How should I choose a CNC milling cutter?

CNC machining tools are tools used for computer numerical control (Computer Numerical Control, CNC) machine tools for processing operations. CNC machine tools control the movement and position of cutting tools through pre-programmed instructions to perform precise cutting, drilling, milling, turning and other processing operations on the workpiece.

Commonly used CNC tools are roughly divided into milling cutters, which can be divided into cylindrical plane milling cutters, end milling cutters, end milling cutters, T-shaped cutters and angle milling cutters, etc.

The most direct impact of using inappropriate cutting tools is efficiency and quality. In today’s market, this will be the key factor determining whether you can win efficiency.
Introduction to common CNC tool graphics and text:
There are more than 20 types of cutting tools in this article. In this article, we will introduce them through pictures and text, what they are called, and their main uses and characteristics.

Face milling cutter

The face milling cutter has cutting edges on the end face and outer circle perpendicular to the tool holder, mainly used for milling flat surfaces. The cutting edge of the outer circle is the main cutting edge, and the cutting edge of the end face plays the same role as a scraper. Compared with sleeve end mills, face milling cutters have shorter cutting edges.

High speed steel face milling cutters are generally used to process flat surfaces of medium width. The standard milling cutter diameter range is 80-250 mm. The cutting efficiency and machining quality of hard alloy face milling cutters are higher than those of high-speed steel milling cutters, so hard alloy face milling cutters are widely used to machine flat surfaces.

Round nose end mill

Main use: Mainly used for rough machining, flat precision machining, and side precision machining of mold blanks, especially suitable for rough machining of molds with high material hardness.

1.The cutting speed of the round nose knife is stable. When milling similar workpieces, the round nose cutter can maintain a certain cutting speed at all four points, making the machining surface quality better than the ball end milling cutter. Because it retains the milling ability of the end milling cutter, it can achieve relatively fast milling speed when machining flat surfaces.

2.The difference between a round nose cutter and a ball cutter in appearance is that it combines the advantages of a ball cutter and an end mill. The curved surface of the cutter head is not as large as that of a ball cutter, but only a small R-angle arc. At the same time, the bottom of the cutter head maintains the characteristics of an end mill. This design allows it to have good milling quality when processing flat workpieces, although the machining range is relatively small when processing curved surfaces, But it has great advantages for small angle curved surface processing industry. At the same time, it does not have the static grinding situation of a ball cutter, so its wear is relatively small and its service life is relatively long. In some small concave areas, due to the presence of blind spots on the cutting edge, the round nose knife may experience a “top cutting” phenomenon, making it difficult to process certain areas. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a suitable one.

Flat-bottomed cutter

The bottom surface of its blade tip is flat (flat bottom), parallel to the surface of the workpiece. It is usually used for machining operations such as flat milling and slotting, and can produce a flat cutting surface on the workpiece.

Due to the flat bottom surface of the tool tip, the flat bottomed tool has a larger contact area with the workpiece surface during machining, which can provide more stable cutting force and cutting effect.
Application field: Flat bottomed cutters are commonly used for machining tasks that require a flat cutting surface, such as flat milling, flat bottomed slotting, slotting, etc. It is suitable for creating flat cutting surfaces on workpieces to meet specific size and flatness requirements.

Tool material: The tool material for flat bottomed knives is usually chosen as High Speed Steel (HSS) or Carbide to provide good wear resistance and cutting performance. Main processing: Materials with slightly lower hardness such as aluminum, copper, plastic, etc

(Aluminum) Coarse leather cutter (preferred for dynamic milling)

Features: The aluminum rough leather knife adopts a special tool design, which can quickly remove a large amount of material from the aluminum material. Its blades usually have wavy or serrated cutting edges, which can quickly cut aluminum and improve milling efficiency. Main processing: aluminum

Cutting characteristics: Advantages of dynamic milling: Aluminum rough cutters perform excellently in dynamic milling. Dynamic milling is an efficient milling method that can accelerate milling speed and improve cutting efficiency by reducing radial cutting amount and increasing axial cutting amount and cutting speed. The design of the aluminum rough blade makes it suitable for dynamic milling requirements and can stably perform high-speed milling.

Application field: Aluminum alloy rough knife is suitable for rough machining of aluminum alloy materials, such as milling, cutting, rough grinding, etc. It can quickly remove materials, providing a better benchmark for subsequent fine processing and surface treatment.

