The important tools in metal profile industry - Carbide End Mill
End Mills are used for making profile and holes in a work parts during milling, profiling, contouring, slotting, counterboring, drilling and reaming applications. They are designed with cutting edges on the face and can be used to cut a variety of materials in different directions. Find out more on the types of mills we supply and all the applications in which they can be used.
The shape of the endmill Include Square end mills, Ball head, Corner Radius head, Roughing , Taper, it widely used for the purpose : For fast cuts and the greatest rigidity, use shorter end mills with larger diameters; Variable helix end mills reduce chatter and vibration;Use cobalt, PM/Plus and carbide on harder materials and high production applications and Apply coatings for higher feeds, speeds and tool life
Now let me explain different type for different milling application :
- Square end mills are used for slotting, profiling and plunge cutting.
- Ball head milling cutter, also known as ball nose end mills, are used for milling contoured surfaces, slotting and pocketing. A ball end mill is constructed of a round cutting edge and used in the machining of dies and molds.
- Corner radius end mills have a rounded cutting edge and are used where a specific radius size is required. Corner chamfer end mills have an angled cutting edge and are used where a specific radius size is not required. Both types provide longer tool life than square end mills.
- Corner rounding end mills are used for milling rounded edges. They have ground cutting tips that strengthen the end of the tool and reduce edge chipping.
- Tapered end mills are designed with a cutting edge that tapers at the end. They are used in die and mold applications.
- Keyway end mills are produced with undersized cutting diameters to produce a tight slot between the keyway slot they cut and the woodruff key or keystock.
- Roughing end mills, it also called hog mills, are used to quickly remove large amounts of material during heavier operations. The edges design allows for little to no vibration, but leaves a rougher finish.
- Roughing and finishing end mills are used in a variety of milling applications. They remove heavy material while providing a smooth finish in a single pass.
How about the flutes? We can find that there is different quantity flutes, one, two, three, four and six, these quantity are the most popular
More flutes increases the strength of the tool and reduces space or chip flow. End mills with less flutes on the cutting edge will have more chip space, while end mills with more flutes will be able to be used on harder cutting materials.
- Single Flute designs are used for high-speed machining and high-volume material removal.
- Two Flute designs have the most amount of flute space. They allow for more chip carrying capacity and are used primarily in slotting and pocketing nonferrous materials.
- Three Flute designs have the same flute space as two flutes, but also have a larger cross-section for greater strength. They are used for pocketing and slotting ferrous and nonferrous materials.
- Four/Multiple Flute designs allow for faster feed rates, but due to the reduced flute space, chip removal may be a problem. They produce a much finer finish than two and three flute tools. Ideal for peripheral and finish milling.
The end mill are made by HSS, HSSE, CARBIDE, coating or uncoating for different material machining
- High Speed Steel (HSS) have good wear resistance and costs less than cobalt or carbide end mills. HSS is used for general-purpose milling of both ferrous and nonferrous materials.
- Vanadium High Speed Steel (HSSE) is made of high speed steel with cobalt, it increase abrasive wear resistance and toughness. It is commonly used for general applications on stainless steels and high silicon aluminum.
- Solid Carbide provides better rigidity than high-speed steel (HSS). They cut faster than high speed steel and are commonly used on ferrous and nonferrous materials including cast iron, steel and steel alloys.
- Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) is a shock- and wear-resistant synthetic diamond that allows for cutting at high speeds on nonferrous materials, plastics, and extremely difficult-to-machine alloys.
Now we can decide the coating for different hardness material
- Titanium Nitride (TiN) is a general-purpose coating that provides high lubricity and increases chip flow in softer materials. The heat and hardness resistance allows the tool to run at higher speeds of 25% to 30% in machining speeds vs. uncoated tools.
- Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN) is harder and more wear resistant than Titanium Nitride (TiN). It is commonly used on stainless steel, cast iron and aluminum alloys. TiCN can provide the ability to run applications at higher spindle speeds. Use caution on nonferrous materials because of a tendency to gall. Requires an increase of 75-100% in machining speeds vs. uncoated tools.
- Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAlN) has a higher hardness and oxidation temperature versus Titanium Nitride (TiN) and Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN). Ideal for stainless steel, high alloy carbon steels, nickel-based high-temperature alloys and titanium alloys. Use caution in nonferrous material because of a tendency to gall. Requires an increase of 75% to 100% in machining speeds vs. uncoated tools.
- Aluminum Titanium Nitride (AlTiN) is one of the most abrasive-resistant and hardest coatings. It is commonly used for machining aircraft and aerospace materials, nickel alloy, stainless steel, titanium, cast iron and carbon steel.
- Zirconium Nitride (ZrN) is similar to Titanium Nitride (TiN ), but has a higher oxidation temperature and resists sticking and prevents edge build up. It is commonly used on nonferrous materials including aluminum, brass, copper and titanium.
- Uncoated tools do not feature supportive treatments on the cutting edge. They are used at reduced speeds for general applications on nonferrous metals.
The most important aspect of carbide tooling is to run the tool at the proper speeds and feeds.
When choosing the right parameters to run, most people focus on the speed which relates to the machine RPM. This is a mistake! Focus on on the proper feed per tooth (FPT), and then adjust the speed. Often when a part is programmed, and is being proven out for production, the programmer will choose conservative parameters and encounter chatter. Chatter is nothing more that part vibration (noise), because the tool is not cutting properly. Usually, the first response is to slow the RPM and the chatter will go away. This often works, but this is unproductive. What has just happened is that by reducing the speed and keeping the feed constant, the FPT has increased. And most likely the FPT before was too low in the first place and that was what caused the chatter.
If you follow these guidelines, you will have a much greater success rate in part programming, and you will be more productive
