Barrel-Shaped Tools Slash Multiaxis Milling Time Requirements

Time is the single greatest commodity consumed when finish and semi-finish machining of complex surfaces such as molds, according to Iscar USA. This can be compounded by the difficult-to-machine materials often associated with this type of work. To aid in reducing time required, the company introduces a new family of barrel-shaped tools, the Neo Barrel, at IMTS 2022, for efficient multiaxis milling.

Iscar says the concept takes a portion of a large circle and applies this arc segment as a cutting-edge profile. The cutter profile is said to enable for greater stepovers without increasing the cusp height. High-quality surface finishes can be achieved on the machine with a reduced number of passes, Iscar notes, often eliminating the need for time consuming bench work while maintaining tool life and increasing productivity.

Moreover, using these advanced tools from Iscar can potentially reduce cutting times by 50-90%, versus using the standard ball nose tooling commonly applied.

The Neo Barrel is offered in both solid carbide and the Multi-Master connection, for complete flexibility to accommodate a shop’s needs.