End Mills

End mills are "shaping tools". It is a rotary cutting tool with sharp edges and helical or straight flutes for the passage of chips and admission of cutting fluid. Common types of milling include: Slotting, Pocketing, Profiling, and Contouring.

Carbide End Mills, Cobalt / Coated End Mills, and High-Speed Steel End Mills

Anatomy & Nomenclature of End Mills

Most end mills have Weldon flat shanks — Flats ground onto the shanks secure the end mill in the collet
Flutes are grooves that run along the body — provide a pathway for chip removal and allow coolant to reach cutting edges
Two flute end mills can all plunge-cut and are often used for slotting applications
Four flutes (multi-flute) end mills are often chosen for profiling
Length of Cut (LOC) - the maximum usable cutting depth
Helix angle determines the rate at which chips are carried away from the cut

Types of End Cut

Center Cutting - Able to “plunge-cut” or drill into material
Non Center Cutting - End cutting edges do not meet in center,
tool cannot plunge-cut
Ball Nose - Used to create compound curved shapes (i.e. molds)

Examples of End MIll Bits

<div itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/FAQPage"> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <h2 itemprop="name" style="font-size:17px">What type of Cuts Can End Mills Make</h2> <div itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <ul> <li>Center Cutting - Able to “plunge-cut” or drill into the material</li> <li>CNon-Center Cutting - End cutting edges do not meet in center, tool cannot plunge-cut</li> <li>CBall Nose - Used to create compound curved shapes (i.e. molds)</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <br> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <h2 itemprop="name" style="font-size:17px">What are Material & Coating Types of End Mills</h2> <div itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <ul> <li>Two Flute Center Cut Four Flute Center Cut Four Flute Non-Center Cut</li> <li>End mills are made from High Speed Steel (HSS), Cobalt Steel, or Carbide</li> <li>High Speed Steel is the least expensive material, used for milling carbon steel, cast iron and non-ferrous materials</li><li>Cobalt (i.e. M42) offers greater wear resistance to abrasion and heat</li> Solid carbide is significantly harder than both HSS and cobalt providing greatest wear resistance & longest tool life</li> Significant productivity gains are realized with carbide end mills, as they can be run at higher speeds and feeds</li> <li>End mills are often coated i.e Titanium Nitride (TiN), Titanium Carbo-Nitride (TiCN) - for further enhanced performance</li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <br> <div itemscope itemprop="mainEntity" itemtype="https://schema.org/Question"> <h2 itemprop="name" style="font-size:17px">General Milling Recommendations</h2> <div itemscope itemprop="acceptedAnswer" itemtype="https://schema.org/Answer"> <div itemprop="text"> <p> A liberal supply of cutting fluid or coolant should be used Follow recommended feeds and speeds. </p> </div> </div> </div> </div>

602 High Speed Steel End Mills

601 High Speed Steel End Mills

600 High Speed End Mills

106 Solid Carbide End Mills

166 Solid Carbide End Mills

600T TiN Coated End Mills