ITC Carves Route to Productivity Gains at MACH
25 January 2022
The MACH 2022 exhibition from the 4th to the 8th of April will provide UK manufacturers with an opportunity to witness a raft of new cutting tool innovations from Industrial Tooling Corporation (ITC). On Stand 555 in Hall 20, the Tamworth based manufacturer will introduce new technology from its extensive line-up that will be complemented by next-generation offerings from WIDIA, BIG KAISER, Kemmler and Bass.
Alongside ITC’s unfathomably huge range of solid carbide and PCD product lines, indexable cutting tools will be extensively catered for by the world-renowned WIDIA brand. With industry-leading solid carbide and indexable tooling lines that deliver comprehensive turning, drilling, milling and threading solutions, ITC will provide a MACH debut for a variety of new WIDIA products. One of the exciting MACH debutants will be the expanded WIDIA TOP DRILL™ TDMX modular drilling line. With a range of new indexable inserts added to the TDMX Modular X, it is the ultimate choice for demanding drilling applications. The addition of the new MS geometry delivers enhanced stability to modular drilling for steel and stainless steel cutting.
The MS geometry insert now sees the TDMX platform offer three material-specific inserts. This addition broadens the platform’s application capabilities to include inclined entry and exit, stacked plates and cross-hole drilling in steel, stainless steel, superalloys and cast iron. The TOP DRILL™ Modular X (TDMX) inserts can be reground to extend the life of the tool. The TDMX is available in both imperial and metric sizes in 1.5xD, 3xD, 5xD, 8xD and 12xD with a diameter that ranges from 16 to 40mm.
From the WIDIA milling platform, ITC will be giving a MACH exhibition debut to the WIDIA Hanita VariMill XTREME. The new solid end milling brand delivers high-performance that is a significant advancement upon its predecessors from the iconic VariMill Series.
The VariMill XTREME has been engineered to excel in a variety of aggressive machining conditions, enhancing chip evacuation and corner stability to exceed performance expectations on a wide range of materials. Perfect for machining steel, stainless steel, cast iron and superalloys, the VariMill XTREME can undertake ramping, slotting, plunging, drilling, helical interpolation and dynamic milling. The impressive 4-flute solid carbide end mill is offered with a choice of geometries that include a square-end, sharp edges, chamfers and corner radii designs and it is available in diameters from 3 to 25mm.
Also making a MACH exhibition debut from the milling line is the WIDIA Hanita Aluflash Series. Adding to what is regarded as the industry’s most expansive aluminium milling line, the new Aluflash series is ideal for slotting, ramping, side milling, plunging, interpolating, dynamic and helical milling. The series of 2 and 3 flute solid carbide end mills are available in diameters from 1 to 25mm with a square-end or corner radius, stub, standard, long and extra-long lengths.
From the indexable milling range, ITC will showcase the new WIDIA™ M1600 face mill series for roughing to semi-finishing operations in steel, stainless steel, cast iron and nodular iron materials. With a smart insert design, the M1600 performs exceptionally well under various machining conditions including low-power machines, unstable, non-rigid setups, long overhangs and weak fixture conditions.
The 16-edged, precision-ground insert with a positive geometry enables low cutting forces and low power consumption resulting in higher tool life and an excellent cost per edge. The M1600 has one universal insert geometry in three versatile grades: WP35CM, WK15CM and WU20PM. The WP35CM grade targets all types of steel, while the WK15CM grade is designed for cast iron materials and is available in six metric diameter ranges between 50mm and 160mm.
Complementing the M1600 at MACH will be the new M8065HD milling system for machining steel and cast-iron materials. Designed with eight cutting edges and extra-wide chip gashes, the new M8065HD is capable of achieving deep depths of cuts while producing high metal removal rates during face and shoulder milling applications. The new milling line is engineered with a 65-degree approach angle and a 6.35mm thick insert and it is currently available with one universal insert geometry in three versatile grades, the WP35CM, WK15CM and WU20PM. The M8065HD indexable milling cutters are available in nine metric diameter ranges from 50mm to 315mm.
Alongside the M1600 and M8065HD will be the expanded VSM890-12 face and shoulder milling series. Hailed as one of the very few 8-edged double-sided milling lines with genuine 90-degree milling, the VSM890-12 has been increased with the arrival of its new MM insert geometry. The high-performance milling can conduct face, shoulder, Z-axis and contour plunging and 100% radial engagement slotting. This operational diversity is a credit to the availability of a coarse, medium or fine pitch insert density.
With three insert geometries, the ALP geometry has been developed for the machining of nonferrous materials and this is complemented by the ML inserts for the semi-finish and finish machining of stainless steel. However, to extend the capabilities of the VSM 890-12 to a wider audience, WIDIA has now introduced the new MM insert designation. This new grade is a general-purpose insert that is perfect for material types from steel and stainless to iron, super-alloys and hard materials. The new VSM890 series is available with a 32mm diameter Weldon end mill configuration whilst the shell mill tool bodies are available in diameters from 40mm up to 250mm with a cartridge face mill providing a 315mm diameter. If you want to accelerate your machining performance, be sure to visit ITC at MACH 2022 on Stand 555 in Hall 20.
