“The inserts, which are easy to handle and adjust, offer reduced cost per part along with high accuracy and repeatability,” adds Jacques Gasthuys, global automotive application engineer.

Cutting tool material consisting of natural or synthetic diamond crystals bonded together under high pressure at elevated temperatures. PCD is available as a tip brazed to a carbide insert carrier. Used for machining nonferrous alloys and nonmetallic materials at high cutting speeds.

Metal cutting tools and services provider Sandvik Coromant has unveiled a brand-new high-feed milling solution for milling cavities or pockets in ISO S, M, and P materials. The new CoroMill MH20 is the latest addition to the CoroMill product line and was specially designed for machining aerospace components. According to the company, the tool can machine challenging components such as oil and gas, as well as mold and die. The CoroMill MH20’s ability to machine at long overhangs makes it particularly well suited for aerospace applications.

Capable of both face and shoulder milling, the M5Q90 is also suitable for many applications in the general engineering and aerospace sectors.

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Angle of inclination between the face of the cutting tool and the workpiece. If the face of the tool lies in a plane through the axis of the workpiece, the tool is said to have a neutral, or zero, rake. If the inclination of the tool face makes the cutting edge more acute than when the rake angle is zero, the rake is positive. If the inclination of the tool face makes the cutting edge less acute or more blunt than when the rake angle is zero, the rake is negative.

Loosely, any milling tool. Horizontal cutters take the form of plain milling cutters, plain spiral-tooth cutters, helical cutters, side-milling cutters, staggered-tooth side-milling cutters, facemilling cutters, angular cutters, double-angle cutters, convex and concave form-milling cutters, straddle-sprocket cutters, spur-gear cutters, corner-rounding cutters and slitting saws. Vertical cutters use shank-mounted cutting tools, including endmills, T-slot cutters, Woodruff keyseat cutters and dovetail cutters; these may also be used on horizontal mills. See milling.

The M5Q90 completes the Sandvik Coromant offer for machining aluminum automotive parts, complementing the M5B90, M5C90, M5F90, CoroMill Century/590 and M5R90 tooling solutions.

The company has been continually working toward delivering higher reliability while extending tool life through its high feed milling solutions. Compared to another Sandvik Coromant feed milling tool, the CoroMill 415, the new CoroMill MH20 managed to deliver a 32 percent increase in tool life. It also demonstrated enhanced component quality when machining a titanium aerospace wing support component. The company also adds that the MH20 was able to perform well under further testing against competing tools, delivering good reliability and a more secure machining performance when machining steel and stainless steel workpieces.

“To enhance efficiency, our new M5Q90 tangential milling cutter features fully engineered cutter bodies matched with dedicated PCD insert geometries that feature a positive cutting angle to reduce cutting force and load on the machined component,” explains Emmanuel David, global automotive product manager at Sandvik Coromant.

Distance between the bottom of the cut and the uncut surface of the workpiece, measured in a direction at right angles to the machined surface of the workpiece.

M5Q90 cutter bodies are designed according to customer specifications, and therefore meet the requirements of high-productivity machining – the tool can operate in high-speed conditions in excess of 20,000 rpm. However, all cutter bodies offer the same design of tip seat, coolant channel, lead angle and rake angle. Inserts are always kept in stock.

Machining operation in which metal or other material is removed by applying power to a rotating cutter. In vertical milling, the cutting tool is mounted vertically on the spindle. In horizontal milling, the cutting tool is mounted horizontally, either directly on the spindle or on an arbor. Horizontal milling is further broken down into conventional milling, where the cutter rotates opposite the direction of feed, or “up” into the workpiece; and climb milling, where the cutter rotates in the direction of feed, or “down” into the workpiece. Milling operations include plane or surface milling, endmilling, facemilling, angle milling, form milling and profiling.

