Types of cutters for metal: what types are there and their purpose

1. Design and operating principle
2. Classification of cutters: by what parameters
3. Types of cutters for metal
4. Classification of cutters according to some characteristics
5. Nuances of choice
6. Storage and operation rules
7. Wide range of milling machine capabilities

During milling metalworking, it is important what type of metal cutter the master has chosen. In the article we will talk about the numerous varieties and features of their use - both a beginner and a professional will need this for repetition.

Design and operating principle

This tool is widely used on modern equipment to create a cut of any shape on a workpiece. This is a fairly optimal device that allows you to make holes, grooves, and also remove excess steel.

The tool unit is created from a durable tool alloy with maximum precision. To fulfill the parameters stated in the specifications, processing is used with an end tool with a large set of teeth - cutting inserts adjust the parameters to 1 micron.

Structurally, the cutter has several sharp working edges. Inserts are often made from diamond, ceramic and carded wire for durability.

The structure consists of:

• • Parts to work with.
• • Tail.
• • Center hole.
• • End teeth and grooves between them.
• • Necks in the middle.

Each tooth has, in turn, a front and rear surface, a cutting edge.

The operating principle is that the tool rotates quickly. At the same time, the workpiece moves. Upon contact, the top layer of steel is cut off mechanically under the influence of pressure.

Storage and operation rules

Before starting work, you need to select and place next to the workplace all the cutters that are used to process parts. You need to allocate a special bedside table or shelving unit for them. After work, the entire tool should be cleaned of dirt, checked for edge wear, and lubricated with oil or grease to protect it from moisture. It must be stored on special racks.

Cutters and drill bits for drills and routers are placed vertically in special boxes, with the shank down.

Milling is carried out with a tool appropriate for this operation. Rough milling of holes should be done with a drill. A finishing disc cutter and countersink are used when the allowance per side is several tens.

Types of cutters for metal

Usually, with versatile activities and numerous tasks, the milling machine operator has a complete set, and he himself knows perfectly well how they work. But newbies need to do a little review.

Disk

They are a disk with teeth. In this case, the cutting edges are either on one side or on both, depending on the purpose. During the metalworking stages (from roughing to finishing), the size of the notches may change. Carbide tools are used under difficult cutting conditions, when it is very difficult to remove chips from the work area. When to use this type of cutter:

• • for trimming edges or sawing;
• • for cutting grooves;
• • for chamfering, etc.

Accordingly, among the disk ones you can find cut-off, slotted and other subspecies. Let's talk about some of them that have design differences.

Double sided

The teeth of such discs are equipped with two cutting edges - a classic one on the end part, and also on a straight surface. This modification is more expensive and more productive.

Tripartite

Even more dangerous teeth - now they are equipped with three blades, that is, on each side - along the edges, at the ends and on top.

Grooved

There is only one edge, located on the working surface. The tool is suitable for not very deep and precise sampling of steel. It can be with a different number of teeth and depth of recesses. One common name for this type of cutter is dovetail. Why? Because the cutting zone has the shape of a truncated cone, like the feathers of a swallow.

End

From the name it is already clear that such a tool works with its side part. It is the ends of the cylinder (of different widths) that are equipped with blades that process the plane of the metal workpiece. The part is installed, respectively, perpendicular to the steel part.

Very often they come with removable plates, which saves the milling machine consumables. This is possible due to the overall massiveness of the structure. The advantages include:

• • Ease of working with flat elements, sheets and stepped surfaces.
• • High metal processing speed.
• • Smooth process.

Cylindrical cutters for metal - what are they?

Shape: cylinder. Quite a massive tool that is convenient for processing planes. This is the main type of equipment for both classic mechanical and CNC machines. The site has a large selection of milling equipment with a numerical control panel. A modern modification allows you to increase the speed and productivity of one workstation, as well as reduce the risk of errors due to the human factor.

Cylindrical tools can have different tooth shapes.

Direct

Less sought after and versatile, even rare. It is good and convenient, but for a very narrow profile of work: the equipment should be located parallel to the headers, and the metalworking area itself should have easy access and a flat surface. In general, such ideal conditions are rare - these are only narrow planes.

