Machining is arduous work, particularly for your tools. Trying to push your end mills beyond their recommended speeds and feeds may save you time, but it will also significantly shorten the life of your milling cutters. When you need to buy new end mills, tool fatigue can cost you even more than the time you saved. The variable end mill cutter is what you need if you want to work faster and save money.
A variable end mill may not appear to be anything special on the surface, but appearances can be deceiving. These are slightly modified versions of standard helical end mills. The term “variable” can refer to a number of different things. End mills with variable flute spacing, variable helix angles, or variable rake angles are available. Some tools may even employ a number of variable design elements.
Asymmetric Design
The entire point of these tools is to be inconsistent. This goes against the conventional logic of tool design. To ensure an even distribution of force, it stands to reason that tools should be even and symmetrical. While this is true in the majority of cases, variable end mills are an exception. Instead of having perfectly even spacing, the parameters of these tools have been very slightly adjusted so that the differences between each flute are extremely small. There are a lot of benefits that come with these slight adjustments.
Chatter
Normally, high speed machining would cause tool chatter. Chatter is an undesirable side effect of high speed machining where the vibrations of the tool striking the workpiece produces a loud screeching sound. Tools vibrate because the cutting edges are coming into contact with the workpiece at precisely even internals, eventually leading to a natural oscillation in the end mill. The small inconsistencies built into variable tools are designed to change the timing between cuts ever so slightly and reduce vibrations. This is where just a little asymmetry can make a big difference.
Finding Quality Tools
The tool cannot oscillate strongly because the timing between strikes is changed. This allows for high-speed operation without the damage and loud noise that comes with high-speed machining. Even though you’ll be cutting at faster speeds and achieving better removal rates, you’ll get the same high-quality cuts and a longer tool life. If you need some high performance variable mills for your shop, you should look into the powerful options available from Online Carbide.
Online Carbide is a US-based solid carbide end mill and drill bit manufacturer. Their carbide tools have an incredible edge retention and they offer end mills that use a variable helix design to operate smoothly. They manufacture their cutting tools on the same advanced grinders as other industry leaders, leading to tools made with extreme precision.
Visit www.onlinecarbide.com to see their variable end mills and their entire tool selection of drill bits and end mills. If you have any questions about their tools or you are interested in having custom tools made for your shop, please contact a member of their team by sending an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com.
