Today, there is no shortage of milling strategies. When combined with various cutting tools and technology, there is an endless combination of solutions shops can use to boost productivity.
So, how can you go about developing the right solution for your shop? You’ll need to clearly understand the benefits and challenges of various milling strategies.
In this blog article, we’ll be taking a closer look at high-feed indexable milling, a well-known milling strategy that boosts machine shop productivity and efficiency. Compared to traditional milling strategies, high-feed milling results in significantly higher metal removal rates. High-feed milling isn’t the only milling strategy with high removal rates, but its versatility and affordability makes it unique.
The Basics of High-Feed Indexable Milling
High-feed milling results in better metal removal rates than conventional methods because of its unique process. The high-feed milling process uses a low entering angle, shallow depths of cut, and a higher feed rate. Heat is then carried away from the cutting edge in the form of thinner chips. This removes as much material as possible in a short period of time, therefore maximizing metal removal rates.
High-feed milling also uses low cutting forces. Since the entry angle of the cutter determines the direction of the cutting force, cutting forces are directed at the machine spindle in an axial direction. This reduces vibration and improves stability, meaning high-feed milling gives your operation added precision.
7 Advantages of High-Feed Indexable Milling
Your shop can benefit from many advantages of high-feed milling. While this unique milling method is most known for its high potential to improve productivity, it can help your shop improve in other areas as well – the ‘hidden benefits’ of high-feed indexable milling.
1. Enhance Productivity
We previously covered how the high-feed milling process provides a higher metal removal rate and added precision compared to conventional methods. These two characteristics of high-feed milling have high potential to boost your operation’s productivity. This is because a high metal removal rate can lead to faster machining, which reduces cycle times.
Additionally, a quicker machining process combined with added precision means fewer stoppages. In machining, time is money, and high-feed milling can make every second count.
2. Reduce Costs
It’s possible to reduce costs with high-feed milling. Fewer stoppages eliminate the need for additional operations. These two benefits that come from high-feed milling can reduce overall operating expenses.
High-feed milling can also reduce the risk of tool breakage and extend tool life. Since heat is carried away from the cutting edge during the high-feed milling process, tool wear is minimized. This can help you save a considerable amount on tool repair and replacement costs.
3. Improve Chip Thinning
Maintaining a thinner and consistent chip load creates higher feed rates and reduces cutting forces. This is the secret behind high-feed milling, and why the process effectively increases your operation’s productivity.
High feed rates combined with thinner chips will absorb most of the heat. As the chips are evacuated, heat is then carried away from the cutting edge. This allows for improved accuracy, which improves your surface finish and extends your tool life.
4. Refine Chip Evacuation
High-feed milling creates thinner chips. It’s much easier to evacuate chips using high-feed milling than conventional milling methods. Improved chip evacuation means your operation will run smoother and with fewer problems. The risk of tool breakage and workpiece damage will be reduced if chip evacuation is improved, which will benefit your operation’s productivity.
5. Improve Quality
Since high-feed milling uses low cutting forces, there will be less vibration and more stability in your operations. This leads to added precision and advances the quality of your parts. The surface quality of your parts has the potential to be enhanced due to low vibration during your machining process.
The low cutting force used during high-feed milling is also consistent, further improving the quality of your surface finish.
6. Higher Versatility and Ease of Use
Even though high-feed milling is a roughing operation, it’s extremely versatile. This process can be used on almost any machining center. High-feed milling does benefit more from a powerful machine because of high feed rates, but it’s easy to implement.
7. Enhance Sustainability
An unexpected benefit that comes from high-feed milling is enhanced sustainability. High-feed milling uses low cutting forces, meaning it does not use as much machine power as conventional methods. This reduces the amount of energy consumed during operation, which can enhance your shop’s overall sustainability.
How to Get the Most from Your High-Feed Indexable Milling
The high-feed milling process alone has a high potential to improve your shop’s productivity. However, there are steps you can take to make this milling method even more effective for your shop.
1. Evaluate Your Machine
Can your machine handle high-feed milling? Since high-feed milling uses higher than usual feed rates, it’s important to consider if your machine can properly operate at high feed rates.
As previously mentioned, even though high-feed milling is versatile and easy to implement, it benefits the most from a powerful machine.
2. Choose the Right Cutting Tool
Your cutting tools are vital components in your operation. When using high-feed milling, it’s important to choose a cutting tool that can handle the high feed rates of the process.
Many cutting tools come with advanced geometries and designs that can further enhance the productivity of high-feed milling. For example, CoroMill MH20 from Sandvik Coromant is a high-performance high-feed milling tool. It is equipped with an open insert pocket, a feature that improves chip evacuation and reduces the re-cutting of chips. This feature is extremely beneficial in high-feed milling because it minimizes the smearing of chips.
With the right cutting tool, you can improve productivity in your high-feed milling operations.
3. Monitor Your Operations and Make Adjustments
Like with any process, it’s important to constantly monitor the results of using high-feed milling in your operations in real-time. This will help you determine if your shop is benefiting from all the advantages of high-feed milling.
Two heads are always better than one! Triumph Tool can help you evaluate your operations as your Machining Solutions Partner.
Improve Your Productivity with High-Feed Milling
When considering how to get parts out the door faster, it can be hard to determine the best solution for your shop. High-feed milling is a viable solution to improving productivity in your shop, but it’s not a definitive solution. Your shop’s unique requirements must be considered. It’s hard to know where to start with the overwhelming number of available solutions, tools, and technology in today’s industry.
Triumph Tool offers many services for metalworking tools, such as technical support and documented cost savings. Our team of highly qualified Technical Sales Representatives all come with backgrounds in the metalworking industry. Contact us today and let us help you find the best solution for your shop!
References
Sandvik Coromant CoroMill MH20