End-milling Cutter

End milling cutter has teeth on the end face and periphery. It is used to machine both horizontal and vertical surfaces. Its diameter ranges from 3 to 50 mm and adapted for light cutting such as machinery profiles and narrow surfaces. The various types of end milling cutters are described below.

 (a) Shank Type Milling Cutters are available with taper shank or straight shank.

Taper Shanks confirm to the Morse taper and is directly secured in the spindle nose. The diameter of taper shank ranges from 10 to 50 mm. It is used for machining profiles and preparation of dies for press work and die-casting.

The straight Shanks are held in a spring collect. The diameter of straight shank end mill ranges from 2 to 50 mm and are extensively used in die-sinking and similar operations.

 (b) Shell End Milling Cutters are made without shank and are provided with central hole for mounting on the machine arbor. They have teeth on end face and periphery. The shell end mills are larger and heavier. The diameter of cutter ranges from 50 to 160 mm and width from 32 to 63 mm. These cutters are used for wider slots and for facing up of flat surfaces.

 (c) T-Slot Milling Cutter has teeth on the periphery and on both sides of the cutter. It is used for machining the base groove or portion of T-slot. The shank of the cutters may be reduced for part of its length so as to fit into the groove or slot already machined.

 (d) Slot Drill or two-lipped end mill has two cutting edges and is similar in action to twist drill. It is used for machining a sunk keyway in a shaft and similar operations.

 (e) Woodruff key Slot Milling Cutter is used for cutting Woodruff keyway and is provided with a shank. It has straight or staggered teeth over the periphery.

 (f) Fly Cutter is a single point cutting tool and is attached to the tool arbor. It is used to reproduce contoured surface. It is adapted when the standard cutters are not available.

 (g) Form Milling Cutters have cutting edges of different profiles in order to generate required contours on the work piece. The use of different form cutters is described below.

• Convex milling cutter has teeth curved outwards on the circumference. It is used to produce concave bottom grooves or for making radius in an inside corner. Diameter of cutters ranges from 50 to 125 mm and width varies from 3.2 to 40 mm.
• Concave milling cutter makes convex surfaces and rounded corners. Its diameter ranges from 56 to 110 mm and the radius of semi circle that can be milled varies from 1.5 to 20 mm.
• Gear cutters have a profile which cuts the space between adjacent, involute gear teeth. Gear cutters are commonly available in a range of eight sizes for cutting gear teeth from 12 to 135.

Cutters for milling the flutes of drills, reamers and taps are called fluting cutters. The thread milling cutters are available to mill threads of different forms and sizes on work piece.