Screw

The most multifunctional, universal and, accordingly, in demand. The cutting lines do not go straight, but along a twisted spiral. The specified tilt angle may vary. Depending on the selected faces, virtually any selection can be made - on various parts. Peculiarities:

• • High effort during operation.
• • Possibility of using double tools when the edges are in opposite directions - this reduces the force acting on the edges.

A separate type of cutter is the “corn” cutter, which is used in the processing of ledges and the creation of grooves and their grinding. They look interesting.

Corner

This is a truncated cone that has sharp outer edges and tooth ends. The main purpose of use is metalworking of corners and uneven surfaces, removal of rectangular chamfers. They are also used to make chip flutes and many additional operations. The cutting edges are made with an inclination, which allows you to achieve any working angle. Let's see what subspecies there are.

Monolithic

The second name is all-metal. Their essence is that the entire structure is made of one durable material. An additional improvement is the presence of annular grooves, which allow the formed chips to be easily removed.

Soldered cutting plates (crowns)

Everything is simple here, the tips are selected and then soldered to the base. The teeth themselves are made of hard alloys; there are many modifications of them; crown teeth are common.

For pre-treatment

These are cutters that are not highly accurate, but are designed specifically for rough cutting of a large volume of metal at once.

For the final stage

They have smaller, shallower carbide teeth with other strong abrasives added. They should not be confused with grinding. The goal is to achieve maximum purity in metalworking.

With cylindrical shank

The tail part is not a working part, it does not interact with the workpiece, but serves for reliable fastening in the base fasteners. When the tail is created in the shape of a cylinder, that is, a barrel, the possibilities are quite limited - movement can only be carried out at one angle, so only straight surfaces are processed.

Why do you need cutters with a conical shank?

This modification has much greater freedom of action only due to its adaptation to tilt. Due to this, they are more common, especially when equipping CNC machines. Modern high-tech equipment can be ordered on the website.

End

They are also called finger-shaped because of their neat external type - an elongated cylinder that resembles a finger. Their main purpose is to insert grooves, create recesses, and work with contour ledges. They are very well suited for metalworking of two perpendicular planes. They are divided similarly to angular ones into:

• • monolithic or with replaceable plates;
• • different shapes of shanks;
• • degree of processing – from initial to final.

Shaped

Suitable for the production of chamfers and turning of broaching shaped parts. If they are short, then usually milling is not used, but broaching is used. The appearance of the equipment is interesting - two circles with notches. There are several varieties.

Sharp sharpening

The second name is pointed. Their cutting edge is clearly visible and can be easily re-sharpened. They are easy to adjust if necessary.

Backed instruments

They are very convenient for processing closed grooves, chamfers, and edges. Their cutting knives protrude slightly beyond the main disk, so they are difficult to sharpen.

What hob cutters are there for metal?

This is a multi-bladed tool. Its purpose is to cut gears and splined shafts that have an involute profile. Metalworking involves point-to-point contact of blades with a surface.

Solid and prefabricated

Monolithic tools are made entirely of tool alloys - they are stronger and more reliable. But the second modification is different in that you can change the tips, and also replace them if damaged, making sharpening more convenient.

Single-pass and multi-pass

This is the number of turns that are on the hob cutter. The more there are, the higher the performance, but the accuracy begins to wane. Therefore, a large number of passes are used mainly only for rough finishing.

With ground and non-ground teeth

Simply put, this is the degree of serviceability. The higher it is (fine processing), the better the grinding occurs. While the roughing, roughing, intermediate and even finishing stages are tools that are not designed for grinding.

Core drills

They are used to create holes. You can use the classic spiral variety, but in terms of accuracy they are 4 times inferior to the option under consideration. Their purpose is for CNC machines.

You can hear the name burr. This is a similar accessory, but it is attached to a hand-held electric drill and performs a similar function.

Keyed

A convenient small cylinder with very smoothly arranged turns of cutting edges on the working part. The peculiarity is that there are special recesses that are designed for easy removal of chips.

Conical

Or conical ones. They have the shape of a truncated cone and are suitable not for straight sections, but for rounded parts. One of the varieties is finger-shaped.

Spherical

Not the most popular, they are used in single-pass metalworking in order to create fairly high-quality grooves and shaped ledges. Small blades are located on all sides of the working area.

