Non-ferrous metal milling cutter OptiMill®-HPC-Pocket

for aluminumfor stainless steelslot

Product overview
The OptiMill®-HPC‑Pocket family of milling tools is designed for precise and efficient pocket machining. Each tool features an integrated drill tip enabling plunge milling, helix milling, grooving and inclined plunging. Generous chip gullets ensure reliable chip evacuation even at high material removal rates.

Available variants

• OptiMill®-Uni‑HPC‑Pocket – for versatile applications in steel, cast iron and stainless steel.
• OptiMill®-Alu‑HPC‑Pocket – specially optimised for aluminium and non‑ferrous metals.

Key features

• Integrated drill tip with targeted point thinning for plunge and helix milling.
• Large chip spaces for dependable chip evacuation at high removal rates.
• Enables helix milling, grooving, inclined plunging and ramping with very high feed rates.
• Stable running and optimized chip removal for consistent surface quality and process reliability under variable conditions.
• Multi‑process capability reduces tool changes and overall machining costs.

Advantages

• Higher productivity through multi‑process use.
• Shorter machining times due to increased material removal rates.
• Reliable process performance even in unstable conditions.
• Improved surface finish thanks to smooth running and efficient chip evacuation.
• Fewer tool changes, lower operational cost.

Applications / Processes

• Pocket milling – efficient and precise.
• Helix milling – process‑reliable at very high feed rates.
• Groove milling – up to a depth of 3×D.
• Plunging – enabled by the integrated drill tip.
• Ramping (inclined plunging) – up to 45°.
• Full‑slot milling (deep engagement) to maximise material removal (example: ae = 16 mm).

Performance example
When machining an aluminium structural component (alloy 2124), the MAPAL OptiMill‑Alu‑HPC‑Pocket reduced machining time from 70 minutes (competitor end mill, multiple passes) to 14 minutes by using a ramping plunging strategy and full‑slotting with significantly increased cutting parameters. This demonstrates up to an 80% reduction in machining time for large aluminium volumes when applying deep engagement and highly dynamic strategies.

Cutting data example (comparison)
Competitor (End mill Ø 16 mm | z3) – Machining strategy: 20 passes
Vc: 300 m/min
fz: 0.110 mm
ap: 2 mm
ae: 16 mm
Result: Machining time 70 minutes

MAPAL OptiMill‑Alu‑HPC‑Pocket (Ø 16 mm | z3) – Machining strategy: Ramping (45°) | Full‑slotting
Ramping (45°) cutting data: Vc: 220 m/min | fz: 0.100 mm | ap: 22 mm | ae: 16 mm
Full‑slotting cutting data: Vc: 401.9 m/min | fz: 0.125 mm | ap: 17 mm | ae: 16 mm
Result: Machining time 14 minutes due to significantly increased cutting parameters and a stable plunging strategy.

Technical specifications

• Family: OptiMill®-HPC‑Pocket (Uni and Alu variants).
• Integrated drill tip with targeted point thinning for plunge milling.
• Materials: Uni – steel, cast iron, stainless steel; Alu – aluminium and non‑ferrous metals.
• Diameter ranges: Uni: 3.80 – 20.00 mm; Alu: 5.00 – 20.00 mm (see product pages for details).
• Typical processes: pocket milling, helix milling, groove milling (up to 3×D), plunging, ramping up to 45°, full‑slotting (example ae = 16 mm).
• Recommended cooling for the aluminium example: external cooling emulsion 8% | 20 bar (used in performance example).
• PDF product flyer available with detailed cutting data and technical information.