HSSend millSpeeds and Feeds Chart

As the work advances into the cutter, each tooth of the cutter advances into the work an equal amount producing chips of equal thickness.

Cutting speedchart

Milling speeds and feeds Chart Metric

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Cutting speed is defined as the speed at the outside edge of the tool as it is cutting.  This is also known as surface speed.  Surface speed, surface footage, and surface area are all directly related.  If two tools of different sizes are turning at the same revolutions per minute (RPM), the larger tool has a greater surface speed.  Surface speed is measured in surface feet per minute (SFM).  All cutting tools work on the surface footage principle.  Cutting speeds depend primarily on the kind of material you are cutting and the kind of cutting tool you are using.  The hardness of the work material has a great deal to do with the recommended cutting speed.  The harder the work material, the slower the cutting speed.  The softer the work material, the faster the recommended cutting speed (See Figure 1).

Drilling machines that have power feeds are designed to advance the drill a given amount for each revolution of the spindle.  If we set the machine to feed at .006” the machine will feed .006” for every revolution of the spindle. This is expressed as (IPR) inches per revolution

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Aluminum millingspeedchart

End mill cutting speedformula

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Pecking helps ensure that bits don’t overheat and break when using them to drill or tap.  Peck drilling involves drilling partway through a part, then retracting it to remove chips, simultaneously allowing the piece to cool.  Rotating the handle a full turn then back a half turn is common practice.  Whenever the bit or tap is backed out, remove as many chips as possible and add oil to the surface between the drill or tap and the workpiece.

On the milling machines we have here at LBCC, the feed is independent of the spindle speed.  This is a good arrangement and it permits faster feeds for larger, slowly rotating cutters.

Carbideend MillRPM chart

The hardness of the cutting tool material will also have a great deal to do with the recommended cutting speed. The harder the drill, the faster the cutting speed.  The softer the drill, the slower the recommended cutting speed (See Figure 2).

This chip thickness or feed per tooth, along with the number of teeth in the cutter, form the basis for determining the rate of feed.

Milling speeds and feeds chart pdf

Feeds for end mills used in vertical milling machines range from .001 to .002 in. feed per tooth for very small diameter cutters on steel work material to .010 in. feed per tooth for large cutters in aluminum workpieces.  Since the cutting speed for mild steel is 90, the RPM for a 3/8” high-speed, two flute end mill is

End MillSpeeds and Feeds chart

Feed per tooth, is the amount of material that should be removed by each tooth of the cutter as it revolves and advances into the work.

The feed (milling machine feed) can be defined as the distance in inches per minute that the work moves into the cutter.

Once the SFM for a given material and tool is determined, the spindle can be calculated since this value is dependent on cutting speed and tool diameter.

Tap guides are an integral part in making a usable and straight thread.  When using the lathe or the mill, the tap is already straight and centered.  When manually aligning a tap, be careful, as a 90° tap guide is much more accurate than the human eye.

When drilling and tapping, it is crucial to use oil.  It keeps the bits from squealing, makes the cut smoother, cleans out the chips, and keeps the drill and stock from overheating.

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