Milling Cutters

There is a wide variety of milling cutters available today. They are classified under:
1) Plain Milling Cutter
2) Side Milling Cutter
3) Inserted Tooth Cutters
4) End Mills
5) Special Cutters




Plain Milling Cutters
Plain milling cutters could only cut periphery and are normally used to machine flat surfaces and T-slots. The surface produced is always parallel to the spindle of the machine. Plain milling cutters comes in many different sizes ranging from 0.0032 inches to about 8 inches. There are 3 types of plain milling cutters. They are the saws, Light-duty Plain Milling Cutters and Heavy-duty Plain Milling Cutters.
Saws
This type of plain milling cutters are narrow cutters. And they vary in diameters form 2.5 inches to about 8 inches. This type of cutters has relatively small teeth and is almost always ground with side clearance to reduce friction when making deep cuts.
Light-duty Plain Milling Cutters
This type of cutters has smaller teeth and are used with fairly low chip loads and feed rates. This type of cutters also ranges in size from 2.5 to 4 inches in diameter and usually has 14 to 20 teeth. The helical teeth reduces the possibility of chatter because of tooth engages the work gradually and cuts with a mild shearing action.
Heavy-duty Plain Milling Cutters
This type of cutters comes in diameters ranging from 2 to 6 inches and has 8 to 10 teeth. The space between the teeth is large and heavy which allows higher feed rates without clogging the cutter with chips. The helix angle is about 45 degrees and the teeth have 10 degrees positive rake. The arbor hole size ranges from 1 inch to 2.5 inches in diameter cutters to 2 inches for the 4.5 inch diameter cutters.





Side Milling Cutters
Side milling cutters are cutters that have teeth on the periphery of the cutter and on one or both sides. There are 2 types of side milling cutters which are the Straight-Toothed Side Milling Cutters and the Staggered-Toothed Side Milling Cutters.
Straight-Toothed Side Milling Cutters
This cutter is normally used for slotting operations, gang milling and straddle milling. They normally come in diameters ranging from 3/16 inches to 1 inch. The teeth have 10 degrees positive rake angle. When this cutter is sharpened on both sides, they will no longer be suitable for cutting in one pass slots that are the nominal width of the cutter.
Staggered-Toothed Side Milling Cutters
These type of cutters are normally used for deep slotting and heavy-side milling operations. The teeth on the periphery are helical with alternate right and left helix angles. The side thrust is eliminated and heavy cuts can be taken.
Inserted Tooth Cutters
Cutters of this kind are normally used for rapid metal removal on powerful milling machines. They are generally used in facing operations. There are 2 types of this kind of cutters which are the Face Mills and the Brazed-in Inserts.
Face Mills
The Face Mills vary in Diameter ranging from 4 to 6 inches or in some cases more. It is made up of alloy steel and it is machined to accept various insertions. The angles at which the cutter inserts determines whether the cutter will have negative, neutral or positive rake.
Brazed-in Inserts
Some milling cutters are made up of carbide inserts nickel-silver-brazed-in place. The shell end mill is typical of this kind of cutters. This types of cutters ranges from 1.25 to 6 inches and mount on a standard shell end mill adapter.
End Mills
This type of cutter can be used on both vertical and horizontal milling machines for a variety of facing, slotting and profiling operations. There are 3 types of the end mill cutter which are the Solid End Mills, Shell End Mills and the Special End Mills.
Solid End Mills
This type of cutters comes in two, three, four or more flutes and cutting edges on the end and on the periphery. The 2-flute end mill cutter can be fed directly along the X-axis into the solid because the cutting faces on the end meet. The 3 or 4-fluted end mill cutter with one end cutting edge that extends past the centre of the cutter can also be fed directly onto the solid material. The solid end mills are normally double or single ended with straight or tapered shanks.
Shell End Mills
This type of cutters are normally made up of high-speed steel and mounted on adapters that fit into the milling machine spindle. They’re sizes ranges from 1.25 to 6 inches and are available in right and left hand helix cut. It is normally used for roughing operations.
Special End Mills
Ball end mills are available in diameters ranging from 1/32 to 2.5 inches in single or double ended types. Single-purpose end mills are used in both vertical and horizontal milling machine. They are made of high-speed steel and may have straight or tapered shanks.
Special Cutters
This type of milling cutters is used to produce certain forms and shapes on the finished parts. There are 2 types of this cutter which are the Form Cutters and Gear Cutters.

Form Cutters
This type of cutter is used for making angular grooves. The points of the teeth are sharp or rounded as necessary. Single-angle cutters are plain or side cutting. Plain cutting edges only on the conical surface. The cutter is classified by the angle between the face perpendicular to the arbour and the conical cutting surface. Double angle cutters, on the other hand, is classifies by the included angle between the 2 cutting faces.
Gear Cutters
Cutters for involute gears are made in sets of 8 for each diametrical pitch. Since the gear tooth cutters are a type of form cutters, the face is radial with neither positive nor negative rake. This type of cutter is form-relieved and sharpened by grinding the face only.