Thread: Tool coating Tialn

If you had to pick a coating (for an endmill) that you had to use on all materials swuch as alum, brass, copper, steel, stainless. What would you use? I personally liked tin for a while but I noticed alum likes to stick to it. I am starting to like more and more Tialn. It cuts really nice, and I noticed my spindle loads are always lower. I used to always have a load of 40-42 percent on a particular tool and now it is always 33-35 percent. Same job same machine. Does Tialn have any drawbacks, downsides?? I am thinking of only stocking tialn endmills and no uncoated endmills.

You ought to look into Zrn coatings. Little on the expensive side when on carbide but hogs away without trouble. I havn't noticed any sticking yet on any of mine and with heavy use have not worn any noticable amount.

Husker

Actually, I've liked the Tialn coating also. And even though they say that coating has aluminum in it, and therefore shouldn't be used on aluminum, it has served me well. But, another coating you may want to try is Tic. It seems to make the cutting edge stay sharper than the tialn.

Stocking just one type of coating on the endmills would be nice but maybe not practical. Different coatings work best on different materials. I would narrow it down to at least two - TicN for Aluminum and AlTiN for steels and cast iron. The AlTiN is a bit harder and tougher than the TiAlN due to its higher aluminum content.

Another thing I like in endmills is the variable flute designs like SGS's Z-Carb or Hanita's Vari-Mill.

wow I never tried ticn on alum. does it leave a nicer finish or just does it last longer??

wow I never tried ticn on alum. does it leave a nicer finish or just does it last longer??

Tool life is the main advantage, which in turn gives you a better finish longer.

Out of curiousity, why would you want one cutter for all those different materials/applications? IMO, you're far better off looking at cutter geometry for an application than coatings.

For aluminum, I use ZrN and, more often, TiCN. Hanita Javelins mostly. We do a lot of 6061 and Mic6. For 303, 304, & 17/4 I usually use an insert cutter, Seco's Turbo and Nano-Turbo mills down to 3/8" but have also had great luck with Micro 100 uncoated carbide cutters.

Try an uncoated carbide endmill in A-2 and compair it to a TiAlN coated cutter. If you don't greatly improve your tool life, then your tool supplier is robbing you. Specs say to increase feed and speed by 50%. I did that, and got greater tool life, faster cycles. Well worth the extra 5 bucks. Watch your tool life and try different cutters and coatings. (if the quantity is high enough) You will be impressed.

ZrN for aluminum, TiAln for steel and stainless.For the stainless I'd use a 6 flute end mill