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Switched from a 2-flute to a 4-flute end mill for aluminum and my cycle time dropped by 30%
I was running a job on our Haas VF2, making about 200 of these small aluminum brackets. For years I used a 2-flute end mill for roughing, thinking it was the standard. Last month, I tried a 4-flute on a hunch after talking to a guy at a tooling demo. The difference was huge. I could up my feed rate without chatter and the finish was way better right off the machine. Has anyone else found a specific tool change that made this big of a jump in speed?
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the_wren6mo ago
That 30% drop is just wild to me. I always thought two flutes were the only way to go for aluminum chip clearance. You're making me want to raid the tool crib tomorrow and try this.
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angela6876mo ago
Yeah, the feed rate jump without chatter is real. I had the same thing happen when I switched to a variable helix end mill for steel.
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mark_mitchell6mo ago
That variable helix geometry is a game changer, @angela687. Pushed my feeds up 30% in 4140 without any fuss.
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