Machining closed pockets

Closed pockets are usually produced by roughing in Z planes. When milling, a ramp is often selected as the machining entry. The tool selected depends on the depth of the walls and the mould incline to be generated on the component. MAPAL’s broad portfolio with modular systems also covers the machining of deep pockets with large diameters.
On a rendered example component, an operation is highlighted.

Roughing

Roughing operations are responsible for most of the chip removal capacity. Special milling strategies such as high-feed machining or trochoidal milling can reduce machining time and thus increase profitability. In addition to tools with indexable inserts and solid carbide milling cutters, high-performance milling cutters with special roughing geometry are used.
  • OptiMill®-3D-CR

    Solid carbide corner radius milling cutter
    • Finishing of 3D moulds with a high-precision corner radius
    • High precision corner radius with high level of radius accuracy
    • Wide selection for hard and soft machining of steel
    • Different numbers of teeth available
    • Available in cylindrical and conical forms

  • OptiMill®-3D-HF

    Solid carbide high-feed milling cutter
    • Perfect for high-feed machining with a high material removal rate and high process reliability
    • Innovative face geometry
    • Extremely quiet running
    • Different numbers of teeth available

  • OptiMill® roughing cutter

    Solid carbide roughing cutter
    • OptiMill®-Uni-HPC-Plus for universal steel machining
    • OptiMill®-Hardened for roughing of parts with a hardness from 45 HRC
    • Excellent tool life 
    • Wear-resistant coating
    • Different corner radii available

  • OptiMill®-Uni-Wave

    Solid carbide roughing cutter
    • Five-edged cord roughing cutter for roughing at high feed rates
    • Highly cost-effective thanks to higher feed rates
    • Optimum chip removal thanks to short, tightly rolled chips
    • Few vibrations, therefore very quiet running

  • OptiMill®-Uni-HPC-Pocket

    Solid carbide universal milling cutter
    • Economical production of pockets and bores
    • Three-edged milling cutter with integrated drill tip
    • Inclined plunging up to 45°
    • Full helix milling and grooving
    • High material removal rate up to 2xD

  • OptiMill®-Tro

    Solid carbide trochoidal milling cutter
    • Maximum material removal rate while providing an excellent surface finish at the same time
    • Pre-machining and fine machining with one tool
    • Cutting depth up to 5xD
    • Protection of the machine spindle and a longer tool life
    • Chip breaker for optimum chip control

  • NeoMill®-HiFeed90

    90° corner/high-feed milling cutter
    • Universal tool system to ensure maximum productivity
    • Tool body with indexable inserts for high-feed and shoulder milling
    • Maximum rate of removal due to very high feed rates and large cutting depths
    • Double-edged and four-edged indexable inserts available
    • Large selection of corner radii available

  • NeoMill®-ISO-360

    Round-insert milling cutters
    • Roughing and pre-finishing of 3D contours
    • Optimum contours due to the indexable inserts being installed in a neutral position
    • Soft cutting behaviour for low vibration machining
    • Offered as shell type, shank and screw-in milling cutters in the diameter range 10-160 mm


Residual material roughing

After roughing, in a second machining step, users machine the residual material, especially in corners and cavities, removing material as constantly as possible. Usually tools with corner radius or high-feed milling cutters are used. In some cases a ball cutter can be used to remove the residual material in corners.
  • OptiMill®-3D-CR

    Solid carbide corner radius milling cutter
    • Finishing of 3D moulds with a high-precision corner radius
    • High precision corner radius with high level of radius accuracy
    • Wide selection for hard and soft machining of steel
    • Different numbers of teeth available
    • Available in cylindrical and conical forms

  • OptiMill®-3D-HF

    Solid carbide high-feed milling cutter
    • Perfect for high-feed machining with a high material removal rate and high process reliability
    • Innovative face geometry
    • Extremely quiet running
    • Different numbers of teeth available


Pre-finishing

If there are high demands on dimensional accuracy and surface finish, semi-finishing is recommended before finishing. With pre-finishing, machining approaches the final mould profile. The aim is to obtain a residual material that is as constant as possible in order to enable fast finishing with high demands on the surface quality. The stock removal after roughing is approx. 0.5-1 mm for hardened materials and 0.03-0.5 mm for soft materials. After pre-finishing, the constant stock removal is 0.05-0.1 mm for hardened materials or 0.1-0.3 mm for soft materials.
  • OptiMill®-3D-CR

    Solid carbide corner radius milling cutter
    • Finishing of 3D moulds with a high-precision corner radius
    • High precision corner radius with high level of radius accuracy
    • Wide selection for hard and soft machining of steel
    • Different numbers of teeth available
    • Available in cylindrical and conical forms

