What is end mill?

Since the 1800s, this process of abrading materials has been referred to as “milling”. By cutting, grounding or crushing materials, a wide variety of products are created.

Today, the milling process is entirely automated. Manufactured rotary cutters and drills are attached to a large milling machine and used to remove material from a given workpiece.

Due to the unlimited selection of varying drill bits and milling ends, the milling process is capable of producing nearly anything, including, gun parts, circuit boards, jewelry and much more.Through the use of different milling techniques and tools, distinct milling processes have been established in today’s milling industry. One such process is end milling.

End milling primarily differs from other milling processes due to the type of tooling that is used for abrading a given material. Unlike cutters and drill bits, end mills have cutting teeth on the sides and end of the mill. Additionally, the milling applications for the end mill are unique. End mills are typically used in applications requiring profile milling, tracer milling, shape milling, face milling and plunging. For non-conventional or unique applications, Xinpeng Tools specializes in designing custom carbide end mills.

To meet specific application needs, end mills are manufactured with different designs, materials, diameters, lengths, flutes, protective coatings, etc. Popular end mill designs, include:

Aluminum End Mills

Roughing End Mills
Finishing End Mills
Square End Mills
Ball NoseEnd Mills

Corner Radius End mills
Corner Rounding End Mills

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Choosing an end mill is no simple task. Every business must consider which end mill best fits the desired application and results in minimum production costs.

Tooling Materials – Expensive, high quality materials yield more durable tools that can operate at faster speeds. The best end mills are made from carbide steel. Xinpeng Tools manufactures a wide-range of solid carbide end mills to ensure machinists receive high performance results. 

End Mill Coatings – Protective coatings help to increase the life of the tool by reducing wear and tear. Most coatings, such as titanium nitride, help protect the tool, but others help increase the efficiency of the tool. For instance, TiAIN coated tools reduce or eliminate the need for lubrication because the coating helps prevent aluminum from sticking to the tool.

Coated tools are initially more expensive, but in the long run they can save money due to their increased longevity and efficiency.

Helix Angles – Different materials require different helix angles. If hard metals are being milled, low helix angles are required for successful results. High helix angles, on the other hand, are best for soft metals.

These are just a few key variables that are considered when choosing an end mill. Xinpeng Tools can help you find the perfect end mill. Contact us:ktcendmillcutter@163.com.