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Shars APKT insert interchangeability

arenjenkins

Plastic
Joined
Jan 26, 2015
I was about to buy a cheap 2" facemill on ebay. It is a Shars 404-1867w, I stopped when I read in the description:

"Only compatible with ZCC USA's APKT insert, not compatible with other brand's insert including Iscar."

I asked the seller about this and this was their response:

"Milling inserts very from manufacturer to manufacturer. We design our tooling around ZCC inserts, which in milling are not compatible with ISCAR or Kennametal ect. Turning has standards, milling does not. Generally what you would find if you installed ISCAR inserts into our milling cutting tools is the way the insert sits in the pocket. APKT should be 90 degree, however using another brand even if the nomenclature is the same would yield something other than 90 degree due to the way they are formed. Its common knowledge in the machining industry."

Interested to know others opinions on this.
 
Yup, they are right.
Has to do with helix angle and cutter dia.
You are trying to lay a line around a cylinder at a angle so mismatch makes an angled side or even a hourglass shape.
I'm not so sure I'd call it "common knowledge".
If only used for small DOC like a facemill it will cut fine. If going many passes deep the 90 wall will be screwed up.

Actually any APKT works "right" only at one diameter.
Tradeoffs are made in the family to accommodate different sized cutter bodies by changing the pocket's axial rake and trying to get the best "wrap".
Bob
 
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Very interesting. That is a great way to explain it, thank you. I am farily new to insert tooling in the mill. I am a manual machinist doing one off and repair stuff, so it's not likely something that will have too much detriment on me. If I need a very true square shoulder on something, I'm probably going to measure it anyway, BUT this is very good to understand.

So, if someone was trying to achieve predictably square shoulders with a 90* milling tool like this, it would be a good idea to use the same brand insert as the tool for ANY manufacturer then?
 








 
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