Temp Alloys and Inconel
• IN1530: Stainless Steel, Titanium, Carbon Steels with poor work piece rigidity. Wet or dry.

Hardware and Components:

All of the standard 18 MM SMAX inserts for the 0º and 45º lead angle face mills use insert screw SE03-70. This insert screw features a strong M5 thread and is tightened with a Torx-20 driver. Spare screwdrivers are available, and can be ordered as part number DS-0034. The insert screws should be torqued to 35-40 inch/lbs. There is no other hardware to replace or maintain in the standard face mills.

Maintenance:

Maintenance of this face mill family is similar to any indexable face mill design. The fixed pocket design and tangential style of insert screw location minimize the necessary spare part inventory and related maintenance. For repeatable performance, the cutter pockets should be wiped clean during indexing, and the insert screws periodically replaced. Accurate projections of insert screw life are difficult to state, as insert screw life is dependent on consistently applying the recommended torque when indexing, as well as the degree of abuse that the milling system encounters during operation.

Operating Parameters:

The suggested operating parameters see the table below. The parameters are suggested starting ranges; and the optimum spindle RPM and feedrate will be dependent on the actual milling system rigidity, type of coolant used, depths of cut, etc. Remember to consider radial chip thinning when applying feedrates to the 45º lead face mills. Chip thinning will be compounded when considering applications with low percentages of radial engagement coupled with the 71% thinning factor of the 45º lead angle cutter series. Use these thinning factors to your advantage when feedrates of previously applied tooling have not been properly adjusted. As with most Maxline cutter designs, the 18MM SMAX face mills have not been designed for helical interpolation or ramping applications. A constant “Z plane” circular interpolation is acceptable.

Modified Standards & Specials:

We are anticipating high quantities of modified standard and special cutters to be quoted and manufactured using the 18 MM SMAX inserts. The product worksheets located in the back of the Maxline catalog have been included in that literature for the purposes of making things easier in communicating the necessary design parameters to our quotation department. Modified standards and specials using the 18 MM SMAX insert should be no smaller than 3.00” in diameter. To qualify as a modified standard, the cutter requested shall be no larger than 14.000” in diameter. Modified standards will also be fixed pocket face mills only. The diameter tolerance will be +/- .010” and the overall extension length tolerance will be +/- .005”. Some adjustments to these modified standard rules may be allowed, for example, a cutter with extension length tolerance +/- .003” is possible but the feature will carry additional delivery lead time and pricing adders that will be determined by the quotation department. The expected lead time for modified standard face mills below 5.00” in diameter should be 6 weeks. The expected lead time for modified standard face mills at 5.00”diameter and above should be 8 weeks. Approval drawings will add one week to the expected delivery. Not only are modified standard and special face mills available for quotation, but special inserts may also be quoted. We have the ability to grind radii or chamfers ranging from .031” to .125” on the 18 MM face mill inserts without effecting the number of insert indexes. The wiper flat on the end of the insert also allows the effective length of the tool to remain constant throughout the entire corner radius range of the insert.

The GS drill features a J-Flute design offering a wide chip pocket to accommodate chip evacuation when machining steels, stainless steels, cast irons, super alloys and non-ferrous materials.

Sumitomo GS Drill is available in external coolant and also coolant through configurations.  External coolant comes in either two times diameter or four times diameter.  Coolant through is offered in three times diameter, five times diameter and eight times diameter drilling depth.

Seeing is believing, but it may require testing first.  That was the case for toolmaker Melin Tool Co. when it was presented a coating called nACo, which the coating company said was harder, more wear resistant and had a higher hot hardness than AlTiN.

Melin Tool performed in house tests on nACo, which refers to nanocomposite, applying the coating to a series CCMG 45 six flute end mill for cutting hardened steel and comparing its tool life to the same style end mill coated with AlTiN.  “We found about a 27 percent increase in tool life with the nACo coating,” said Mike Wochna, Melin Tool’s president.

Also, the nACo coated tool had a hardness of 45 GPa vs. 38 GPa for the AlTiN coated tool.  “It creates a harder surface,” Wochna said of nACo.

Besides end mills, Melin Tool offers the nACo coating on its high performance, through coolant drills and ball nose end mills for making dies and molds.  All three types of tools are made from 91 HRC solid carbide and are for cutting work piece materials of about 45 HRC to 65 HRC.  In all cases, the tools are usually for cutting hardened steel, cast iron, high-silicon aluminum and superalloys.

Moreover, nACo has a high hot hardness.  As a nanocomposite coating, it can withstand heat up to 1,200°C before it starts to oxidize and break down.

Filling the Spaces

nACo’s hardness results from its nanocomposite structure.  The coating consists of nanocrystalline AlTiN grains embedded in an amorphous Si3N4 matrix.  According to the coating and coating equipment company, Platit AG, Grenchen, Switzerland, this structure increases hardness partly because the matrix acts as a diffusion barrier, preventing the grains from growing.  “The smaller the grains, the higher the hardness,” said Bo Torp, sales manager of Platit Inc., Libertyville, IL.

