Milling cutters are precision cutting tools used in milling machines to shape, cut and remove material from a workpiece - primarily by rotating and cutting with multiple edges. These... Read more below.

Milling Cutters Explored

Definition: Milling cutters are precision cutting tools used in milling machines to shape, cut and remove material from a workpiece - primarily by rotating and cutting with multiple edges. These high-speed tools are also mounted on milling machines and come in various shapes and sizes - each of these different types is designed for specific tasks like contouring or finishing surfaces and can come in different variations as a result. These can be, for example, face cutters, ball cutters, and slot cutters.

Common types of milling machine tools also include end mills, face mills, and ball nose cutters, and these tend to be made from materials like high-speed steel, carbide, or cobalt. As a result, they can cut metals, plastics, and other materials really easily, as their cutting action occurs through the cutter's rotation, and the geometry of the cutter bit chosen will then influence your chip formation, cutting speed, and quality of the machined surface as a result.

Types of Milling Cutters

Milling cutters come in a range of types, each of which has been designed for specific cutting processes from cutting wood, hardened steel, aluminium, steel, stainless steel, carbon fibre, metal, titanium and more.

From general-purpose tool bits to specialised cutting materials, the right milling cutter will make your life so much easier. Whether you are working with steel, aluminium, or wood, choosing the appropriate cutting tool here is key.

So, we have put this section together to help you understand which ones are right for your application use.

End Mill Cutters

End mill cutters, including solid carbide end mills and Indexable End Mill Milling Cutters, are great tools used for cutting slots, profiles, and intricate shapes.

Consequently, these tools are ideal for CNC milling operations, as they give you a lot of high performance and precision and are widely employed for machining materials like aluminium and stainless steel, for example.

Face Mill Cutters

Face milling bit cutters, which are then often equipped with milling inserts, are then used for producing flat surfaces on workpieces. Consequently, these cutters, for instance, give you high-quality surface finishes and very efficient material removal - particularly in face milling applications.

Slab Mill Cutters

Slab mill cutters are then designed for heavy-duty machining of large flat surfaces. As a result, these are commonly used in industries that require general-purpose machining operations on materials like carbon steel and cast iron, to name just two.

Ball Nose Cutters

Ball nose cutters are another type of ball nose slot drill, and are also known as Carbide Slot Drills, which are ideal for 3D contouring and producing some very nice and smooth curves.

Due to this, these are widely used in CNC milling for high-performance milling of complex shapes, especially in titanium and carbon fibre machining, for instance.

Side and Face Cutters

You then have side and face cutters - including T slot cutters - which are specialised cutting tools for slotting and groove cutting.

As a result, these cutters have cutting edges on both the periphery and sides, making them great for various cutting processes as a result.

Hollow Mill Cutters

Hollow mill cutters are then used for machining cylindrical shapes, which makes them suitable for creating bolts and shafts. Consequently, these tools are part of a comprehensive range of milling cutters which are designed for specific applications in metal and wood machining.

Gear Cutters

Next up are Gear cutters, which are specialised cutting tools used to manufacture high-quality gears.

As a result, these can come in different types to match specific gear profiles and ensure that you get the precise machining outcome that you are expecting.

Fly Cutters

Fly cutters are then simple and economical cutting tools which are used for machining flat surfaces.

As a result, these (depending on the type you buy) are often used in hand tools and power tools along with CNC milling machines for general-purpose cutting tasks as well.

Chamfer Mills

These Chamfer Mill Bits then have angled cutting edges for cutting chamfers on components.

Thread Mills

These are cutting tools that are used to cut threads into a workpiece.

Woodruff Cutters

These are specialised cutters designed to create keyways or slots for Woodruff keys, commonly used in shafts and pulleys.

Multi-Point Cutter

These cutters have multiple cutting edges, allowing for faster material removal and smoother finishes.

Long Series Milling Cutter

Different from standard length milling cutters, these are used for deep or hard-to-reach cuts; these cutters are ideal for machining long or extended surfaces.