  • OptiMill®-3D-CS

    Solid carbide shoulder radius milling cutter
    • Milling with a large operating radius
    • Finishing of complex free-form surfaces and complicated workpiece geometries
    • Short machining time due to large line interlacing
    • High surface quality

  • OptiMill®-Uni-HPC-Pocket

    Solid carbide universal milling cutter
    • Economical production of pockets and bores
    • Three-edged milling cutter with integrated drill tip
    • Inclined plunging up to 45°
    • Full helix milling and grooving
    • High material removal rate up to 2xD

  • NeoMill®-HiFeed90

    90° corner/high-feed milling cutter
    • Universal tool system to ensure maximum productivity
    • Tool body with indexable inserts for high-feed and shoulder milling
    • Maximum rate of removal due to very high feed rates and large cutting depths
    • Double-edged and four-edged indexable inserts available
    • Large selection of corner radii available

  • NeoMill®-ISO-360

    Round-insert milling cutters
    • Roughing and pre-finishing of 3D contours
    • Optimum contours due to the indexable inserts being installed in a neutral position
    • Soft cutting behaviour for low vibration machining
    • Offered as shell type, shank and screw-in milling cutters in the diameter range 10-160 mm

  • NeoMill®-3D-Ballnose

    Ball and toric end milling cutters
    • Universal milling system to ensure maximum productivity
    • A tool body with ball and toric plates for pre-finishing and finishing of hardened steel
    • Precise rotational tolerances
    • Available as shank and screw-in milling cutters

  • NeoMill®-3D-Torus

    Toric end milling cutter
    • For the highest requirements regarding precision and process reliability
    • Special tool body for toric plates with additional stabilisation of the cutting edge
    • Precise rotational tolerances
    • Different corner radii available

  • NeoMill®-3D-Finish

    Finishing milling cutters
    • Universal finishing tool for all common workpiece materials
    • Particularly wear-resistant and precisely manufactured indexable inserts
    • Axial and radial indexable wiper inserts to provide an excellent surface finish
    • Vibration-free finishing even at great depths


Finishing

The finishing process removes the remaining material in order to achieve the final shape. After pre-finishing, stock removal is 0.05-0.1 mm for hardened materials or 0.1-0.3 mm for soft materials. Ball and/or corner radius milling cutters are the tools of choice, regardless of the final contours of the workpiece.
  • OptiMill®-3D-CR

    Solid carbide corner radius milling cutter
    • Finishing of 3D moulds with a high-precision corner radius
    • High precision corner radius with high level of radius accuracy
    • Wide selection for hard and soft machining of steel
    • Different numbers of teeth available
    • Available in cylindrical and conical forms

  • OptiMill®-3D-CS

    Solid carbide shoulder radius milling cutter
    • Milling with a large operating radius
    • Finishing of complex free-form surfaces and complicated workpiece geometries
    • Short machining time due to large line interlacing
    • High surface quality

  • OptiMill® finishing milling cutter

    Solid carbide finishing milling cutters
    • OptiMill®-Uni-HPC-Finish z=7 for the efficient finishing of steel
    • OptiMill®-Hardened-Finish for finishing of parts with a hardness from 45 HRC
    • Large core diameter for maximum stability
    • Wear-resistant coating
    • Different corner radii available

  • NeoMill®-3D-Ballnose

    Ball and toric end milling cutters
    • Universal milling system to ensure maximum productivity
    • A tool body with ball and toric plates for pre-finishing and finishing of hardened steel
    • Precise rotational tolerances
    • Available as shank and screw-in milling cutters

  • NeoMill®-3D-Torus

    Toric end milling cutter
    • For the highest requirements regarding precision and process reliability
    • Special tool body for toric plates with additional stabilisation of the cutting edge
    • Precise rotational tolerances
    • Different corner radii available

  • NeoMill®-3D-Finish

    Finishing milling cutters
    • Universal finishing tool for all common workpiece materials
    • Particularly wear-resistant and precisely manufactured indexable inserts
    • Axial and radial indexable wiper inserts to provide an excellent surface finish
    • Vibration-free finishing even at great depths


Residual material finishing

The increasingly complex properties of the shapes to be produced require milling of the residual material after finishing, mainly in the corners. Solid carbide ball cutters are usually used for this.
  • OptiMill®-3D-BN

    Solid carbide ball cutter
    • High precision machining of 3D contours
    • High precision milling cutters with a high level of radius accuracy
    • Wide selection for hard and soft machining of steel
    • Variants z=2 und z=4, with and without working depth
    • Available in cylindrical and conical forms

  • OptiMill®-3D-CR

    Solid carbide corner radius milling cutter
    • Finishing of 3D moulds with a high-precision corner radius
    • High precision corner radius with high level of radius accuracy
    • Wide selection for hard and soft machining of steel
    • Different numbers of teeth available
    • Available in cylindrical and conical forms


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