The chip breaker tool is a great piece of equipment to use in end mill settings and roughing applications in Ukiah, CA, but they have so many other uses that make them a highly versatile, beneficial tool to have in a metalworking arsenal.
Let’s take a quick look at the benefits of chip breaker tooling in various applications.
Slotting
In the slotting process, it is crucial to maintain good chip control. If you experience a significant buildup of chips, this could cause chip recutting, creating a lot of additional heat that goes back into the tool. This can also cause a larger than necessary amount of chattering, which can result in deterioration of the tool’s condition.
Chip breaking tools are beneficial to use alongside CNC slotting machines in Ukiah, CA to reduce that potential chip buildup during the slotting process. The result is an extended lifespan for the tool, and protection of your long-term investment.
There’s also a specific type of slotting process called trochoidal slotting, which uses high-efficiency milling (described below) technologies to create slots in the material.
High-efficiency milling
High-efficiency milling (HEM) is a process that uses CAM software to create tool paths designed to reduce cutting forces. The tool paths feature smaller end mills that have more flutes, which produces a stronger core. These flutes run at higher speeds and feeds, creating a light radial depth of cut, a high axial depth of cut and a more reliable, precise angle of engagement.
Chip breaking tools have serrated indentations on the edge of each flute, throughout the entire length of the cut. Thanks to the higher axial depths of those cuts, these chip breaking tools will be able to break up what would otherwise be longer chips into small ones. This produces better chip control, and reduces some cutting resistance that could otherwise be present.
The chip breaker tools are also beneficial in HEM settings because they decrease the heat load within those chips. This helps to prevent wear and tear of the tools on the cutting edge, providing greater cutting performance over a longer period of time for greater efficiency and productivity.
Finishing
Chip breaker tools can also be beneficial in finishing processes. The chip breakers are offset flute to flute in many chip breaker tools, which can create a higher-quality finish along the edges and sides of the part. When the depth of cut is on the lighter side, this can make it much easier to achieve a higher quality finish than if other types of tools were used for the same purpose.
Interested in learning more about some of the benefits of chip breakers in metal fabrication? We encourage you to contact our team at Evden Enterprises today with any questions you have. We are happy to provide more information about chip breakers in end mill settings in Ukiah, CA, as well as our capabilities for all of your metal fabrication and milling needs. We look forward to working with you and learning more about your upcoming metalworking projects.