Every machinist that works on aluminum knows the headache this alloy offers but its high strength to weight ratio make it an imperative and highly popular material in the automotive and aerospace fields.

Yet, the main problems in machining aluminum remain the formation of built-up edges due to the adhesion of the materials used.

To ensure excellence in aluminum machining, TaeguTec has tackled the primary tooling concerns when machining aluminum such as minimizing the tendency of aluminum to stick to the tool cutting edge, ensuring there is good chip evacuation from the cutting edge, and making sure the core strength of the tool is sufficiently durable in order to withstand the cutting forces thrust upon it without breaking.

In this regard, TaeguTec has unveiled two new offerings under the ChaseAlu family that amalgamates the line’s power of machining aluminum with the hopes of machine shops to decrease their cost while increasing productivity.

Servicing all industries, the Asian metalworking giant’s ChaseAlu’s two new offerings, the XEVT 16 – which is an upgraded version of the current XECT 16 – and the XEVT 22, come at a time when productivity, safety and cost needs to improve greatly for companies to be viable in today’s quickly advancing world. With high-speed machining requirements as the XEVT’s focus, both types are designed with a stable "V" shape bottom as well as a unique "stopper" for rigid clamping and stability.

Both sizes guarantee high precision and excellent surface roughness in aluminum and non-ferrous machining due to their high positive helical cutting edges and polished insert surfaces.

As such, both the XEVT 16 and XEVT 22 inserts always deliver outstanding productivity in demanding high-speed milling applications such as shouldering, slotting, face milling, step down milling, profiling, straight ramping and helical ramping.

Moreover, both XEVT types are available in several corner radii and the XEVT 16 inserts are interchangeable with the current TE90XE and TFM90XE cutters in order to enhance the productivity of current XECT 16 inserts currently being used.

The cutter’s simple screw clamping design ensures for proper seating and rigidity during machining in order that the tool stays firmly in place when handling high feeds and speeds on aluminum and non-ferrous materials.

Cutters are available as end mills, modular types, face mills and HSK type face mills.

In extensive real-world tests, TaeguTec’s ChaseAlu XEVT 16 clobbered the leading competitor’s similar offering by increasing productivity by an amazing 329 percent while also increasing tool life by a very respectable 33 percent on an aluminum workpiece.

In another test, but this time on aluminum alloy, TaeguTec’s XEVT 16 increased productivity and tool life by 27 percent and 33 percent respectively.