Considerations for a High-Feed Milling Strategy

摘要

High-feed milling is becoming the chosen methodology for removing as much material as possible in the shortest amount of time, as more shops equip themselves with high-speed CNC machining capability and sophisticated CAM programs. Getting parts out the door efficiently and affordably is a productivity requirement that has remained constant for mold and die producers. In order to remove a significant amount of metal during roughing operations, conventional wisdom of the past has guided shops to choose tools based upon their metal removal rate capacity. This would result in using the biggest tool possible to start the roughing operation and then working down in size until reaching the required shape and finish. Typically, ballnose endmills or button cutters would be employed. However, this methodology can produce a lot of stress that requires a strong robust machining center, hearty workholding and tough tooling.