Cut Inventory And Costs With New Drill/Mills

5 May 2026

TaeguTec UK has introduced two new drill/mill end mill ranges that promise to reduce machining cycle times by eliminating tool changes between drilling and milling operations. The SDM solid carbide end mills, part of the ApexMill family, and the MXDM interchangeable heads for MaxiRush toolholder bodies both offer manufacturers the ability to drill holes to 1XD depth and immediately transition to milling operations without changing tools.
The ability to perform both drilling and milling with a single tool represents a significant productivity and inventory advantage by eliminating changeovers between operations and reducing non-productive time. This is particularly beneficial in high-mix, low-volume production environments where frequent tool changes can significantly impact efficiency.

The SDM solid carbide end mills feature a 3-flute design with optimised wide flute geometry that ensures smooth chip evacuation even at drilling depths of 1XD. The tools incorporate a tapered core design that provides increased rigidity, making them suitable for a range of milling operations, including shouldering, slotting, and circular interpolation, where maximum material removal is needed. An unequal helix angle design further enhances smooth and stable cutting, reducing vibration and delivering excellent surface finishes. The SDM end mills also include helix-type internal coolant delivery, which is essential for effective chip evacuation during drilling.

Available in diameters of 10, 12, 16 and 20mm, the SDM end mills are manufactured in TaeguTec’s TT5525 grade and can achieve drilling feed rates comparable to standard drills. For carbon steel and alloy steel applications, cutting speeds up to 120m/min are recommended, whilst stainless steel machining is optimised at 60m/min. The tools can then immediately transition to milling operations at the drilling depth, with recommended cutting speeds up to 150m/min for carbon and alloy steels.

For manufacturers conscious of the rising cost of carbide, TaeguTec has introduced the MXDM interchangeable heads. Delivering the same drilling and milling capabilities and performance of the SDM series, but within the MaxiRush modular tooling system. This provides additional flexibility for manufacturers already using TaeguTec’s MaxiRush toolholder bodies. The MXDM heads can be quickly changed to suit a wide range of operations. The 3-flute MXDM heads feature the same wide flute design and tapered core geometry as the SDM end mills, ensuring consistent performance across both product ranges.

Like the SDM solid carbide end mills, the MXDM heads are available in diameters from 10 to 20mm and are manufactured with TaeguTec’s TT5523 grade. The heads are designed to work with TaeguTec’s reinforced MXSSD shanks to deliver optimal performance. Both product ranges offer exceptional flexibility with the ability to undertake milling operations such as shouldering, slotting, circular interpolation, helical ramping, and profiling immediately after drilling. This versatility makes the MXDM ideal for applications on carbon steel, alloy steel, and stainless steel in the aerospace, automotive, and general engineering sectors.

The SDM ApexMill solid carbide end mills and MXDM MaxiRush interchangeable heads are available now from TaeguTec UK. So, if you want to reduce your inventory and cut your cutting tool expenses, this flexible all-rounder is the perfect solution for your machine shop.