Kennametal expanded its indexable shoulder mill series with the Mill 4-11, designed for smaller machining centers. The cutting tool accomodates 40-taper CAT and BT, HSK50 and similarly sized spindles, and due to its free-cutting capabilities is ideal for successful metal removal in less-than-rigid setups and on light-duty machine tools, multitaskers and live-tool lathes. The Mill 4-11 enjoys the same strong insert design as its larger cousin, the Mill 4-15, but it’s 24% shorter and 34% narrower, offering a maximum cut length of 11 mm, addressing the needs of job shops and manufacturers producing smaller parts, while still offering high removal rates and excellent tool life.
The insert design and precision also ensure very little mismatch between passes, providing a surface finish that often eliminates the need for finishing operations, so that in some cases it can even be used as a finishing cutter, reducing reliance on expensive solid carbide end mills. The tool is also easy to use: each insert is securely locked in place with a single M3 screw and marked with a series of dimples to indicate geometry and insert style. The company recommends customers to keep the tool clean and the screws lubricated with a small amount of grease, and to mount all of the inserts with dimples or markings facing the same direction, in order to improve accuracy during indexing.