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Who Makes the Absolute Best Roughing Endmill for Aluminum?

It's actually Powdered Metal. Hanita touts it as harder than HSS and tougher than carbide. I always wanted to test a 5/8" version in a Maritool Dual Contact stubby side lock on a High Torque BBT. The 1/2" does pretty well for a lot of applications.
Do they make them in 5/8? On Widia's site it lists 1/2, 3/4, 1, and 1 1/4.
 
It looks like I have some tools to buy. I'll check out the hanita, MaFord 134, and I'll pony up for one of the AX-FPS ones as well.

I do agree that there isn't a one size fits all tool. One of the main reasons I've been sticking with the GWS alumigator is the ability to ramp in at 45deg which is a big plus for me. Even though a diamondback can probably out perform it profiling but only by a little.
 
I've tried the Destiny diamondback, GWS alumigator, Swiftcarb rampmill, KOR5, GWS ASR-5. All seem to settle out around 50CIM in 6061 for a 3/8" endmill in my 18hp VMX30i. Generally speaking I'm out of HP before any of these tools break so I'm sure they could be pushed harder. Is there anything else out there that I should check out? I've heard of the AX-FPS from Fraisa but they only come in metric and it seems like they're hard to come by over here in the states. I'm mostly asking b/c we plan to get some speedio machines in the future and would like to run the most efficient tool we can get in them.
Fraisa is easily top 3 IMO, have had nothing but amazing success with their roughing AND finishing tools. its worth it to get a metric holder for them, ideally shrink or hydraulic chuck - you wont be disappointed, they will send you a free tool to test as well.
 
I vote for Hanita TC6A0R13005. 1/2" x 1.25" LOC. If you need smaller diameter, they don't offer this series smaller. On a standard 10k rpm Speedio, I have removed 103 cubic inches per minute of 6061. Cutting parameters were 10k rpm, 1.25" Axial loc, .300" radial stepover at 275 IPM. Has Weldon flat, hold with side lock end mill holder. Day in and day out on a 16k or 27k spindle machine, I would run about 1" Axial, .250" stepover and 250 IPM ish.
105 CI MRR is NUTS on a brother! thats a hell of a hefty cut, what was the spindle load?
 
I've eyeballed those up but your not joking at an eye watering $260 a piece for a 12mm that's a hard pill to swallow. I haven't seen much testing with them besides a couple 30sec long videos. Have you ran these?
i've personally run them for a few years, and i know people that have been using the same exact tool hogging out aluminum for almost 2 years now and still going strong. they will not break unless you're doing something very wrong.
 
Garr, Hanita, Destiny Diamondback, KOR...all great end mills. There is no "best".
If you want great tool life, I can attest to the Destiny Diamondback. We have a repeat job out of 6061 on our Speedio, where I pocket 4" x 4" x 1.25" deep. I've had one of these 1/2" Diamondbacks last over 10,000 parts and only changed it because I was leaving a noobie to run the machine over the weekend and didn't want to take any chances of it failing.
That end mill I run at 16k, 1.25" deep and .100" stepover at 400 IPM. It's a beast.
That being said the Garr Alumastar gives the best finish that I've seen.
Hanita...you can't go wrong.
KOR... I haven't really tested it much but it seems like it's great too.
the thing to remember with KOR - you HAVE to run low radial engagement and very high feedrate, nothing wrong with that unless you're running a haas, which will almost never achieve the necessary feed rates in actual use unless you're cutting in a straight line. so a dynamic/high speed machine is a must, otherwise you'll overload the tool and break it if you go heavy radial, or you'll just never see the true MRR if you go light radial in a haas.
when running stuff like this in haas machines, its ALWAYS better to go heavy radial/axial step overs and slower feedrates.
 
105 CI MRR is NUTS on a brother! thats a hell of a hefty cut, what was the spindle load?
This video shows about 75 CI mrr on a standard brother with that cutter. Same 1.25" axial, .300" radial and 200 IPM. I have pushed it to 275 IPM since then. The spindle load at 103 CI mrr on a standard 10k rpm Brother was still in the yellow bordering red. I think I was just about max'd out there. For the 103 CI mrr cut I machined 1.25" off of a 7" Diameter 6061 slug in just under 30 seconds with a spiral-in path.

