970 Series

Tool 970i3216C

Standard keyseat cutters bog down in steel. The 970i3216C runs cleaner.

Eight flutes on a half-inch diameter distribute cutting forces across more edges, reducing per-flute loading in challenging steel applications.
The 0.25-inch cut width matches the neck diameter.
This geometry keeps deflection predictable while maintaining adequate chip evacuation for the flute count.
TiB₂ coating handles the heat and wear that comes with interrupted cuts in ferrous materials.
The coating runs harder than TiAlN but stays chemically stable in steel cutting temperatures, so edge life extends without premature chipping at the entry and exit points where keyseats typically fail first.
Conservative speeds with this flute count will outperform aggressive parameters on fewer-fluted tools.
The neck diameter sets your rigidity limits, not the cutting diameter.