TOOLS OF CNC MILL

CNC tools come in nearly as many varieties as products created by the milling process. Understanding the uses of these tools will make it easier to choose the ones you need for your project. Selecting the right tools makes the process of CNC machining more accurate.
1. End mill
The end mill is the most widely used tool for vertical CNC Machining. With cutting teeth at one end and on the sides, end mills can remove large amounts of material in a short space of time.End mills come in many forms. Some have just a single flute, while some may have up to eight or even more. (Beyond four flutes, however, chip removal may become an issue.)
Types of end mill include:
Flat: General purpose flat-faced tool suitable for 2D features
Ball nose: Tool with ball-shaped end that is suitable for 3D contours and curves
Bull nose: Tool with flat bottom and rounded corner suitable for fillets and roughing
2. Roughing end mill
A roughing end mill is a kind of end mill used for removing larger amounts of material with less precision than a standard end mill.
The tool has serrated teeth that remove large sections of material but leave a rough finish on the part. It produces small chips which are easy to clear.
3. Face mill
Face mills consist of a solid body with interchangeable cutter inserts, usually made from carbide. They are used to make flat sections on the workpiece, often before another kind of cutter is used to make detailed features.
Since the cutting edges of face mills are found on its sides, cutting must be done horizontally.
However, face mills can be more cost-effective than other cutting tools, since variations in cutting profile can be achieved by replacing the small cutter inserts rather than the entire tool.
4. Fly cutter
Fly cutters comprise one or two tool bits contained within a solid body. The tool bits of a fly cutter make broad, shallow cuts, producing a smooth surface finish.
It is more common to find fly cutters with one tool bit, but those with two tool bits — sometimes called “fly bars” — provide a larger swing.
Less expensive than face mills, fly cutters can nonetheless be used for similar purposes.
5. Thread mill
Many engineers prefer to make threads using taps, but threads can also be made with a CNC machine fitted with a thread mill.
Thread mills can cut internal or external threads, and may be better than taps for penetrating very hard metals or asymmetrical parts.
6. Drill bit
CNC machines can be fitted with a variety of drill bits for various cutting operations. Drill bits have one or more flutes and a conical cutting point.
Drill bits used in CNC machining include:
Twist drill: Used to make holes in the workpiece
Center drill: Used to precisely locate a hole before drilling
Ejector drill: Used for deep hole drilling
7. Reamer
Reamers are used to widen existing holes in the workpiece, providing an exact hole diameter and an excellent surface finish.
Reamers can create holes with much tighter tolerances than other cutting tools.
8. Hollow mill
Hollow mills are pipe-shaped cutting tools that are like inverted end mills. Their cutting edges are on the inside of the pipe shape, and they can be used to create shapes like full points and form radii.
9. Side-and-face cutter
Side-and-face cutters have teeth both on their side and around their circumference, and are suitable for unbalanced cuts.
These cutting tools can be used for cutting slots and grooves with fast feed rates. Their teeth can be straight or staggered.
10. Gear cutter
CNC mills are sometimes used to create metal gears for the manufacturing industry. Specific gear cutting tools can be used to make these gears.
Cutting gears sometimes requires a special kind of milling machine known as a hobbing machine.
11. Slab mill
Slab cutters or plain milling cutters are used to mill flat surfaces, usually with the target surface mounted parallel to the machine table.
These cutting tools have no side teeth, and can be used for general or heavy-duty machining operations.
Types of CNC milling tools allow for the perfect customization of the final products. Different tools are used to cut into and shape various materials. The final design of the cut also determines which tool to use. Aside from these criteria, GPT precision professionals select tools to balance the desired finish with speed. One may be a priority over the other, depending on the final use of the finished product.