For anyone working with CNC Milling, having the right CNC machine cutting tools is essential for producing quality parts. Whether you’re a hobbyist or professional, using the best tools for the job will ensure your parts are created to a high standard. CNC(Computer Numerical Control) machining is widely used in many industries for cutting and shaping materials into complex shapes.
The right type of CNC mill cutting tools must be used to achieve quality results to ensure accuracy and consistency. In this article, I will explore 10 types of CNC machine cutting tools you need to build quality parts and what materials they can be used on. So, let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
Various CNC Machine Cutting Tools You Must Know
1. End Mills
In this article, we have included three different types of end mills. You can have any one of these according to your need.
Square End Mill
It is designed to provide superior cutting performance and accuracy in CNC milling applications.
- You can easily use this square end mill to create pockets, slots, or grooves in the workpiece.
- Its main features include an increased flute length and decreased helix angle which improve its cutting capability when compared to other types of mills.
- This tool has a unique design that allows it to cut deeper into the workpiece than traditional end mills, making it suitable for more complex operations such as contouring or pocketing.
- Its sharp corners also make it great for edge finishing and corner radius machining.
Bull Nose End Mill
The Bull Nose End Mill has a rounded edge, which allows it to generate smooth curves with minimal chatter or vibration. With its unique design, this type of cutting tool provides excellent performance and accuracy when machining small parts and complex contours.
Ball Nose End Mill
The ball nose end mill features a round tip that allows it to cut in any direction with greater accuracy than other cutting tools. It is ideal for creating complex shapes in soft or hard materials such as aluminum, brass, or stainless steel. The ball nose design helps reduce the risk of chatter due to its ability to self-center when making contact with the material being cut.
2. Gear Cutter
CNC milling cutters, such as gear cutters, are used to precisely shape metal with high precision and accuracy.
It features several different types of teeth that can be adjusted for different purposes, making this very versatile in terms of what it can do. Gear cutter produces smooth finishes on the material being worked on, which helps reduce unnecessary grinding or buffing later on in the production process.
3. Drill Bit
The CNC drill bit is typically made from quality hardened steel, allowing it to maintain its sharpness during heavy use. It features an optimized flute design that helps reduce heat build-up while drilling into various materials like wood or metal. Depending on the material being drilled, the drill bit can have multiple coatings such as TiAlN (titanium aluminum nitride) or TiCN (titanium carbonitride), which help extend its life even further.
4. Face Mill
Face mills cut away material from the workpiece surface, creating flat surfaces and curved edges on parts like dies, molds, and machined components.
The cutting-edge face mills are designed for high-speed operation with minimal chatter or vibration during operation. Different types of materials can be handled by different kinds of cutting tools, meaning that virtually any kind of machinable material can be machined using a face mill cutter.
5. Hollow Mill
This cutting tool is made from a variety of materials that allows it to withstand the high temperatures associated with its use in manufacturing processes. These materials include carbide, cobalt, and tungsten-based alloys that offer superior heat resistance, strength, and wear resistance properties. The sharpness of this hollow mill helps to ensure clean cuts and improved tool life compared to its types of cutters. Hollow mills cut faster than traditional end mills because it displaces more material per revolution due to shape. It also provides better chip evacuation which reduces tool clogging during machining operations.
6. Slab Mill
It is designed for a variety of applications including drilling, tapping, contouring, grooving, and creating complex shapes on all types of materials. With its superior cutting capabilities and extensive range of tooling solutions, it provides unparalleled versatility in the production process. This robust mill can handle large-scale projects with precision while ensuring that each cut meets the exact desired specifications.
7. Fly Cutter
The most important aspect of the fly cutter is its ability to cut complex shapes quickly and accurately. Its design features multiple cutting edges arranged around one central axis that rotate at high speeds to create the desired shape or profile in the material being machined.
8. Thread Mill
Thread mill offers several advantages over traditional single-point threading tools like taps or dies. Unlike these tools which require a separate entry and exit hole for each completed thread lengthwise down the workpiece; a thread mill can create multiple threads with only one entry point required per pass across the material’s surface.
9. Slitting Saw
Slitting saws are composed of a small circular saw blade mounted onto a spindle. The blade rotates at high speeds and two flanges support the blade when it cuts through the material. The blades come in several different diameters to accommodate all kinds of cutting. During the cutting process, the spindle moves up and down as well as side to side so that the blade can cut into different angles and depths within the material being machined.
10. Chamfer Mill
This type of mill is specially designed for producing angled edges most efficiently and accurately as possible, with minimal waste and effort. It helps reduce machining time and increase productivity by eliminating manual operations, making it an indispensable tool for any modern machine shop.
Chamfer Mills are available in different shapes like vertical and horizontal, as well as different sizes depending on the requirement. The milling cutter is made up of high-grade carbide material which offers superior strength and durability while creating precise chamfers on machined parts.
Useful Materials Used in CNC Mill Cutting Tools
# Ceramic
The unique properties of ceramic make it ideal for use in CNC milling cutters. It is highly wear-resistant and able to withstand extreme temperatures, making it a good choice for high-precision cuts on metals and other hard materials. Ceramics can be machined with a greater degree of accuracy than many other materials due to their uniform molecular structure.
# Carbide
CNC Machine Cutting Tool Carbide is a versatile and durable material used in the development of cutting tools for CNC machines. It is a composite material made up of tungsten carbide particles suspended in a cobalt or nickel binder, making it perfect for use as a precision cutting tool. The high hardness, wear resistance, and heat tolerance properties of tungsten carbide make it an ideal choice for intricate machining operations.
# Carbon Steel
Carbon steel can be heat treated to improve its hardness, making it suitable for a wide range of applications in the metalworking industry. It has excellent welding properties, so CNC machine cutters made from carbon steel can be easily repaired if they become damaged or worn down due to heavy use. Its low cost makes carbon steel a popular choice among manufacturers who need to keep costs down while ensuring that their products are safe and reliable.
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Conclusion
The 10 types of CNC machine cutting tools discussed in this article are essential for any CNC machinist to produce quality parts. Having the right CNC mill cutting tools enables the machinist to create customized, accurate parts that are suitable for a range of industries. Each of these tools has its own unique specifications and can perform various operations with precision. Therefore, it is important to know the differences between each tool and how to use them appropriately in order to achieve optimal results.