 
This video shows about 75 CI mrr on a standard brother with that cutter. Same 1.25" axial, .300" radial and 200 IPM. I have pushed it to 275 IPM since then. The spindle load at 103 CI mrr on a standard 10k rpm Brother was still in the yellow bordering red. I think I was just about max'd out there. For the 103 CI mrr cut I machined 1.25" off of a 7" Diameter 6061 slug in just under 30 seconds with a spiral-in path.

very impressive stuff!

i'd be very curious what that thing would do with a fraisa AX-FPS rougher, would you be interested in doing a test? i can get my rep to send you a tool for free
 
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I’ve been buying Helical's corncob coated Al roughers lately. They are expensive but last forever. I run them at 2100 sfm. One of my favorites is a 3/4” dia 3” reach with a reduced shank.
 
i've personally run them for a few years, and i know people that have been using the same exact tool hogging out aluminum for almost 2 years now and still going strong. they will not break unless you're doing something very wrong.
I can confirm, I hate money, and the Fraisa tools are fantastic. The through-hole makes them fantastic for pocketing.

I only replace my AX-FPS endmills when they break, and that's almost always because I did something stupid. I have one 12mm reduced neck that I put in a shrink holder over a year ago and it's still in great shape.
 
Does that Hanita or any of the others come in a long version? My 2 standard aluminum roughing end mills are 1/2" 2 or 3 flute. 03 corner radius YGs. One at 1.25" the other 2.25" or occasionally longer. I get as deep as I can with the 1.25 and then hopefully finish roughing with the 2.25". The numbers quoted for the hanita are double my removal rate with the shorter end mill. I am typically 2-4 hours of roughing for a matchplate. This is short compared to the 15-30 hrs of finishing but the roughing is where we really need to babysit to clear chips. If we could reduce the volume of big fluffy chips as well that would help with the barrels of chips removed during roughing. Maybe smaller chips would be less likely to nest on the job as well.
 
Does that Hanita or any of the others come in a long version? My 2 standard aluminum roughing end mills are 1/2" 2 or 3 flute. 03 corner radius YGs. One at 1.25" the other 2.25" or occasionally longer. I get as deep as I can with the 1.25 and then hopefully finish roughing with the 2.25". The numbers quoted for the hanita are double my removal rate with the shorter end mill. I am typically 2-4 hours of roughing for a matchplate. This is short compared to the 15-30 hrs of finishing but the roughing is where we really need to babysit to clear chips. If we could reduce the volume of big fluffy chips as well that would help with the barrels of chips removed during roughing. Maybe smaller chips would be less likely to nest on the job as well.
fraisa has long versions.
 
Does that Hanita or any of the others come in a long version? My 2 standard aluminum roughing end mills are 1/2" 2 or 3 flute. 03 corner radius YGs. One at 1.25" the other 2.25" or occasionally longer. I get as deep as I can with the 1.25 and then hopefully finish roughing with the 2.25". The numbers quoted for the hanita are double my removal rate with the shorter end mill. I am typically 2-4 hours of roughing for a matchplate. This is short compared to the 15-30 hrs of finishing but the roughing is where we really need to babysit to clear chips. If we could reduce the volume of big fluffy chips as well that would help with the barrels of chips removed during roughing. Maybe smaller chips would be less likely to nest on the job as well.
I use a necked down 1.25 LOC corn cob roughers to get more depth, but I'm also not going over 2".
 
Does that Hanita or any of the others come in a long version? My 2 standard aluminum roughing end mills are 1/2" 2 or 3 flute. 03 corner radius YGs. One at 1.25" the other 2.25" or occasionally longer. I get as deep as I can with the 1.25 and then hopefully finish roughing with the 2.25". The numbers quoted for the hanita are double my removal rate with the shorter end mill. I am typically 2-4 hours of roughing for a matchplate. This is short compared to the 15-30 hrs of finishing but the roughing is where we really need to babysit to clear chips. If we could reduce the volume of big fluffy chips as well that would help with the barrels of chips removed during roughing. Maybe smaller chips would be less likely to nest on the job as well.
Many companies make their roughing tools in a stub flute with a reduced neck. The diamondback, swiftcarb rampmill, fraisa, etc. are all available that way.
 
Many companies make their roughing tools in a stub flute with a reduced neck. The diamondback, swiftcarb rampmill, fraisa, etc. are all available that way.

Best part of having a D Bit grinder, every end mill in the shop has a reduced shank whenever needed.
 








 
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