Right angle heads.

Anybody have any experience with right angle heads in a VMC? Got a job where I have to put some 1/8" wide slots in a 4 1/2" bore in 25 aluminum castings. The bridgeport type that holds a R8 holder at 90 degrees to the spindle is too big. There are a lot of some smaller types out there that will work great,many will load from the tool changer,although that is not a feature I need.We have a programable rotary axis for that that part of it.The problem is that what I have found so far starts at around $7000.00 and goes up real quick from there. I can run Cat 40 or 50 at the top and hoped for ER collets for the end mills. No EDM allowed on this part or I would burn them in. Anybody got a source for something like this that isnt quite so pricey? Normal job shop deal,I didnt quote it, our resident rocket scientist and sales manager did.I just get to put the slots in. Yeah.............I know. Help?

Hi Pepo,
Shoot me an email with your contact info.
We can look at the Sowa product:
http://www.sowatool.com/catalogue/pdfs/CNCconTool/p773.pdf

Techleader also has them, we can discuss those too:
http://www.techleader.com/angleheads.htm

You can reach me at [email protected]

If not thought of already, it sounds as though the slot is radial. If so could this be accomplished with a sloting cutter with a long stub arbor?

How is the slot positioned? Could you do it with a tool like this?



Horn makes these, or you can make your own.

http://www.hornusa.com/eng/products/new_product/index.htm

There are 12 slots .120 to .140 wide X 1.110 to 1.130 long,full radius at the ends through an area that is about 5/16 thick in each part,25 pcs now,25 pcs later. 12 slots X 50 pcs = a bunch of slots.The slots are parrallel to the locating face of the part. They form a broken groove of sorts in a 4.300 dia bore,this bore is perpendicular to the locating face. This leaves an area probably 1/4" long between the end of one slot and the beginning of the next. They cant be done from the outside because there is a shroud on the casting that covers them. Pretty simple really,they just have to be done from the inside. A saw wont work because its radius wont satisfy the length dimension. Even a 1 1/4" saw on a 1/2" shank would leave the slot too short at the breakthrough if the inside was at the high limit of its length. The part flies so dimensioning isnt negotiable. Dont really mind buying a head to do it,its just that what I have found seemed kind of overpriced.