Seco Tools Octomill 05 cuts tooling costs for smaller cutting depths

Seco Double Octomill 05 offers the opportunity to reduce tool costs where a cutting depth of only 2-3 mm is required and complements the company's Double Octomill 09 face milling range geared towards high productivity on relatively large milling machines. Double Octomill 05 pockets have grooves for axial and radial location pins made from high speed steel that have a hardness of 62 HRC, matching a smaller groove on the inserts. In the centre of each pocket is a strong lock screw. This makes it easy to mount the inserts correctly and keep them fixed during operation. An audible 'click' indicates when the insert is in the correct position. The pockets have a negative angle of 8º to allow for double-sided inserts and stable operation, and the geometry of the inserts creates a positive rake angle that minimises the power demand, explains Seco. The 40 HRC cutter body comes in three different pitches: normal, normal+ and close. (A closer pitch increases productivity in certain applications.) Four geometries of Double Octomill 05 inserts are available: M10, ME10, M11 and ME11A. The M signifies an insert with a primary chamfer, and ME denotes that the edge has only been honed; the former offers better edge protection. Seco recommends the M11 or ME11, which have wider wiper flats, if a high surface finish is required. But as a wide wiper creates more friction, which may increase the risk of vibration, if a rougher surface is acceptable the first option might be the M10 or ME10 which generate lower cutting forces. Conversely for a particularly fine surface finish, says Seco, a regular insert on the cutter body can be replaced with a special wiper insert. This has a 3.2 mm wiper flat and should be used together with M10 inserts. Each wiper insert has four right-hand and four left-hand wipers, with the latter intended for left-hand cutters. The wiper insert, which is a slightly larger size than other inserts, determines the surface quality attained. Inserts for Double Octomill 05 are available in a number of grades for a wide range of materials, from cast iron to exotics.