When To Use A Chamfer End Mill

[Geoffrey Less]

Milling machines are powerful manufacturing tools, especially when it comes to machining custom components. One of the few downsides to these machines is the fact that they require specialized cutters in order to operate efficiently. The more tool changes that an operator has to make, the more drawn out the machining process can be. This means that it is important to use certain tools like chamfer end mills as efficiently as possible in order to limit your tool changes and increase the efficiency of your shop's manufacturing process.

What is a Chamfer Tool
Chamfer mills are relatively simple cutting tools. They typically feature a straight shank with a pointed tip that will typically have a few cutting edge flutes. The tips on these unique end mills usually range from 60 degrees to 90 degrees, with the angle affecting the type of angled cuts that the tool can perform. In order to ensure the most accurate results, the best chamfer tools will be constructed from rigid carbide tool stock.

Chamfering and Beveling
As their name would imply, your chamfer end mills are mostly going to be used to chamfer edges. The process of chamfering helps to “break” an edge. Sharp square edges can be unpleasant to handle, so a chamfer tool creates a sloped plane between two sides of a workpiece’s edge in order to soften the edge and create a clean transition.

The process of chamfering and beveling are often confused. While a chamfer aims to soften an edge by creating a new plane, a bevel changes the angle of one of those sides. If a chamfer is expanded until it reaches the terminal point of an edge, it would become a bevel. As long as your chamfer tool’s angle matches the desired angle of a bevel, you can typically complete the process in a few passes.

Finishing and Deburring
In addition to altering the transitions between edges, chamfer end mills can also be used to help finish your workpiece. While high speed milling is fast and accurate, the process is not always perfect. Usually there will be some burrs along the edges of your workpiece. These small burrs can be easy to miss, especially when trying to remove them manually. Because burrs can easily cut or jab anyone who handles the finished piece or interfere with the installation of parts, their removal is essential. The pointed tip of a chamfer mill can be used to trace along all of your pieces’ edges in order to remove these burrs quickly and efficiently.

If you are looking for some reliable chamfer end mills for your shop, you need to check out the options available at Online Carbide. As an American manufacturer of high quality solid carbide end mills, the team at Online Carbide are dedicated to making great tools that are available at manufacturer direct prices. To see their entire inventory of end mills and drill bits, visit their online store at www.onlinecarbide.com.