Milling Tool Provides Essentially Stepless Pocketing to 6.5 mm Deep

Kennametal’s Mill 4-11 indexable milling cutter is designed to provide accurate pocket positioning and the free cutting action of a single-sided insert at a cost per edge similar to a double-sided insert. Available in various mounting options, cutter diameters range from 0.625" to 3.0" (16 to 80 mm). Designed for smaller machining centers, the tool accommodates 40-taper CAT and BT, HSK50, and similarly sized spindles. Due to its free-cutting capabilities, Kennametal says it is ideal for metal removal in less-than-rigid setups and on light-duty machine tools, multitasking machines and live-tool lathes.

The tool is shorter and narrower than the Mill 4-15. With a 0.433" (11-mm) maximum cut length, job shops and manufacturers can use the tool to produce smaller parts and part features while still removing metal at high rates and expecting a long tool life.

The cutter’s uneven pocket spacing is designed to break up machine harmonics and reduce chatter. Because of its complex insert geometry and positive placement in the pocket, it has an effective radial rake angle between 1 and 11 degrees, depending on the cutter diameter, and an axial rake angle of 3 degrees despite the double-sided design. When taking cuts that range to approximately 0.255" (6.5 mm) of axial engagement, the cutter is essentially stepless, although the company says that cuts as deep as 0.433" (11 mm) are possible while still maintaining square, smooth walls.