A milling cutter is a tool used in milling machines to remove material from an object. It has a shaft, groove, and tooth that make up the cutting edge, with a helix angle that determines the type of work it can do. The design of the end of the cutter also determines its function.
A milling cutter is a type of cutting tool used in milling machines to remove material from a machined object. These cutters spin at a high speed and remove material in small increments until the final shape is achieved. Some styles of cutters can double as drill bits, while others are very specific in form and function.
There are a huge number of different cutter styles. Even with all the variations, there are some parts that are the same on nearly every cutter. Most routers have a shaft that connects to the router. This shaft can be totally smooth or have a special shape that allows it to connect more securely to the machine. Most small cutters, such as those used in household tools, are smooth, so it’s easier to replace bits quickly.
The groove and tooth make up the cutting edge of a cutter. A flute is a groove that wraps around the cutter, and the tooth is the sharpened upper edge of the flute. Some cutters have one groove, while others have more. When a cutter has multiple flutes, they never cross and remain evenly spaced along the entire shaft. The more grooves a cutter has, the more teeth work the object and the faster it removes material.
While a cutter is in operation, it makes thousands of small cuts. The tooth just touches the workpiece and removes a thin sheet of material. Because it does this over and over as the cutter turns, that’s a lot of material removed. As the material separates from the workpiece, the waste material moves up the cutter shaft through the flutes.
The shape of the flute as it winds its way up the shaft is a helix. The helix angle of the cutter determines exactly the type of work it is intended for and what will be the level of finish of its cuts. The helix angle uses the shaft as one line and the angle of either spline as the other. A low angle cutter removes material in large gouges while higher angle cutters remove extremely small amounts of material. High angle burs are often used as a finisher to apply base polish to a cut.
The design of the end of the cutter determines the type of work it can do. If a cutter has a flat end, it can’t drill down into a material—it has to approach from the side. A sharp end, like those on a slot drill, allows it to punch holes in an object. Finally, a contoured head, such as that of a ball nose cutter, allows the bit to move across a surface during operation. This allows for the creation of thickets in a contoured surface.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
