Milling stainless steel? Look to Pramet

A completely new range of cutters and inserts for economical face milling of stainless steel form part of a launch of products by Pramet.

The versatile range includes OEHT octagonal inserts for cutting depths 4 – 10 mm, alongside REHT (round) and XEHT (wiper) inserts.

By utilising eight cutting edges – the highest number available for positive inserts – the new range provides an economical offer for customers, while the wiper insert option boosts feed rate capabilities and surface finish quality.

Pramet’s new double positive 45° milling cutter, S45OE, is available in diameters up to 200mm and supports internal coolant delivery.

Its versatile design allows the same cutter body to be used with both the octagonal inserts for face milling and the round inserts for face and copy milling applications.

Suitable for use even on machines with limited power, the combination of new inserts and cutter offer high metal removal rates with low cutting force. The risk of chatter is also reduced – an important consideration when machining valuable components.

Karel Tiefenbach, indexable milling product manager at Dormer Pramet, said: “Our latest package of products for stainless steel offers additional economical and versatile options for the customer.

“The cutters design features positive axial and radial face angles, promoting a good cutting action and directing chips away from the work-piece.

“Our S45OE range offers a wider selection of diameters and enhances our line of cutters with double positive geometry. This is especially beneficial when the work-piece is fragile, the fixture is unstable or the component material has the tendency to work harden – a common issue when machining stainless steel.”

For use with the OEHT inserts, three new positive geometries – MF, MM and M – have been introduced for various cutting conditions.

The MF is a sharp and highly positive geometry for finishing applications in stainless steel, mild carbon steel and non-ferrous metals. MM is a sharp and positive geometry for machining stainless steel in medium cutting conditions.

The M is a positive geometry with stabiliser - suitable for difficult cutting conditions in materials such as carbon steels and harder stainless steel.

The new geometries offer reduced cutting forces and increased durability for machining with or without coolant.

An overview of all the new indexable ranges launched by Dormer Pramet in November 2015 is available in its latest product brochure.