The matrix also contributes to the coating’s hardness.  Torp compared the grain and matrix to wet sand.  On a beach, a person’s feet usually sink into dry sand, but they won’t sink, or sink as far, in wet sand.  The reason is the space between the grains is occupied by water, not air.  Consequently, wet sand has a higher resistance, is harder.  Likewise, the matrix occupies the space between the grains and makes the coating harder.

nACo’s nanocomposite structure can increase a machine shop’s productivity and reduce its costs.  “You can improve feeds and speeds, or you can start running dry,” Torp said.

Melin Tool applies the coating in house with a Platit Pi80 coating machine.  Torp estimated that the coating is appropriate for 90 percent of carbide tools.  He added that it’s mainly unsuitable for HSS tools because the substrate usually is not hard enough to sustain the coating.  nACo, however, can be applied to other styles of cutting tools and can be used when cutting different work piece materials.

General Cutting Tools is an authorized distributor for Melin Tools.

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The VariMill 2 Solid Carbide End Mill with internal coolant supply provides excellent performance in slotting and profiling operations with longer tool life.

Usage
Materials: Series 57I8 and 57H8 – specifically for Titanium alloys and Stainless Steels.
Where higher metal removal rates will save the user time & money
Where different tools are used for roughing, semi-finishing and finishing passes
Where different tools are used for slotting and profiling operations
All VariMill II™ end mills are designed to efficiently remove the most amount of material in the least amount of time.

Target Markets
Aerospace, Energy
There are many competitors but no one dominates. In most markets Hanita’s VariMill I is often considered the leader in
this style end mill.

Features, Functions and Benefits
Customers will benefit from
Increased tool life
Better chip removal
Reduced machining temperature
High metal removal rates
Fewer setups
Only one tool for both roughing and finishing operations

These benefits are achieved due to
VariMill II™’s unique design which enables heavier cuts (slotting and heavy side milling)
5 Flutes with unequal flute spacing
Unique end geometry for maximum strength
Proprietary flute form enabling very heavy cuts
Internal coolant channels for increased tool life
Multiple OAL (overall length) and LOC (length od cut) options

Key Selling Arguments
Enables true, chatter-free machining to provide maximum metal removal rates
High metal removal rate
Increased tool life due to internal coolant
5 flutes increase feed per revolution and improve surface finishes
One tool for roughing and finishing operations
Effective slotting up to full 1xD axial depth
Effective in side milling up to 0.5D radial by 1.5xD axial depth

Product Portfolio
VariMill II™ Carbide End Mills with internal coolant are offered as standard with Weldon flats and with cutting diameters from 16mm to 25mm.
Series 57I8 (short version) and 57H8 (long version) for Titanium Alloys.

All standard tools from these series have
Internal coolant
5 flutes
AlTiN Coating

These end mills are designed for efficient machining of Titanium alloys. Especially where machine power is limited the special geometry of WavCut™ end mills requires less horsepower than a standard rougher and allows higher metal removal rates.  The optimized geometry generates a unique hollow chip shape that enables optimum chip evacuation and eliminates nesting and recutting of chips. The result is longer tool life and more parts per tool.

By using these end mills, you will benefit from:

• No re-cutting of chips due to wave-design
• Capable of slotting with 6 flutes
• Lower power consumption than a standard rougher
• Excellent chip form and evacuation due to wave-design
• Excellent surface finish
• Roughing and semi finishing

Key features to these end mills:

• Ability to slot with 6 flutes
• Higher metal removal rate
• Lower power consumption
• Excellent chip form and evacuation due to special geometry
• No re-cutting of chips
• Smooth surface finish due to ground radial rake face
• Improved strength for heavier cuts due to corner radius (6-flute)
• 4-flute End Mills have a helix angle of 35°
• 6-flute End Mills have a helix angle of 28°
• Increased tool life
• Roughing and semi-finishing

One of the characteristics that makes titanium difficult to tap is its tremendous elastic memory. During tapping, the material closes tightly around the cutting tool, generating friction and heat, and resulting in increased wear of the cutting edges. This material also easily work hardens.

To successfully tap titanium, consider the following:

• Choose a tap specifically designed with additional clearance to overcome the extreme elastic memory of the material. Tap clearances would include extra back taper of the threads from the front to the back of the thread section, full radial clearance in the threads across the tap lands, and additional relief in the tap chamfer area. All of these features are used to reduce friction and heat.
• In some cases, larger H limits might be required to overcome the shrinkage.
• Choose a tap made from premium grade materials to prevent heat and wear resistance. Greenfield Tap and Die offers these in our standard product lines.
• TiN+CrC/C surface treatment was developed to improve tapping performance in titanium alloys.
• Lubrication and proper pre-tapped hole size are vital to success. Use a compatible tapping fluid that provides plenty of lubrication to reduce friction.
• Select a drill that will produce the largest hole size allowed by the thread class callout (2B or 3B).
• Due to the additional clearances required, positive feeding of the tap is highly recommended.

Contact General Cutting Tools, your authorized Greenfield Tap and Die distributor for more information.

We ship to Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin, Michigan, Minnesota and the reset of the US.