When selecting tools for precision CNC machining centers, the appropriate tool and toolholder should be selected based on the machining center’s capabilities, the properties of the workpiece material, the machining process, the cutting parameters, and other relevant factors.
Precision CNC Machining
The general principles for selecting tools for precision CNC machining centers are:
- Easy installation and adjustment
- Good rigidity
- Durability
- High precision
While meeting the machining requirements, consider choosing a shorter toolholder to improve tool rigidity.
When selecting tools for precision CNC machining centers, it’s important to adapt the tool size to the workpiece’s surface dimensions. Common tool selection methods include the following:
- Flat Part Perimeter Contours
- End mills are often used.
- Flat Surface Milling
- Carbide-insert milling cutters should be selected.
- Bosses and Grooves
- High-speed steel end mills should be selected.
- Rough Surfaces or Roughing Holes
- A corn milling cutter with carbide inserts can be selected.
- Three-Dimensional Surfaces and Variable-Angle Contours
- Ball-end milling cutters, toroidal milling cutters, tapered milling cutters, and disc milling cutters are commonly used.
Free-Form Surface Machining
- When machining free-form surfaces using a CNC machining center, since the cutting speed at the end of a ball-end cutter is zero, a very close cutting step is typically used to ensure machining accuracy.
- Therefore, ball-end mills are often used for finishing curved surfaces.
- Flat-end cutters offer superior surface finish quality and cutting efficiency over ball-end cutters.
- Therefore, as long as overcutting is avoided, flat-end cutters should be preferred for both roughing and finishing curved surfaces.
Tool Cost vs. Efficiency
It’s worth noting that the durability and precision of CNC machining center tools are closely related to their price.
In most cases, while choosing a good tool increases tool cost, the resulting improvement in quality and efficiency can significantly reduce overall machining costs.
