The trend towards lightweight construction is resulting in the constant development of new materials with a very wide range of properties that create new demands also on the machining. MAPAL has now expanded its extensive milling cutter product range to include four new high-performance milling cutters.
Thermoplastics are widely used in the automotive sector, for example in the production of instrument panels. Due to its low melting temperature, the material requires special tool geometries in order to avoid melting.
MAPAL has therefore developed the solid carbide OptiMill-Thermoplastic with very sharp cutting edges for the reliable machining of thermoplastics. "Its special geometry not only ensures the optimum discharge of the chips, but also minimizes the build-up of heat during milling," said a company spokesperson.
MAPAL also offers the OptiMill-Thermoplastic-FR for the machining of special fiber-reinforced thermoplastics, predominantly carbon fibers. As carbon fibers are very abrasive, the solid carbide milling cutter is diamond coated. Due to the arrangement of the cutting edges around the circumference, the fibers are cut off cleanly without burr formation.
The solid carbide end milling cutter, OptiMill-Composite-UD, was added to the milling cutter range for the milling of parts made from fiber composite materials such as CFRP that are either very thin or are difficult to machine. Because of its cutting edge geometry, it achieves a simultaneous pulling and pushing cut with compression effect in the part, thus preventing delamination and fiber projections. The milling cutter is diamond coated for a long tool life.
Due to their low weight and flexural strength, honeycomb structures are used for support and reinforcement between the inner and outer skin of aircraft or in the vanes of wind energy converters. The difficulty when machining this very light material is its comb structure. MAPAL has developed the OptiMill-Honeycomb to meet the special demands of machining honeycombs. The eight-bladed solid carbide end mill cutter has extremely sharp cutting edges, a helix angle of 15 degrees and very fine serration. "The new OptiMill-Honeycomb reliably machines even honeycombs with a wide variety of outer layers or with fillings," said a company spokesperson.
The new milling cutters, OptiMill-Thermoplastic, OptiMill-Thermoplastic-FR, OptiMill-Composite-UD and OptiMill-Honeycomb are immediately available in a wide range of dimensions.
For more information contact:
MAPAL Inc.
4032 Dove Road
Port Huron, MI 48060
810-364-8020
info@us.mapal.com
www.mapal.com