Helix milling application

A major focus in milling operations is on reducing the machining time. With specific tool geometries for machining closed, round pockets, it is often possible to eliminate the pre-drilling process. With helix milling, milling paths are programmed with helical entrances that are suitable for pocket dimensions.
On a rendered example component, an operation is highlighted.
Tool overview for the following machining steps:
  1. Roughing
  2. Residual material roughing
  3. Pre-finishing
  4. Finishing​​​​​​​

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

  • 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-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

    Fraise rayonnée en carbure monobloc
    • Finition de moules 3D avec rayon d'angle hautement précis
    • Rayon d’angle extrêmement précis avec une grande précision du rayon
    • Large sélection pour l'usinage de l'acier dur et doux
    • Différents nombres de dents
    • Forme cylindrique et conique

  • OptiMill®-3D-CS

    Fraises à segment de cercle en carbure monobloc
    • Fraisage avec large rayon d'action
    • Finition de surfaces à forme libre et de géométries de pièce complexes
    • Réduction de la durée d'usinage grâce à une hauteur de crête plus importante
    • Excellente qualité de surface

  • OptiMill®-Uni-HPC-Pocket

    Fraise universelle en carbure monobloc
    • Production économique de poches et de perçages
    • Fraise à trois arêtes de coupe avec pointe de foret intégrée 
    • Plongée oblique jusqu'à 45°
    • Fraisage hélicoïdal et rainurage en pleine matière
    • Possibilité d’avance élevée jusqu’à 2xD

  • NeoMill®-ISO-360

    Fraise à plaquettes rondes
    • Ébauche et semi-finition de contours 3D
    • Précision optimale des contours grâce à la position de montage neutre des plaquettes amovibles
    • Comportement de coupe souple pour un usinage à faible vibration
    • Disponibles en tant que fraise à axe horizontal, fraise en bout et fraise à queue filetée dans la plage de diamètre 10-160 mm

  • NeoMill®-3D-Torus

    Fraise torique
    • Pour les usinages exigeant une précision et une fiabilité des processus extrêmes
    • Corps de base spécial pour les plaques toriques avec stabilisation supplémentaire de l'arête de coupe
    • Tolérances de rotation précises
    • Différents rayons d'angle disponibles


Finition

L'usinage de finition enlève la surépaisseur restante pour obtenir la forme finale. Après la semi-finition, la valeur est de 0,05-0,1 mm pour les matériaux trempés et de 0,1-0,3 mm pour les matériaux tendres. Les fraises sphériques et/ou fraise rayonnée sont le moyen de choix, en fonction des contours finaux de la pièce.
  • 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

  • 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

  • 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