For longer tool life and a better finish in general purpose milling applications, these solid carbide end mills are harder, stronger, and more wear resistant than high-speed steel and cobalt steel end mills. Their extreme hardness means they are brittle, so a highly rigid setup, such as a CNC machine, is necessary to prevent the end mill from breaking. They have a square end for milling square slots, pockets, and edges.

End mills with fewer flutes provide better chip clearance for high-volume, high-speed plunge, slotting, and roughing cuts; end mills with more flutes provide a finer finish and operate with less vibration when run at high speeds.

Use uncoated end mills for general purpose milling and short production runs. Use coated end mills for demanding, high-speed jobs in hard material as well as for longer production runs. They’re more wear resistant than uncoated end mills. Titanium-carbonitride (TiCN) coated end mills have a hard, smooth finish that resists chipping and wear and prevents material from accumulating on the cutting edge. They’re especially good for use in aluminum. Titanium-aluminum-nitride (TiAlN) coated end mills and aluminum-titanium-nitride (AlTiN) coated end mills dissipate heat better than other end mills, especially at high speeds. At high temperatures, the coating creates a layer of aluminum oxide that transfers heat to the chips, keeping the tool cool, even when used without lubrication. Aluminum-titanium-nitride (AlTiN) has a higher percentage of aluminum than titanium-aluminum-nitride (TiAlN).

Center-cutting end mills allow plunge cuts into a surface.

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