Category: AlumaMill

High Performance End Mills vs. General Purpose End Mills

12/16/2021

Guest Blog by Mark Donze at Fullerton Tool

Have you ever wondered if you should purchase high-performance end mills or general-purpose end mills and what the benefit of purchasing one over the other is? If so, we have put together a list of factors to consider to help you make the right decision for next time.

General Purpose End Mills

First, let's discuss general purpose end mills. General Purpose (GP) End Mills are standard single, 2, 3, or 4 flute geometry end mills made for use in a wide variety of materials.

Benefits of General Purpose End Mills:

Lower prices
Very versatile - they work in a variety of materials and applications
Typically easier to resharpen - general-purpose end mills can usually be resharpened by the user or by a local regrind shop, whereas a high-performance end mill typically will need to be sent back to the OEM for resharpening

High-Performance End Mills

Next, High-Performance (HP) End Mills contain specialized geometries for a specific material being cut.

Benefits of High-Performance End Mills:

Material and/or application-specific - This does not mean that an HP cutter will not work in more than the listed materials or applications. For example, our Fury end mill is recommended for a wide range of materials and applications and will cut almost anything and any tool path. So don't be afraid to experiment.
Better tool life, especially in difficult-to-machine Materials - HP cutters typically require less frequent tool changes and fewer offsets.
More adapted to high-speed machining or other advanced milling techniques.
Better surface finishes on your parts.
Usually have premium coatings that target a specific range of materials.
Typically have edge preps like hones or polishes that target a specific range of materials

With this information in mind, if you are a company that does small runs in a wide variety of materials you may prefer GP end mills. Whereas, if you are making high-volume parts where cycle-time and up-time are king, you may prefer an HP end mill for your use. Remember, there are no hard lines drawn. Each application is different and preference is ultimately up to you, the end-user.

If you aren't sure, you can contact your Fullerton authorized distributor to help make this decision. We will work with you to get the end results you desire with a wide variety of both GP and HP end mills available.

We even have some tooling where we apply HP coatings to GP tools to help you get the most out of your cutting tool investments. We have a huge selection of inventory items and of course, if you need a special tailored tool to your specific needs, we have engineering and application knowledge to get the most out of your cutting tool budget.

We also have resources on our website to help you navigate which tool is the best for your needs. Discover what end mills are recommended for your material and application by using the Fullerton Tool End Mill Selection Guide

You can also explore and search for tooling by material, application, or tool specs as well as
recommended speeds and feeds by series which you can access at the search button below.

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Machining Aluminum - Why It's Not So Simple

12/10/2019

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When it comes to machining aluminum, it’s not a simple task. There are many grades of aluminum, all of which have different recommended machining techniques. This tool tip helps break down some of the different grades of aluminum and our recommendations for tooling and surface feet per minute.

Fullerton Tool's AlumaMill series End Mills

1100 Grade Aluminum
This grade of aluminum is commercially pure aluminum and easy to machine though very ductile and difficult to control chips.
SFM = > 1000

2024 & 6061 Grades Aluminum
These grades are high strength and heat treatable aluminum alloys. They are very commonly used in Aircraft, Recreation, and Automotive body components.
SFM = > 600

7050 & 7075 Grades Aluminum
These grades are some of the highest strength aluminum alloys available. They are used in the manufacturing of Aircraft and Marine Vehicles.

This grade of Aluminum reacts much like tool steel when being machined. It is recommended to use high speed machining techniques when machining these materials. Using these types of techniques promotes the use of light radial cuts.
The use of heavier radial depths of cut and higher feed rates will promote the movement of the material due to the higher stress levels in the material.
Speeds – You can use higher SFM when machining these types of materials but you must use light RDoC and control the feed rates.

Cast Aluminum
A319 – 5% Silicon
Standard Tooling can be used very effectively.
A356 – 7% Silicon
Standard Tooling can be used very effectively.
A380 – 10.5% Silicon
PCD Tooling is the preferred tool for this material. TiB2 or ZrCN coatings must be used if using a carbide tool.
A390 – 17% Silicon
PCD Tooling or Coating is the only tool material that will effectively machine this grade of Aluminum. Lower SFM is preferred for this grade, < 1000 SFM.

Have more questions about machining aluminum?
Contact the Fullerton Tool team at 989.799.4550 or 855.722.7243.

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High Performance End Mills vs. General Purpose End Mills

General Purpose End Mills

High-Performance End Mills

Machining Aluminum - Why It's Not So Simple

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