09/23/2026
Making some chips today!
6061-T6 Aluminum round plates
Ran on a Haas VF-4SS with a 5/8" 3-flute carbide end mill
- 12,000 RPM
- 365 IPM
- 0.440" DOC
- 5x work coordinates yielding 5pcs per cycle, each individually probed w/ a Renishaw Spindle Probe w/ automatic datum setting (Haas Wireless Intuitive Probing System)
- 35 min cycle time
- Qty 500
When these first went into production (almost 20 years ago), they were running at 105 minutes per cycle. After reworking the toolpaths in SolidCAM and utilizing a trochoidal milling strategy, we reduced the cycle time significantly.
By using modern techniques and strategies, we achieved a significant cycle-time reduction and cost savings.