Ratio End Mills (Centre Cutting)

End mills designed for high material removal rates, capable of plunging directly into the workpiece for efficient cutting.

Shell Mill Cutters

Lastly, you also have Shell mill cutters, which are large-diameter tools designed for heavy milling operations, such as face milling.

Consequently, these tools are all commonly used in high-speed, high-performance milling applications, especially for stainless steel and hardened steel, which we should note.

What Materials Are Used in Milling Cutters?

The choice of material you choose for your milling cutter will affect its performance, durability, and suitability for machining different workpieces - such as stainless steel, carbon steel, and cast iron.

For example, carbide cutters are preferred for aluminium and titanium due to their hardness and heat resistance, whereas HSS is more suitable for more high-speed application uses.

High-Speed Steel (HSS)

High-speed steel is known for its toughness and wear resistance. For instance, HSS cutters, including HSS end mills, are great tools that are widely used for general-purpose machining and high-speed cutting operations.

As a result, these are ideal for both metal and wood applications.

Carbide

Carbide cutters, such as solid carbide milling cutters, then offer you excellent hardness and heat resistance, which makes them ideal for high-speed machining and cutting materials like stainless steel, aluminium, and titanium as a result.

Ceramic and Cermet

Ceramic and cermet cutters are also good options that can give you a lot of exceptional wear resistance and are used for precision applications - particularly for machining hard materials and hardened steel especially.

Application uses

As you can see, this type of milling cutter has a lot of use cases, with a sample of these being:

Slot Cutting

Milling cutters are used to create slots in metal or wood, such as keyways or channels.

Surface Milling

They help in flattening and smoothing surfaces for a polished finish.

Contour Milling

Used to shape the edges of workpieces into specific profiles or designs.

Drilling

Some milling cutters can perform basic drilling operations in softer materials.

Thread Milling

They cut threads into metal components, creating screw-like patterns.

Gear Cutting

Used in making gears by precisely shaping teeth on circular workpieces.

Pocketing

They carve out recessed areas or pockets in flat surfaces.

Cutting Complex Shapes

Ideal for crafting intricate patterns and custom designs in materials.

Chamfering

Used to create bevelled edges on parts for smoother transitions or aesthetics.

Trimming Welds

Milling cutters remove excess weld material to ensure smooth, even joints.

Automotive Industry

In the automotive industry, milling cutters are also used for machining engine components, gearboxes, and other critical parts.

Here, tools like dovetail cutters and corner radius end mills will also help you get the precision and durability that you need as well.

Aerospace Industry

The aerospace industry also heavily relies on milling cutters for machining lightweight, durable components. Her solid carbide end mills and thread mills are commonly used for high-performance milling tasks involving titanium and carbon fibre, for instance.

Tool and Die Making

Tool and die makers will also use a range of milling cutter tools, including slot cutters and boring bars, to create moulds, dies, and other precision tools that are required for the manufacturing processes, where materials like hardened steel and aluminium are frequently machined using these cutters.

Key Features of Milling Cutters

Now that you know what types of milling cutters are available, next up, we need to understand what some of the key features of milling cutters are to help you select the right tool for specific operations - whether machining flat surfaces or just intricate profiles.

Cutting Edges

First up is the tools, cutting edges, as these help you determine the tool's ability to remove material efficiently.

Here, for instance, you can get high-quality cutting teeth and rake angles, which will only improve the performance of your cutters like ball cutters and chamfer cutters - especially if they are being used on hardened steel and titanium machining, for example.

Flutes

Flutes are then the grooves on the cutter that help you with chip removal.

Flute end mills with the right number of flutes can help you optimise your cutting performance and surface finish, particularly for aluminium and carbon fibre machining for instance.

Coatings for Durability

Coatings like titanium nitride then can give you improved cutter durability and heat resistance, which in turn can extend your cutting tool life and help you get more high-quality cuts, even on challenging materials like stainless steel and titanium, for example.

