Double-Sided Shoulder Mills Achieve High Surface Quality

The VSM490 double-sided shoulder milling platform from Widia achieves true 90-degree shoulders and floors with high-quality surface finish for markets such as transportation and moldmaking. Designed for low horsepower draw and free machining, this shoulder mill delivers higher speed and feed rates that get jobs done faster and with improved surface quality. With four cutting edges and multiple corner nose radii available, the platform’s inserts provide added stability and reliability. Two insert geometries are available: MM (universal), suiting a range of work materials; and ML (light) with sharper cutting edges that lower cutting forces for mild and stainless steels. Both geometries are available in shell, screw-on, cylindrical, shank and Weldon shank models with internal air and coolant supply.

VSM490 cutter bodies are made with tight tolerances to ensure minimum runout and have a chip gash design for good chip evacuation. Hardened-steel construction and hardened pocket seats reinforce the cutters’ resistance to deformation. The company says that these mills enable aggressive feed rates with depths of cut ranging to 0.59" (15.00 mm) and barely noticeable scallop or stepdown marks. Thanks to the double-sided inserts, higher surface quality, fewer additional operations and quicker cycle times are possible.