End mills are used for machining grooves and step surfaces, etc. The cutting teeth are on the circumference and end face, and cannot be fed along the axial direction during operation. When there are end teeth passing through the center on the end mill, axial feed can be achieved. In order to have an economical and efficient milling cutter, a suitable milling cutter should be selected and used based on the shape of the cutting material, processing performance, processing accuracy, etc.

　　

Below, I will share how to select  end mills:

Choosing an end mill requires consideration of important factors such as diameter, number of blades, blade length, helix angle, and material.

1. Tool materials

For cutting general structural steel, non-ferrous cast iron, etc., using HSS (equivalent to SKH59) with a cobalt content of 8% can achieve better performance. For efficient cutting and longer service life, coated milling cutters, powder high-speed steel milling cutters, and tungsten steel milling cutters should be selected.

2. Blade count: an important factor affecting the performance of milling cutters.

The 2-blade capacity cutting groove is large, resulting in good iron cutting discharge, but the tool contact area is narrow, thus reducing its strength. It is mostly used for groove cutting.

The 4-blade capacity cutting groove is small, resulting in low iron cutting discharge capacity, but the tool contact area is large, thus increasing its strength. It is mostly used for side cutting.

3. Blade length

Reducing the length of the cutting edge during processing can extend the service life of the tool. The protruding length of the milling cutter directly affects its strength, so be careful not to process it too long.