Category: End Mill

The Centering Tool: An Easy Solution to Finding Center on your CNC Lathe

8/14/2019

With this innovative centering tool from Big Kaiser, spindles and tools can be centered quickly and easily. It's ideal for limited spaces within small lathes. The Centering Tool is a static dial gauge for easy centering.

Reduce setup time
Centering the tool holder is simplified since the dial gauge position is static and in front
Easy setting with a fine adjustment mechanism
Magnetic base allows for flexible mounting positions

Check out the technical video below to learn how to get center on your CNC Lathe.

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H6 End Mill Shanks available with "Firm Hold" to prevent tools from slipping out of holders.

10/11/2017

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PCT Firm Hold End Mill Shank daimond blast

Precision Cutting Tools already holds one of the highest tolerances on shank diameter in the industry for their end mills. All PCT End Mills Shanks hold an h6 tolerance! That means that
1/8" - 1/4": -0.0001"/-0.0003"
1/4" - 1/2": -0.0001"/-0.0003"
1/2' - 1": -0.0001"/-0.0004"

A tighter grind tolerance often times will mean a much shinier polished shank. A polished shank is more apt to have lower coefficient of friction which makes it more prone to slip particularly while being held in a collet type toolholder.

PCT offers a Firm Hold Shank option on all of their standard end mills and special tools. The Shank of the tool is diamond blasted to provide an overall stronger grip while still maintaining a h6 shank tolerance.

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Next Generation Tooling Now Offers Technical Training!

6/14/2017

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We are very excited to announce that we are now able to offer on-site technical training to YOUR machinists at YOUR location! This is offered at no charge to customers who use any of the manufacturer's whom we represent in California and Nevada.

However, just because you don't purchase things from us, don't feel left out! We also offer on-site topic specter training on any of the following topics for $150/hour.

Each presentation lasts about 2 hours. The presentations last approximately 45-60 minutes with the remaining time for Q&A and discussion about unique applications in your facility.

Training Classes Available:
Machining 101

Basic Boring
Basic Chamfering
Basic Drill Training
Basic End Mill
Basic Indexable
Basic Tap Training
Basic Tool Holders
Basic Work Holding / Fixturing

Advanced Part Manufacturing:

Programming Tool Path – Climb versus Conventional
Material Machinability – Cubic Inches of Stock Removal
Part Set Up / Work Holding / Fixture
Tool Holder Selection, Collet, Solid, Hydraulic, Shrink Fit
Cutting Tool Selection – Substrate, Geometry, Coating, Speed and Feeds
Estimating Part Cycle Time

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CASE STUDIES: Materials being machined by the MA Ford XT end mills

3/15/2017

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Since the introduction of the XT Series 4 flute, 5 flute and the new 279 series 4 flute ball nose end mills they have proven to be a huge success in the machining of Titanium and stainless steels. These tools have already made their impact in the machining of many other areas such as all steels and super alloys.

MA Ford's spotlight focus is on some other materials that are widely used in the market. 17-4 PH stainless many feel is somewhat difficult to machine and performance may vary depending on the material hardness. That is not the case with the new XT series end mills. These tools do not seem to care what hardness is presented to them! 28-42 RC is primary range for this series of stainless steel.

Example: A customer had a very difficult 17-4 PH medical component with lots of contouring both roughing and finishing. A 1/2" 279 Series was used for roughing the profile at 600 SFM with a depth of .015 and .025 step over at 80 IPM. The customer had to double the speeds and feeds as well as increase the step over to get the desired finish required!

The 277 Series 4 flute can full slot up to 1X dia. depth at speeds as high as 260 to 340 SFM. The chip loads will be lighter than profile milling dependent on the tool diameter and fixture set up. The slotting depth can be increased even beyond 1X depth (which generally requires a reduction in speeds and feeds).

The 278 Series 5 flute can slot up to 1X depth effectively but slotting is more suited for the 4 flute 277 Series if a lot of slotting is to be done. The speeds and feeds are the same as the 277, but calculations must be made for the additional cutting edge. It is not recommended to slot over 1X the tool diameter with this 5 flute tools as it is best suited for profile milling both conventional and high speed machining.

The new 279 Series 4 flute ball nose end mill is an excellent choice for both conventional and high speed machining of stainless steels. With the added radial relief and a thicker cross section in the center of the tools it can withstand extreme speeds and feeds both roughing and contouring.

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General Guidelines for Successful Milling with NTK Ceramics

1/18/2017

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NTK's industry leading line of ceramic cutting tools recently expanded with new solid CERAMIC end mills! You can see our product announcement here: NTK now offers SX9 Ceramic End Mills for Cutting Exotic Alloys which contains the various features. Below is the technical info on how to run the NTK Ceramic End mills and a troubleshooting guide.

NTK's SX9 cermaic end mill grade can run at speeds of 2000 SFM. The line-up includes 4 and 6 flutes in inch and metric versions. Again, you can learn more about on our Blog Post.

Solid ceramic end mills are made with SX9 SiAlON grade substrate which features a balance of toughness and wear resistance. It's suitable for even the most demanding applications.

NTK Ceramic end mills with SX9 SiAlON substrate

First Step Machining Procedures

Eliminate any overhang to increase stability
Choose the strongest nose radius
No Coolant. Use compressed air
Check clamp and part rigidity

Gernarel Recomendations for machining heat resistant alloys & PH stainless steel

Down or climb milling where the chip thins upon exit is the preferred method for HNBA materials
Reduce feed rate 50% upon entrance and exit
Do not recut side walls as this can cause work hardening
Use balanced shell mill adapter or shrink t for end-mills
As DOC gets thinner the feed must be increased to compensate for heat loss
Usse RPG geometries if tool pressure is a proble

NTK Ceramic end mills Troubleshooting guide

As with any other techncial questions please get in touch with us on our CONTACTS page and we can provide both over-the-phone troubleshooting or schedule at time for on-site techncial training.

