Higher Milling Productivity in Titanium and Stainless Steel

Demanding markets such as aerospace and energy are defined by the need for increased efficiency. With its new seven-flute, eccentric relief (ER) design, the VariMill III ER solid carbide end mill from Widia Products Group (Fort Mill, SC) is engineered for higher metal removal, longer tool life and improved surface finishes in demanding workpiece materials, such as titaniums and stainless steels, that are used by OEMs and tier suppliers in the aerospace and energy segments. The VariMill III ER uses a newly developed coating and proprietary pre- and post-coat treatment that significantly improves cutting edge consistency. Consistent cutting edges mean higher metal removal rates, longer tool life, and improved workpiece surface finishes in expensive demanding materials.

“This tool is designed to be a true finishing endmill with the ability to take up to 30 percent radial engagement, which means shops can use high-speed machining techniques such as peel milling or trochoidal machining in high-strength alloys,” explains Ron West, the Widia product manager. The VariMill III ER comes in a full line of options that include two, three, and five times diameter length-of-cut and all common aerospace radii and chamfered corners, metric and inch. With increasing additive layer manufacturing in the aerospace field, the trend going forward will be from roughing to semi-finishing and finishing operations, perfect for the increased efficiencies that the VariMill III ER provides. These end mills come standard with the SAFE-LOCK^TM option by Haimer USA, LLC (Villa Park, IL) that eliminates pull-out risk and makes the tool assembly more stable and concentric, which in turn increases surface finish and tool life.

VariMill solid-carbide end mills are also available through NOVO^TM, the Widia digital process knowledge application. With powerful process knowledge available on iPad^TM and other digital devices, NOVO helps shops define machining features, such as ramping or slotting in specific work materials, and then immediately reduces the product set to those like VariMill that can do the job. This provides far more useful process knowledge than any online catalog alone, all obtained in a fraction of the time.

Widia Products Group, 1662 MacMillan Park Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707, 800-979-4342, na.techsupport@widia.com, www.widia.com.