How do you determine the depth of cut for milling?

The depth of cut is set at values found by multiplying the diameter or ball nose radius by a fixed coefficient. The image to the right shows a depth of cut standard for 2-flute, square corner, coated carbide end mill. If the workpiece materials are harder, the depth of cut should be decreased.

What is end mill length of cut?

Overall length is easy to decipher, as it is simply the measurement between the two axial ends of the tool. This differs from the length of cut (LOC), which is a measurement of the functional cutting depth in the axial direction and does not include other parts of the tool, such as its shank.

What is a roughing end mill?

Roughing End Mills, also known as ripping cutters or hoggers, are designed to remove large amounts of metal quickly and more efficiently than standard end mills.

What is the difference between regular end mills and roughing end mills?

A ball end mill is constructed of a round cutting edge and used in the machining of dies and molds. Roughing end mills, also known as hog mills, are used to quickly remove large amounts of material during heavier operations. The tooth design allows for little to no vibration, but leaves a rougher finish.

What is the minimum depth of cut for finish cuts in milling?

Use a Finish Pass With a Light Cut Usually something like 2-3x chip load will be right for the finish pass. I do a lot of finish passes in the 0.015″ neighborhood. The lighter pass will reduce cutting force and keep things smoother for a better finish.

What is the rule when determining the depth of cut?

Rule of thumb: never cut deeper than one half the diameter of the bit in any single cut, this means that the depth of the depth cuts should be no deeper than one-half the bit diameter.

What is depth of cut?

Depth of Cut (t): It is the total amount of metal removed per pass of the cutting tool. It is expressed in mm. It can vary and depending upon the type of tool and work material. Mathematically, it is half of difference of diameters.

What is end mill process?

An end milling process consists of a cylindrical cutter that has multiple cutting edges on both its periphery and its tip, permitting end cutting and peripheral cutting. These cutting edges or flutes are usually made helical to reduce the impact that occurs when each flute engages the workpiece.

What is the maximum depth of cut recommended for an end mill?

With a cut equal to the full width of the cutter, the maximum recommended depth of cut (ap) is 0.6 D. If, however, the cutting action is the cleaning up of the edge of a component, with the cut only 10 per cent of the diameter, the depth can be increased to 1.5 D.

Can you plunge cut with an end mill?

Commonly referred to as Flat End Mills, square end mills produce a sharp edge at the bottom of the slots and pockets of the workpiece. They are used for general milling applications including slotting, profiling and plunge cutting.

What is the difference between traditional roughing and high efficiency milling?

This is especially true with miniature tooling. While traditional roughing is occasionally necessary or optimal, it is generally inferior to High Efficiency Milling (HEM). HEM is a roughing technique that uses a lower Radial Depth of Cut (RDOC) and a higher Axial Depth of Cut (ADOC).

What length of cut should I choose for my endend mill?

End mills come in various length of cut options, as well as numerous reached options. Choosing the tool that allows the completion of a project with the least deflection, and highest productivity, is critical. As the ADOC needed to slot can be lower, a stub length of cut is often the strongest and most appropriate tool choice.

What are the endend mill terms?

End Mill Terms A – Mill Size or Cutting Diameter B – Shank Diameter C – Length of Cut or Flute Length D – Overall Length End Mill Terms Continued End Mill Side Clearance • Primary (1st angle, 5°- 9°) – Relief Adjacent to Cutting Edge • Secondary (2nd angle, 14°-17°) – Relief Adjacent to Primary Angle • Tertiary (3rd)

How deep can you cut with a small rougher?

You should be able to go at least .050 on depth, on a small machine like that. If you don’t have a small rougher (I use 1/4 carbide roughers all the time, they are really reasonable cost wise), you can chamfer off the corners .015 or .020, that should allow you to take a deeper cut.