White steel milling cutter

The high-speed steel blade blanks produced by the White Steel Knife Tool Factory, Cutting Tool Factory, and Cutting Tool Factory (ground into cutting and threading knives by the user themselves) are polished to a bright white color, hence they are called “White Steel milling cutter”.

Main use: Suitable for processing outer circles, end faces, inner holes, threads, planes, steps, grooves, and cutting processes of general lathes, semi-automatic and automatic lathes, and planers.
Features: Made of high-speed steel material, it has good toughness and high hardness, and the cutting geometry parameters can be ground according to needs.
Main processing: Materials with slightly lower hardness such as aluminum, copper, plastic, etc

Ball end milling cutter

Main use:
The blade of the ball end milling cutter has a spherical surface, which allows it to better adapt to the machining requirements of curved and circular shapes.
Structure: Ball end milling cutters usually adopt an integral structure, and the blade is not easy to break. This structure enables it to have excellent milling effects when processing 3D surfaces and can process narrow concave areas.

Widely used: Ball end milling cutters are widely used in the processing of various curved surfaces and circular grooves, such as mold manufacturing, aerospace, automotive manufacturing, mechanical processing, and other fields.

Center drill (dot cutter)

The center drill first drills a small hole before hole processing, which is used for accurate positioning and guiding the drill bit to process the hole, thereby reducing errors.
Light and fast cutting: The cutting speed of the center drill is fast, allowing for quick hole processing.
Good chip removal: The central drilling tool has good chip removal performance, which can effectively remove chips generated during the cutting process.

Multiple angle options: The shape of the center drill is usually divided into two sections at the beginning, and the cone angle can be selected from different types such as 60 degrees, 75 degrees, and 90 degrees.
Widely applicable: Center drills are suitable for machining center holes on the end faces of shafts and other parts, and are widely used in various fields such as automotive components, electronics, medical, aviation, and engineering machinery.

Drill bit

Drilling: The main function of a drill bit is to drill holes on various materials, including metal, wood, plastic, etc. By rotating and applying pressure, the tip of the drill bit can cut materials and form holes.

Positioning: Drill bits are usually used to position materials for subsequent machining operations. By drilling a small hole in the material, the machining position can be accurately determined, making subsequent machining more precise.

Cutting: The cutting edge of the drill bit can cut materials, forming holes. Different types of drill bits have different blade designs, such as spiral drills, center drills, etc., to meet different machining needs.
Chip removal: During the cutting process, the drill bit generates chips, and the design of the drill bit usually considers good chip removal performance to effectively discharge the chips from the hole, avoiding blockage and damage to the drill bit.

Expanding and trimming: In addition to drilling, drill bits can also be used to enlarge the diameter of existing holes or trim the edges of holes. By replacing drill bits with different diameters, different sizes of holes can be achieved.

U drill (explosive drill)

Main use: pre drilling, material removal, deep drilling. Features: Adopting a special blade design, it can achieve efficient cutting and improve machining efficiency.
The design of powerful drilling enables it to have high cutting force and can handle large cutting loads.
Wide application range: suitable for processing various materials, including metal, plastic, wood, etc.
Good stability: The structural design gives it good stability and can maintain high machining accuracy.
Long lifespan: Made of high-quality materials, it has a longer service life.

Precision boring cutter

Aperture accuracy: The precision boring tool can ensure the accuracy of the aperture, making the processed hole size accurate.
Position accuracy: Precision boring cutters can ensure the position accuracy of holes, making the fit between holes and other parts precise.

High adjustment accuracy: Precision boring cutters usually have a fine-tuning function, which can perform diameter direction fine-tuning during the machining process, and the adjustment accuracy can reach 0.01mm or less.
Wide application range: Precision boring cutters are suitable for processing various materials, including metals, plastics, ceramics, etc.

countersinks

Main uses: chamfering C-corners, punching, milling standard small inclined surfaces
Chamfer cutters can effectively remove sharp burrs generated during the machining process, making the edges of the parts smoother and avoiding damage caused by burrs.

Improving aesthetics: The chamfering knife can chamfer the edges of parts, making their appearance more beautiful and enhancing the overall texture of the product.

Internal milling cutter

Function and function:
The internal R tool is mainly used to process the rounded corners inside the workpiece, which can remove burrs and sharp corners on the internal edges, improve the quality and aesthetics of the workpiece.
The internal R knife can also reduce stress concentration inside the workpiece, improve the strength and durability of the workpiece.
The internal R knife can also be used for special installation process requirements, such as forming a guide surface inside the workpiece, facilitating the assembly of parts.

