VariMill Chip Splitter Designed for Improved Chip Evacuation

Hanita’s VariMill Chip Splitter is a solid carbide end mill designed to improve the quality of chip evacuation for dynamic and trochoidal milling operations in steel, stainless steel and super alloy applications

Hanita, a Widia brand, developed the VariMill Chip Splitter to deliver a higher metal removal rate (MRR) by separating long, undesirable stringy chips from deep cavities and dynamic milling paths by cutting material into shorter, more manageable sections.

This end mill is designed with non-overlapping chip splitters along the flute cutting edges. The result is more efficient MRR, while maintaining the ability to make finishing passes, the company says. The unequally spaced design feature enables each sequential cutting edge to remove any remaining material left by the chip splitter of the previous flute. The tool’s design is said to reduce breakage, making it versatile enough for both roughing and finishing passes.

The chip splitter is designed to help machinists cut faster and longer by enhancing the ability to flush or blow away stringy chips from deep axial cuts, without forming clumps of intertwined swarf. This is very important to avoid recutting of chips, which could damage the cutting edges and shorten tool life, the company says. Also, the ability to rough and finish with the same tool is said to provide benefit in cycle time and inventory management, both in the tool crib and the machine’s carousel.

VariMill Chip Splitter end mills are available in 5- and 7-flute configuration in ½"-1" standard dimensions in both WP15E and WS15PE grades. The end mill can cut up to 4.5XD to achieve higher feed rate per tooth values, a significant reduction in radial forces, and improvements to both MRR and overall tool life without compromising surface quality. The company says the 5-flute chip splitter maximizes performance needs when machining steel materials while the 7-flute chip splitter excels in machining stainless steel and heat-resistant superalloys such as 17-4PH, inconel and titanium.