How to Manage Cutting Tool Inventory in a Small Job Shop

Smith MegaDiamond Inc. and Star Cutter Company compared the performance of various end mills in carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). The tools tested included a coated carbide end mill, a diamond-coated end mill, a conventional PCD end mill with straight flutes, and a “veined” PCD end mll featuring a vein of PCD within a helical slot in a carbide tool body.

The table below summarizes the test parameters. Shown here is the video of a 10-degree helical diamond-coated tool. Jeff Michael, engineering manager for Star Cutter, comments, “Again, the sound is pretty good with this cutter, but uncut fibers Cutting Inserts appear immediately. This is because a tool’s coating tends to give it a more rounded cutting edge, making it more difficulty to cut the fibers cleanly off.”

To see the next video shoulder milling cutters in this testing, click here.

Cutting speeds and feed rates were recommended parameters from each tool’s manufacturer.

Editor’s note: To read the next part in the series, click here. 

The Carbide Inserts Website: https://www.estoolcarbide.com/