Aluminum cylinder heads and engine blocks will be among the principal components to benefit, typically in automotive foundries or Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers. By way of example, the cubing operation on a cast cylinder head would involve machining the camshaft face, inlet/outlet face and combustion face. Typical cutting data using M5Q90 might include a speed of 2,500 m/min. (8,202 sfm) and feed per teeth of 0.20 mm (0.008 inch). Users also benefit from high-precision coolant channels that provide the option for either emulsion or MQL application.

If desired, the cutter body tool life can be further extended in engineered solutions with PCD inserts protected by rows of carbide inserts, a configuration that also serves to increase the depth of cut capability. While the basic tool with PCD inserts offers 2–4 mm (0.079–0.157 inch) depth of cut in full engagement, this can be boosted to in excess of 4 mm (0.157 inch) using the engineered solution with protective rows of carbide inserts.

The open pocket design also helps to improve chip evacuation and reduces re-cutting of chips. This was specially optimized for chips generated by a high feed tool and minimizes smearing of chips, particularly in ISO S applications.

“In particular, engineers working in aerospace machining cannot afford to make mistakes, especially when the quality control standards for aircraft engine components are so high,” added Dash. “So being able to deliver reliable tools with consistent tool life is a top priority for Sandvik Coromant.”

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The main feature of the CoroMill MH20 is its curved two-edge insert, which is a departure from the traditional four-edge design. This means that the weakest section of the insert is located away from the main cutting zone. Sandvik Coromant shared that this shift in design was intentional, enabling improved reliability and protection against wear and tear. This change will also prevent the tool from impacting the next edge or leading corner even when machining against a corner or wall, maintaining a consistent performance per edge.

“Machining components for industries like aerospace, oil and gas, and mold and die can be challenging,” shared Sangram Dash, application manager at Sandvik Coromant. “In the aerospace sector alone, manufacturers must handle conditions such as thin floors and walls, deep pockets, and tight corners. When designing the CoroMill MH20, we kept the stringent requirements of all these sectors at the fore. For example, the tool is capable of completing several different operations to reduce the number of tools, changeovers, and tool handling required during manufacturing, thus reducing cycle times and improving manufacturing economics.”

Engagement of a tool’s cutting edge with a workpiece generates a cutting force. Such a cutting force combines tangential, feed and radial forces, which can be measured by a dynamometer. Of the three cutting force components, tangential force is the greatest. Tangential force generates torque and accounts for more than 95 percent of the machining power. See dynamometer.

The tool’s sloped edge design delivers a gradual and light-cutting action that requires less power consumption to enable the use of smaller machines. In addition, the CoroMill MH20 also offers innovative geometry through an optimized edge line in the main cutting edge and a reinforced insert corner radius that allows for secure and reliable machining even when the machining process is unmanned or machining occurs against shoulders and corners in pocketing. Further, the MH20 delivers vibration-free machining even during long overhangs.

Fluid that reduces temperature buildup at the tool/workpiece interface during machining. Normally takes the form of a liquid such as soluble or chemical mixtures (semisynthetic, synthetic) but can be pressurized air or other gas. Because of water’s ability to absorb great quantities of heat, it is widely used as a coolant and vehicle for various cutting compounds, with the water-to-compound ratio varying with the machining task. See cutting fluid; semisynthetic cutting fluid; soluble-oil cutting fluid; synthetic cutting fluid.

According to Dash, Sandvik Coromant will be offering “dedicated insert geometries for different ISO areas to deliver greater optimized process security and productivity.”

Angle between the side-cutting edge and the projected side of the tool shank or holder, which leads the cutting tool into the workpiece.

To boost the first-stage roughing operation on newly cast aluminum parts for the automotive industry, cutting tool and tooling systems specialist Sandvik Coromant is introducing its M5Q90 tangential milling cutter. Designed to complete "cubing" (first machining of faces after casting) in a single operation without creating burrs, the new tool is fitted with PCD tangential inserts that provide a smooth and stable cutting action to lower power consumption and eliminate vibration. This concept ensures reliable performance, improved tool life, exceptional surface finish, high metal-removal rate and an increased number of parts per insert.