Usage:
When using the internal R tool for machining, it is necessary to choose the appropriate tool size and cutting parameters according to the requirements of the workpiece.
The internal R tool usually requires multiple cuts during the machining process to gradually form the desired fillet.
During machining, attention should be paid to the feed rate and cutting speed of the tool to ensure machining efficiency and tool life.

Sharp knife (engraving knife, carving knife)

Main use: The sharp knife is mainly used for engraving and carving work on various materials, such as wood, metal, plastic, leather, etc.
It can be used to make various engraving and carving works such as artworks, handicrafts, woodcuts, seals, business cards, etc.

The sharp tip and slender blade of the sharp knife enable it to be finely and meticulously engraved, achieving more precise carving effects.

T-shaped milling cutter

The blade has a T-shaped shape and is commonly used in fields such as metal processing and woodworking. It has a special blade design that can perform different types of cutting and machining operations
T-shaped knives are suitable for cutting and processing various materials, including metal, wood, plastic, etc.

It can be used for various machining operations such as cutting, slotting, milling, and trimming.
The blade shape of the T-shaped cutter allows for precise cutting and machining in narrow spaces.

Corn milling cutter

A tool used for contour milling and profile machining, commonly used in the field of metal processing. It has a special blade design and material grade to achieve high feed rate, large cutting depth, and high metal removal rate. The corn milling cutter adopts a small number of teeth and a large helix angle design to generate shear effect, achieving smooth, vibration free cutting and excellent surface roughness.
It is usually used for contour milling and contour machining, suitable for rough milling, shoulder milling, edge milling, and groove milling and other machining operations.

Advantages and features:
Corn milling cutters have a high metal removal rate, which can quickly remove metal materials, improve processing efficiency and productivity.
The spiral angle design of the tool can absorb most of the end load, making the tool smoothly feed and retract in the workpiece.
The cutting edge of the corn milling cutter is sharp, and the cutting is light and fast, suitable for high-speed machining situations.

Rough boring cutter

A tool used for machining large diameter holes, commonly used in the field of metal processing. It has a special design and blade shape, which can achieve efficient rough machining and boring operations. The rough boring cutter is suitable for processing large diameter holes, can quickly remove metal materials, improve machining efficiency and productivity [3].
It is usually used for rough machining and boring operations, suitable for processing metal materials such as steel, cast iron, stainless steel, etc.

Design and type:
The blade of a rough boring cutter is usually made of high-speed steel or hard alloy, which has wear resistance and durability.
The shape and structural design of the blade enable it to perform stable cutting and machining in large diameter holes.
There are various types of rough boring cutters, such as fixed rough boring cutters, adjustable rough boring cutters, etc., used for different processing needs.

Taper mill

A tool used for milling and machining workpieces with tapered shapes. It has a special design and blade shape, which can achieve precise taper machining. The taper milling cutter has a conical blade and can be used to process workpieces with conical shapes, such as tapered holes, tapered grooves, etc.
It is usually used in the field of metal processing and is suitable for processing materials such as steel, cast iron, aluminum, and aluminum alloys.

Design and type:
The blade of the taper milling cutter is usually made of high-speed steel or hard alloy, which has wear resistance and durability.
The shape and angle design of the blade enable it to perform stable cutting and machining on conical workpieces.
There are various types of taper milling cutters, such as straight shank taper milling cutters, cutting taper milling cutters, etc., used for different machining needs.

Dovetail milling cutter

A cutting tool commonly used in the fields of metal processing and woodworking. It is named after its blade shape resembling a dovetail. Swallowtail knives are commonly used in woodworking processes such as dovetail joints, dovetail joints, and dovetail connections.

They can also be used to create decorative dovetail shapes. They are suitable for processing woodworking materials such as wood, plywood, and particleboard, as well as metal materials such as aluminum and copper

Tooth milling cutter

A type of tool used for machining threads, commonly used in the field of metal processing. It has a special design and blade shape, which can achieve high-precision thread processing. Milling cutters are suitable for processing internal and external threads, and can be used to make various threaded connection parts, such as bolts, nuts, threaded holes, etc.