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How OSG End Mills are Made

11/23/2016

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An end mill is a type of milling cutter. It is distinguished from the drill in its application, geometry, and manufacture.

While a drill bit can only cut in the axial direction, an end mill can generally cut in all directions, though they don't perform as well as a drill in drilling applications.

End mills are used in milling applications such as profile milling, tracer milling, face milling, and plunging.

Below is a great video of how OSG makes end mills. It takes you through the process from design to the grinding operations and through inspection. Check it out!

...and below is the segment from "How It's Made" that covers the more general principles of making a HSS end mill.

You can see that OSG has a very advanced process for making their carbide end mills.

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Choosing the right ER Collet Chuck Size

11/13/2013

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by Bernard Martin

How to Choose the right ER Collet Chuck Size

We often get asked to spec out tooling packages for new CNC mills and one of the questions we encounter most, or should, is how do you select the right toolholder collet size for your companies applications?

The real choice is in the size of the collet chuck itself. So several considerations should be reviewed...

What size are your tools?

Your first consideration should be the size of end mills or drills you will be using most often. If you are doing smaller work you would require smaller diameter range collets. Generally you may prefer the ER16 and ER32 sizes.

If you are doing very small work then perhaps an ER11 set would be the best choice.

If the bulk of your tool requirements are in the mid range you can also use the ER20. The following is a list of tool diameters that can be used with each size collet chuck. Essentially, the most popular, and again, readily available from a number of sources, are the ER 16, ER20, and ER32... in no particular order.

ER11 0.019" - 0.275"
ER16 0.019" - 0.393"
ER20 0.039" - 0.511"
ER25 0.039" - 0.629"
ER32 0.078" - 0.787"
ER40 0.118” - 1.024”

If you need more detailed list of dimensions can be found at these links:

How far do you need to reach?

A second consideration is the actual reach of the tool. Not projection reach, also know as “gage length” "l1" but projection diameter “D”.

Obviously, stubbier is better for projection reach "L1". But, you also need to review the families of parts that you intend to run on the machine.

If you intend to use the holder to "reach" into a tight fit then the OD of the projection "D" of the toolholder needs to be considered.

Many shops don't always consider this and end up using much longer carbide shanked end mills to get into deep pockets when getting a smaller diameter ER collet and collet chuck would be much less expensive over the life of the job.

Here is a list of the OD projection diameters:

B=ER11 0.748" (19mm)
B=ER16 1.259" (32mm)
B=ER20 1.338" (34mm)
B=ER25 1.653" (42mm)
B=ER32 1.968" (50mm)
B=ER40 2.480" (63mm)

Sometimes there is just no getting around having a custom tool made. Get in contact with us if you just can't seem to reach into the part with your toolholder.

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I like end mills holders, why shouldn't I use them?

3/13/2013

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by Bernard Martin

We often run end mill "tests" to determine which tool performs best. Obviously, our goal is to "win' the test and get more business for our manufacturer's. This is article is about one our "tricks" and it's also why we represent both cutting tool manufacturers and rotary tool manufacturers. We want to make sure that the products work together.

As a general rule most cutting tool & tolholder manufacturers prefer to use single angle (ER/DR style) collet chucks for general purpose cutting tool applications under 1/2" (12mm).

The rules are a bit different in High Speed Machining, as there are many more things to consider, but the problems of TIR at high speeds, where you can hear and feel the chatter, are still there in general end mill cutting operations at lower RPM.

It's all boils down to runout and uneven chip load.

End Mill Holders are Prone to Runout Problems

The error accumulation on ID (H) tolerance of the end mill holder and the OD shank (h) tolerance of the end mill or drill causes radial runout. The smaller the diameter the more potential for problems...
The End Mill can have a tendency to "rock" on the set screw fulcrum point when it comes under load causing axial runout.
The imbalance created in the toolholder by the setscrew used to clamp the tool. When you tighten down the setscrew you not only offset the tool but also create an imbalance condition. At higher speeds this is where you get chatter.

Interestingly, it's not always easy to replicate a problem. If you are using less expensive end mills, that are not made holding tight shank tolerances, you can see variations on the runout. We sometimes see this when we are asked to run and end mill test: The competitors that where in use suddenly started to perform poorly. Although the end mills conformed to the ANSI shank (h) tolerance on all of their end mills, the lot number had changed the the grind, although still in spec, had changed.

Depending on the application, end mill holders can be used for holding larger insert style end mills, spade drills, etc. But somewhere between 1/2” and 3/4” there is a line that only you can determine when you need to move from a collet chuck to end mill holder. Generally we recommend using end mill holders only for very specific applications

Using small diameter end mills (1/4" and below) in end mill holders with set screws will have a adverse affect of both surface finish and tool life .

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Forward>>

The Centering Tool: An Easy Solution to Finding Center on your CNC Lathe

H6 End Mill Shanks available with "Firm Hold" to prevent tools from slipping out of holders.

Next Generation Tooling Now Offers Technical Training!

CASE STUDIES: Materials being machined by the MA Ford XT end mills

General Guidelines for Successful Milling with NTK Ceramics

How OSG End Mills are Made

Choosing the right ER Collet Chuck Size

What size are your tools?

How far do you need to reach?

I like end mills holders, why shouldn't I use them?

End Mill Holders are Prone to Runout Problems

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