Barrel-Style Inserts Effectively Finish Machine Complex 3D Surfaces, Intricate Profiles

Tungaloy America has expanded its BallFinishNose indexable tool capabilities for profiling complex 3D contours by adding five “barrel” style inserts for improved cycle time reduction in contoured workpieces. 

BallFinishNose is an effective tooling finishing and semi-finishing, particularly on geometric surfaces and complex 3D contours common to mold and die or aerospace applications, Tungaloy says. The insert features a distinctive, asymmetric shape. The design enables operators to use the same side of the insert always facing the same direction when set in the tool body, providing the tool with high repeatable accuracy and reliability, surface quality and predictable tool life.

Tungaloy has added five barrel-style inserts to BallFinishNose to increase the efficiency of its 3D profile milling capability. The barrel inserts — named after the resemblance of the cutting edge shape to a barrel’s profile — consist of cutting edges with larger radii compared to ball nose end mills, creating greater contact between the cutting edge and workpiece. This permits larger stepover increments, maximizing efficiency without compromising on cusp heights, and enables the removal of more material with fewer passes.

The barrel-style inserts can be used with existing BallFinishNose cutter bodies. They’re designed to fit the cutter bodies in diameters ranging from 12 to 30 mm (0.472 to 1.181"). The inserts’ cutting edge radii are available in 30, 40, 50, 62.5 and 75 mm, and each set of inserts fit the cutter in diameters 12, 16, 20, 25 and 30 mm, respectively.

Featuring the coolant channels on the insert faces just as those on existing BallFinishNose inserts, the barrel-style inserts are said to ensure optimal coolant delivery close to the cutting area, providing stable and long tool life.

The barrel style inserts are offered in CH315 insert grade, a combination of high wear resistance made possible by a physical vapor deposition (PVD) coating and fracture-resistant-dedicated carbide substrate.