It is usually used for the processing of metal materials, such as steel, cast iron, aluminum, and aluminum alloys. The blades of milling cutters are usually made of high-speed steel or hard alloys, which have wear resistance and durability.
The shape and tooth pitch of the blade can be selected according to specific machining requirements to achieve thread machining with different specifications and accuracies.
There are various types of tooth milling cutters, such as straight tooth milling cutters, oblique tooth milling cutters, etc., used for different processing needs and angle requirements

Single edge single edge spiral milling cutter

It is a cutting tool used for metal processing and woodworking. It has a single edged spiral shaped blade that can achieve efficient and precise cutting and milling operations.
The blade of a single edge spiral milling cutter has a spiral shape and a single cutting edge, which can provide high cutting efficiency and good cutting quality.

It is suitable for processing metal materials such as steel, aluminum, and aluminum alloys, and can also be used for processing woodworking materials such as wood and plywood.
Single edge spiral milling cutters are commonly used for milling flat surfaces, slotting, cutting and other operations, and are widely used in mechanical manufacturing, mold manufacturing, aerospace and other fields.

Special shaped milling cutter, customized milling cutter

Blade specifications: Standard blade specifications are available in stock, while non-standard blades can be customized according to samples and drawings.
Blade material: Commonly used materials include high-speed steel, tungsten steel, round knives, white steel, etc.

Blade characteristics: Good wear resistance, strong impact resistance, and long-lasting sharp edges.
Customization requirements: Standard blades only need to provide dimensions, and non-standard blades can accept customized production by providing the length, width, thickness, hole size, and eye distance of the blade when drawings and samples cannot be provided

Minute Stick, also known as Edge Finder

Main uses: coordinate determination, number finding, position finding. Features: Simple assembly, but able to achieve high-precision results. Inventing this is definitely a talent. It’s still very cheap.
The one on the left is an eccentric centering rod

On the right is the buzzer center splitter. I especially want to roast about it. It can’t be rotated for use. The accuracy is not guaranteed. It needs batteries

Tap

A tool for processing internal threads, with grooves along the axial direction. Also known as screw attack. Taps are divided into straight groove taps, spiral groove taps, and pointed taps (tip taps) based on their shape. The straight groove tap is easy to process, with slightly lower accuracy and larger output. Generally used for thread processing on ordinary lathes, drilling machines, and tapping machines, with a slower cutting speed. Spiral groove taps are commonly used for drilling blind holes in CNC machining centers, with fast processing speed, high accuracy, good chip removal, and good alignment.

There is a chip groove at the front of the threaded tap, which is used for processing through holes. The taps provided by the tool factory are mostly coated taps, which greatly improve their service life and cutting performance compared to uncoated taps. The unequal diameter design of the tap has a reasonable distribution of cutting load, high machining quality, but also high manufacturing costs. Trapezoidal thread taps are often designed with unequal diameters.

Twister

A cutter is a rotating cutting tool used for metal processing. It is usually used to enlarge holes or remove burrs. According to different applications, reamers can be divided into precision reamers and non precision reamers. Precision reamers are designed for small hole enlargement with high accuracy, keeping both sides of the hole smooth. Non precision reamers are used for basic hole enlargement or removal of burrs. A cutter can be a manual or machine tool, such as a milling or drilling machine
Reamer: also known as machine reamer, it is a common reaming tool in machines such as lathes and electric drills, which can provide a smooth surface for holes. Reaming cutters have multiple spiral grooves and cutting methods, as well as different types of handles. It can be manufactured using a straight shank or Morse taper .

Straight shank reamer: used to slightly enlarge holes. The entry end of the reamer will have a slight taper, and its length depends on its type. This design can produce an automatic center alignment effect when entering the original hole. The majority of the length of the reamer will maintain a constant diameter [1].
Adjustable hand reamer: has a longer taper or leading part at the front end than the machine reamer. By adjusting the nuts on both sides of the joint, the diameter size of the reamer can be changed [1].
Mechanical reamer: The front end is very small because the reamer and workpiece have been pre aligned by the machine, so there is no risk of deviation from the trajectory. The machine can provide a constant cutting force, ensuring that the reamer starts cutting immediately.
Combination reamer: It is a multifunctional reaming tool that combines reaming and metering functions. It usually has adjustable blades or inserts that can adjust the hinge size as needed. Combination reamers can be used to enlarge the size of holes, improve the accuracy of holes, and remove burrs and defects.
Cone type reamers: divided into two types: precision machining and non precision machining. Precision machining reamers can insert a tapered pin, while non precision machining reamers are suitable for removing burrs from drilling holes or enlarging the hole diameter.

The above are the commonly used cutting tools in CNC. How many do you know? In addition to these, what other cutting tools do you also know? You can share them. Welcome to leave a message, everyone