ITC Offers A Strong Shoulder For High Speed Milling

If you are looking to boost productivity when milling challenging materials, Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC) has the answer with the new VSM17 line of shoulder milling tools from Widia.

The high-productivity 90degree shoulder milling platform from Widia offers an aggressive ramping angle up to 8.8degrees with a well-guided internal coolant supply; both features combine to generate impressive material removal rates and chip clearance. The steel VSM17 tool bodies are available with screw-on, Weldon and cylindrical end mills from 25 to 40mm diameter with regular and long shanks, shell mills from 40 to 160mm and the M4000 cartridge milling system with diameters from 125 to 315mm. The various tool bodies incorporate an optimised chip gash that optimises stability, chip removal and cutting efficiency. 

This latest addition to the Widia 90° Victory Shoulder Mill (VSM) Series generates low horsepower consumption, versatility and a soft cutting action that makes the VSM17 the choice tool for everything from light, precise machining to medium roughing. The two-edged 16mm inserts that coincide with the VSM17 incorporate an embedded wiper facet for impressive surface finishes, an additional margin on the clearance face that strengthens the cutting edge and a super-positive rake design that generates a soft cutting action. This feature delivers performance on low powered machine tools. Furthermore, the VSM17 inserts extend tool life with a multiple corner nose radii from R0.4 to R0.6 with additional radii options available for specific aerospace applications.

The inserts are offered in a complete range of grades that deliver longevity and consistent performance when machining cast iron, steel, stainless steel, aluminium, aluminium alloys and a comprehensive variety of additional materials. For the advanced machining of aerospace grade materials, Widia has just added its newest WS40PM grade to the VSM17 line. This multi-layered PVD AlTiN-TiN coated grade for wet and dry machining improves chemical and abrasive wear resistance, minimises thermal cracking and opposes fatigue to a level far beyond that of alternate indexable cutting tools. 

Each of the insert grades are offered with the option of the ALP, ML, MM and MH insert geometries. The ALP is a peripheral ground geometry for the rough to finish machining of aluminium alloys whereas the ML is designated for light to finish cutting on stainless and titanium. Whilst both geometries generate low cutting forces and perform particularly well during finish machining, the MM and MH are general and heavy-duty cutting grades for a multitude of material types. For more details on how to enhance your productivity and reduce your milling costs with this new versatile end milling line, contact ITC.