TOOLTALK End Mill Types Milling and CNC machines use end mills to produce precision grooves, shapes, and holes. The main parts of an end mill are the end style, flutes, and shank. End styles come in different shapes and with cutting teeth for different applications. The number of flutes on an end mill determines its application, chip load, and finish. Coatings Titanium Nitride (TiN) A multipurpose coating increases tool life and performance. Has high lubricity and increases chip flow in softer materials. Excellent wear resistance. Cheaper than AlTiN. Aluminum Titanium Nitride (AlTiN) High-performance coating. High temperature resistance and hardness. Used for aircrafts, nickel alloy, stainless steel, titanium, cast iron, and carbon steel. Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN) Harder and more wear resistant in moderate temperatures. Allows user to run jobs at higher speeds. Used on stainless steel, cast iron, and aluminum alloys. Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAlN) Used for high temperatures or abrasive conditions. Harder than TiN and TiCN. Good for stainless steel, and high-alloy carbon steels. Flutes Single Flute Has more chip space, used for softer materials and high-speed applications. Two Flute Has large amount of chip space. Used on nonferrous materials for slotting and pocketing. Flutes Three Flute Has same chip space as two flute but can be used on harder materials. Good for pocketing and slotting. Four Flute Good for faster feed rates but has little chip space for removal. Gives off a finer finish than three-, two-, and single-flute options. End Styles Ball Nose Used for milling contoured workpieces, contouring, and general material removal. Strongest end mill style. Has no corners so the tool life lasts longer. Square Corner Used for general milling applications. Has sharp corners at 90° which are great for slotting and profiling. Corner Radius Has rounded cutting edge that adds strength to the corners so it is not as fragile as a square corner. Improves productivity and reduces costs. Roughing Used to quickly remove material for larger operations. Has little vibration due to tooth design. Consider roughing first, then finishing with a different profile tool. FASTTip! For faster cuts and better rigidity, use a bigger shank with a smaller overall length. Materials Materials High Speed Steel (HSS) Good wear resistance. Used for general-purpose milling of ferrous and nonferrous materials. Cobalt Cuts at similar feeds and speeds to HSS, but maintains a sharp cutting edge in stainless steel for longer durations. Solid Carbide Better rigidity than HSS. Very heat resistant. Used for high-speed applications on cast iron, nonferrous materials, and plastics. Fastenal offers end mill regrinding! We want to save you money! Fastenal’s tool and cutter division specializes in sharpening and regrinding all types of end mills. Our skilled machinists use the latest CNC and manual equipment to regrind your end mill for a fraction of the cost of a new one! Looking for Metalworking Tools? Contact Fastenal at 844.365.8665 or cuttingtoolsupport@fastenal.com Go to fastenal.com/metalworking for previous Tool Talks WF_77350 JP 11/19
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