T-slot cutter

This shape is necessary when creating recesses in the head of fasteners or when preparing shafts with splined joints. Sometimes they are called a fungus; indeed, they have a similar configuration, but upside down.

Prefabricated

This is a very convenient and versatile tool kit, which consists of a base and several holes for fastening the necessary cutters. On the one hand, this is extremely effective; you can combine a lot of functions in one handpiece. But, like any universal thing, it is inferior to a highly specialized one.

Manufacturers and rules for choosing equipment

The choice of cutter is made based on several factors:

• equipment:
• type of mining;
• material.

The quality of the tool is determined by the manufacturer. For example, the best sets of metal cutters for hand routers are produced by BOSCH. The cost of such equipment is slightly higher than that of other European companies, but the quality and service life are high. A special feature of German tools is the manufacture of a shank chambered for a specific model of electric tool produced by the company. It may not match the chucks on other routers.

The products of the following companies are of good quality:

• stayer;
• JET;
• Metabo.

Domestic products are durable due to traditions in the production of high-quality alloys. You should pay attention to the cutting tools of companies:

• Tool-Service;
• Corvette;
• Globe.

Domestic cutters are cheaper than imported ones. Their disadvantage is a small selection of sizes and shapes.

Required number of teeth

When choosing a circular saw, you should take into account that the smaller the tooth, the cleaner the processing. A fast cut is obtained with a large tooth and a feed of 50%.

Face milling cutters are selected according to the hardness of the material. You can machine cast iron using a set with 4 cutting edges at high feed and high speed.

For fast roughing, choose a tool with a large number of inserts. Feed depends on the composition of the steel and its hardness.

How to choose material

To work with metal, you should choose plates that can cut metal for a long time and not wrinkle. They must be significantly harder than the material being processed. You should take hard heat-resistant alloys. The shape of the plate and its size are selected according to the body and method of fastening.

For a router, the set of tools for working with metal is limited. Aluminum, copper and their alloys can be milled with wood tools. For cast iron and steel, you should choose double-flute carbide cutters. The wood tool has a cutting edge that is soft for metal and a sharper sharpening angle.

Selecting cutters

Classification of cutters according to some characteristics

Of course, the above distinctions (by configuration, purpose) are not the only ways to distinguish between equipment. A real milling machine operator has such a large assortment of products that he will not be able to sort it out without difficulty. What other reasons are there for classification?

Different number of visits

The following are considered standard:

• • Single pass.
• • Two-way.
• • Four-lead.

But there can be any number of turns.

The fewer entries, the larger the allocated area for the grooves. The peculiarity of working with such a tool is that at each moment only one specific cutting edge affects the workpiece. This has a very positive effect on creating a product at high speeds and speeds, as it allows waste to be removed smoothly.

This is also relevant when carrying out activities with soft metals and other substances, for example, plastic or PVC, acrylic. They are also used for roughing and roughing procedures, when quality and accuracy are not the most important indicators.

Multi-pass ones are used when working with materials that have a hard and brittle structure. The movement will be smooth, without shocks, because several teeth touch the surface at the same time.

Chip removal type

Everything is simple here - the waste flies either upwards, which is the direction all milling operators are accustomed to handling, or downwards. The first option is most convenient if grooves or a blind hole are created, since metal does not accumulate there. But there is also a minus - part of everything “flying out” can land again on the working area and interfere with good cutting. The second option, accordingly, has narrower capabilities, but is more recommended for some types of work.

Making a cutter with your own hands

Metal cutters must be harder than the material being processed. For self-production use:

• drill;
• circular saws;
• hacksaw blade.

By regrinding the drill, you can get a cylindrical, end and key cutter for the router.

For cutting circular saws, the body is made of tool steel St U8, and similar ones. From them you can cut out elements with a tooth, assemble them onto a mandrel and get a cutter for longitudinal grooves.

The figured miter cut should be made from a circular saw or hacksaw blade. The mandrel is machined from a round rod. Holes are drilled into it from the end and sides to guide and limit the cutting of the groove with an abrasive wheel. A symmetrical blade is cut from a hacksaw blade, inserted into a mandrel, and tightened with a nut on top. The result is a two-flute figured cutter.