Solid carbide, indexable, and modular versions are available, as are ones with square, ball, and radiused cutting ends. One of the most commonly used of all milling cutters is the end mill. And because a worn head can be swapped out in a few seconds, modular tooling also increases productivity. As with modular carbide drills, these cutting tools provide the performance and accuracy of solid carbide but at a far lower cost. Straddling the fence between these two are so-called modular end mills, which employ a solid carbide head that threads onto a steel body. They provide an effective yet affordable solution for the vast majority of all machining operations, although solid carbide tools are still used for small part features and for finishing work. Above this size, almost all milling cutters use indexable carbide inserts attached to a steel cutter body via small screws or clamps. As the name implies, the first of these is made from a solid piece of cutting tool material-usually tungsten carbide, although high-speed steel (HSS) and cobalt milling cutters are also available for hobbyists and low-volume or light-duty machining operations.ĭue to its material cost, solid carbide tools are generally smaller than an inch or so in diameter. These are solid milling cutters and indexable milling cutters. In the world of industrial milling, two broad classes of cutting tools exist. For now, though, it’s important to recognize that all milling tools (with one or two exceptions) are just as described previously-multi-toothed rotary cutters that utilize a shearing action to remove material along the periphery of the tool and, in some instances, can act like a drill as well. In a moment, we'll talk about the more general-purpose tools-the end mills, shell mills, and other workhorses of the machining industry. For the most part, they require dedicated machinery.Įach of these is an application-specific cutter, limited to relatively small amounts of material removal and the creation of distinct part features. Similarly, gear cutters (also known as hobs) are used to cut gear forms, splines, and sprockets.Dovetail tools are a special type of milling cutter that machines the angled grooves needed to join many machinery components.Slotting mills and slitting cutters are just as their name describes, able to cut slots and narrow slits respectively in the tops and sides of parts.They are rarely found on CNC machining centers. The fly mill just discussed is a type of face mill, used to produce flat surfaces on metal and plastic workpieces.But where a drill bit's cutting edges are positioned at the very end of the tool, limiting it to axial material removal (i.e., holemaking), a milling tool also boasts cutting edges along its periphery, allowing it to remove material radially, from side to side. As with drill bits, these are rotary tools used on CNC machining centers, live-tool lathes, and yes, manual milling machines. The fly mill is just one example of a milling cutter.
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