cutting tool technology - end mill
Thursday, July 07, 2011
By
st_fanuc
End mill is not something you can separate from CNC machining, especially when you're dealing with vertical machining centers (VMC). Basically there are some knowledge that an engineer should know before deciding on a process. A good tool selection will result in a better surface quality and the job might be done faster.
Endmill material
High Speed Steel (HSS) - Basic tool steel endmills. Does not offer the major advantages of Carbide or Cobalt end mills. The cheapest choice available.
Cobalt - increases abrasion resistance for better tool life
Carbide - Can be run at a higher surface feet per minute as long as the machine is very rigid and spindles can hold tight tolerances. Types of tool holders used may also play a big part in life and quality of cut.
Endmill forms
Single End - Teeth on one end of the cutter only. This style is the most common available.
Double End - An end mill that has teeth on both ends of the cutter.
Stub Length - Usedin applications where tool deflection must be minimized.
Endmill types and configurations
Corner Radius - a radius is ground on the tips of the flutes to help reduce damaging if the endmill.
Drill Point - General purpose end mill that can be used for drilling. milling or chamfering
Ball End - Used for milling cavities or pockets, fillets and slots. Produces better surface finish, with one drawback that is unable to make sharp edge on the slot's inner edge
Roughing tool - For removing large amounts of material as quickly as possible. These mills can remove material about 3 times faster than conventional endmills. Can be recognized from it's flute which looks like a conventional tap
Endmill spesifications
Coatings - adds greater tool life and also can increase speeds.
Flutes - 2 and 4 flute are the most common
2-Flute - best for chip evacuation.
3-Flute - General milling
4, 5, 6, and 8 Flute - provides better surface finish and reduces cutting load per tooth. But the higher the number, the more difficult when it comes to resharpening
Left-Hand Spiral - Used for milling thin sheets to direct chips away from work
High Helix - Used for rapid chip evacuation. Works well for aluminum machining applications.
Endmill material
High Speed Steel (HSS) - Basic tool steel endmills. Does not offer the major advantages of Carbide or Cobalt end mills. The cheapest choice available.
Cobalt - increases abrasion resistance for better tool life
Carbide - Can be run at a higher surface feet per minute as long as the machine is very rigid and spindles can hold tight tolerances. Types of tool holders used may also play a big part in life and quality of cut.
Endmill forms
Single End - Teeth on one end of the cutter only. This style is the most common available.
Double End - An end mill that has teeth on both ends of the cutter.
Stub Length - Usedin applications where tool deflection must be minimized.
Endmill types and configurations
Corner Radius - a radius is ground on the tips of the flutes to help reduce damaging if the endmill.
Drill Point - General purpose end mill that can be used for drilling. milling or chamfering
Ball End - Used for milling cavities or pockets, fillets and slots. Produces better surface finish, with one drawback that is unable to make sharp edge on the slot's inner edge
Roughing tool - For removing large amounts of material as quickly as possible. These mills can remove material about 3 times faster than conventional endmills. Can be recognized from it's flute which looks like a conventional tap
Endmill spesifications
Coatings - adds greater tool life and also can increase speeds.
Flutes - 2 and 4 flute are the most common
2-Flute - best for chip evacuation.
3-Flute - General milling
4, 5, 6, and 8 Flute - provides better surface finish and reduces cutting load per tooth. But the higher the number, the more difficult when it comes to resharpening
Left-Hand Spiral - Used for milling thin sheets to direct chips away from work
High Helix - Used for rapid chip evacuation. Works well for aluminum machining applications.
Written by Admin
ChromeGT is a modern, powerful and professional Blogger template made for your Portfolio, Business or almost any other kind of website.
This was a lot of great information about end mills. My husband works with these types of tools a lot and I wanted to learn more about them. I can't wait to tell my husband what I learned! He will be so excited that I understand more about his job!
ReplyDeleteEmily Smith | http://richardsmicrotool.com/cobaltendmills.html