Video: Increase Indexable Milling Insert Life

Hey, you want to hear a secret about extending your insert's tool life? Let me tell you. In shoulder milling it's important to remember that even the smallest adjustment in depth of cut can increase your insert's life. A standard shoulder mill insert has a hole in the center just like this for the screw. This wall between the hole in the cutting edge does not have the same amount of carbide behind it, making it a weaker point especially in smaller inserts. If you have a 10 millimeter insert and you're repeatedly cutting a depth of five millimeters, you're on the weakest part of the insert, but if you move slightly above or below the center line you'll be utilizing a sturdier part of the insert and increasing your tool's performance.