What Are Factors That You Should Consider When Selecting a Milling Cutter?

With these lathe tools, when choosing the right milling cutter for your needs tends to involve considering several factors, such as the workpiece material they will be used on, operation type, and machine compatibility to make sure that you will achieve the most efficient cutting processes for what you need.

Material of the Workpiece

The workpiece material you choose, for instance - whether stainless steel, carbon steel, or cast iron - will determine the cutter material and design you will need to get the best results. For instance, certain milling cutters are more specialised cutters for aluminium and wood, whereas others are more suited for steel for instance.

Type of Milling Operation

Another area you should factor in is the different milling operations you will need for the cutter - such as face milling and chamfer milling - which will require specific cutter types to make sure that you get the best results overall.

For instance, ball nose cutters are often used for more intricate 3D profiles, while slab mills are suited for large flat surfaces.

Machine Compatibility

The milling cutter you select must also be compatible with CNC machines or the metal lathes you decide to use it on, and here, you want to consider factors like spindle speed and tool holder specifications for the milling bit you want to use, for example.

Milling Cutter Maintenance

Buying the correct milling bit is one thing, but to keep your costs down, proper maintenance of your milling cutters is really required. For instance, here, you want to make sure that you are doing regular inspections and sharpening on them, as this is essential for getting the most out of your tool while maintaining a high-quality performance as you do so for years to come.

Proper Storage

For instance, you want to store your cutters in a clean, dry environment to prevent corrosion and protect cutting edges. Cutter sets should be organised for easy access, making sure that your tools remain in a safe and usable condition as a result.

Regular Inspection

You also want to inspect your cutters for wear and damage before use to make sure that you will get the best performance and safety out of them during machining operations.

Here, for instance, you want to look for signs of dullness, cracks, or chipped edges to avoid accidents from occurring that would otherwise be avoidable.

Sharpening Techniques

Use appropriate metalworking sharpening tools to restore the bits cutting edges, which will help you make sure that tools like slot cutters and T slot cutters for instance will perform as efficiently as they can.

However, please note: Knowing how to sharpen milling cutters is really key for maintaining their performance, so if you are not sure, you should contact a sharpening expert here.

Contact Customer Support

If you are still not sure about which is the correct Milling cutter bit for you, or you need help, then for further information please contact our team, and we will be happy to help you understand which ones are perfect for you and your team. We can also help you with a number of other drill bits from Jobber Length Drills, Taper Shank Drills to the right Twist drill set as well, or even cutter drill bits with a straight flute design to ones with a varying number of flutes and lots more - our team is here to help you.

Standard Delivery Options

We have also extended our delivery service and ordering hours to offer you free next-working-day delivery with immediate despatch, making your shipping experience even easier.

Place your order online by 7 p.m. and choose the delivery charge that suits you - including next-day dispatch - to ensure you get a timely, UK mainland hassle-free delivery of your products.

Standard free UK delivery is also available for all products ordered within the specified time, with free shipping and a good returns policy for certain items as well.

Who Is MSC Industrial Supply Co.?

Here at MSC Industrial Supply Co., we are a leading supplier of industrial machine tools, equipment, and maintenance supplies across the United Kingdom. As a result, we can offer trade accounts, a vast selection of new and great-value products from tool sets to metalworking cutting tools and lots more, with free next-day delivery on eligible orders as well.

Our extensive range includes everything from hand tools and power tools to specialised hole-making equipment like blacksmith drill bits, core drills, and machine reamers, to name just a few.

As a result, we can provide you with a comprehensive selection of products, including:

As a result, we serve a wide range of industries, from manufacturing and engineering to maintenance and beyond. Consequently, our commitment to providing quality products and exceptional customer service makes us a trusted partner for all your industrial needs.

With our knowledgeable customer support team and technical assistance available Mon-Fri, we ensure you have the support you need to succeed.

Milling Tools & Milling Cutters