Milling hard die and mold parts can be either a boon or a nightmare, depending on the approach. For one, rigidity of the entire cutting system-from machine base to cutting zone-is essential. For another, inserts with a fine submicron-grain carbide substrate markedly improve edge life because they present uniformly dense carbide right at the cutting edge. Even so, inserts cutting 45-HRC and harder tool steel inevitably wear faster than they would when cutting aluminum. Beyond that, application-specific factors and how die and mold shops read them can swing the balance in their favor.
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