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What is a Carbide End Mill?

Adam Hill
Adam Hill

A carbide end mill is a type of industrial tool used for cutting and shaping metals and other solid materials. Though its appearance is similar to that of a drill bit, an end mill can cut in all lateral directions as well as axially like a drill bit. End mills are often made from carbide, also called tungsten carbide. Carbide is a very tough and heavy material that can cut metal without breaking or scratching.

The carbide end mill is one of several types of milling tools that are commonly used. End mills are distinguished from other types because they have cutting teeth at one end as well as on the sides. End mills also have one or more “flutes,” meaning deep helical grooves that run up and down the cutter.

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The helical shape of the flutes gives two advantages. First, as the teeth cut through the material, chips are pulled away from the cutting surface by the rotation of the flutes. Secondly, the helix shape reduces vibration and gives a more polished finish than if the whole cutting tooth impacted the material at once.

Depending on the material that is being milled, and how the milling is to be done, there are many types of carbide end mill, with different shapes and geometries. For instance, if the material to be cut is a hard metal like stainless steel, shallow flutes and a square cutting edge will be optimal. With a softer metal like aluminum, deeper flutes with sharp cutting edges will be advantageous.

High speed steel was the traditional raw material for end mills, but most are now made of tungsten carbide. This is a highly rigid material that is extremely wear-resistant, giving a carbide end mill a longer life than a steel one. Some of the more impressive properties of carbide include its high melting point, at 5,200 degrees Fahrenheit (2,870 degrees C). It also measures about 8.5 to 9.0 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral harness. By comparison, hardened steel only measures seven to eight.

Because of the precision required in its manufacture, a carbide end mill will usually be made by computerized machines. Inside the machine, the mills are ground by abrasive wheels mounted on spindles. The wheels are made with industrial diamond, one of the few materials on earth that is harder than tungsten carbide. Temperatures in these grinding machines are kept at bay with high-pressure lubricants, which include oils, oil-water emulsions, and sometimes plain water.

Discussion Comments

alvin07158

The carbide endmills are much more expensive than HSS endmill. An carbide endmill is a kind of cutting tool used on a milling machine, and mostly on a Computer Numerical Control(CNC) milling machine. According to the different shape of the end, the end mill is separated into different types, like square type endmill, ball type endmill, nose type end mill and so on.

anon101892

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anon94201

Carbide is per se more expensive, per tool. But for longer running jobs carbide comes out to be more efficient. Use end mills specifically designed for aluminum. Two and three flute tools work best for aluminum. HSS is cheaper but won't last as long. Good for short runs, or to get you by.

anon26723

Hello There,

Since i'm kind of new to using a milling machine tooling, i was wondering what are the pro's and cons between using carbide and HSS endmills.

I'm working on aluminum most of the time. Besides,

The carbide endmills are cheaper than HSS's, right?

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