High Feed Mills and Conventional/Climb Cutting

[mackenzieruiter]

I have spent around 2 hours today digging through forums all over and I haven't found a decent thread on this subject.

Reason I bring it up and ask is because I have heard this through word of mouth and now from my Tool Rep.

So, what is the general consensus on this? Climb only? Zigzag? Conventional only on entry? 

[kyle528]

If high radial DOC and small axial, I like to zig zag, if high axial and lower radial (think HEM style milling) I like climb only

[Jobnt]

Based on my own personal experience I usually climb-only on hard metals and will zig zag the hell out of soft stuff like alum and plastics.

[sweeden5050]

Typically I will zig zag on softer materials. When harder material I always climb cut. 

[Tim Johnson]

We make some 303 stainless heat sinks and we slot the fins in with a 1/8" high feed mill. We run it at 15000 rpm at 335 ipm. If our doc is more than .005" we will get early breakage. I'm verifying one right now.

[Jobnt]

^^^ Old-School HSM FTMFW!!

 

[jpatry]

On 7/22/2023 at 3:32 PM, mackenzieruiter said:

I have spent around 2 hours today digging through forums all over and I haven't found a decent thread on this subject.

Reason I bring it up and ask is because I have heard this through word of mouth and now from my Tool Rep.

So, what is the general consensus on this? Climb only? Zigzag? Conventional only on entry? 

Well, I just always use climb, mostly out of ingrained habit.

But I've been thinking that with the shallow DOC and over 50% stepover of highfeed machining the conditions that benefit climb vs conventional are not really present, so why not  go both ways and truly maximize cutting time.

[crazy^millman]

On 7/22/2023 at 12:32 PM, mackenzieruiter said:

I have spent around 2 hours today digging through forums all over and I haven't found a decent thread on this subject.

Reason I bring it up and ask is because I have heard this through word of mouth and now from my Tool Rep.

So, what is the general consensus on this? Climb only? Zigzag? Conventional only on entry? 

Such a deep subject to think about that I think others have touched on the different things to consider. Testing and seeing where the best ROI gives is what really needs to be done.

[huskermcdoogle]

On 8/14/2023 at 12:21 PM, crazy^millman said:

Testing and seeing where the best ROI gives is what really needs to be done.

DING DING DING

When running high feed cutters, in my experience, when climb should have worked best, conventional cutting has worked better, as well as the opposite case.  It is highly dependent on toolpath style as well as material and part shape.  When running in Ti, Inco, or other super alloys, I now always advise my customers to try both ways.  I have seen 3-5x differences in tool life with zero difference in processing time or speeds and feeds.  When you get that much more life often I have been able to really boost productivity by then balancing the tool life with speed and hitting the right tool change interval.  Let's just say you get 1 part going climb, you switch to conventional and you get 5 parts.  You then increase the speed 30%, and now you get 2.5 parts.  So you bump it up 5% more and now you get 2.1 parts and change them at 2 so you have a little wiggle room.  35% on productivity is huge and think, you are using 50% of the inserts you were.  It's a made up example, but to Ron's point.  TEST TEST TEST, you won't know unless you try.

[byte]

^ This guys gets it!

[mackenzieruiter]

On 8/13/2023 at 5:46 AM, jpatry said:

Well, I just always use climb, mostly out of ingrained habit.

But I've been thinking that with the shallow DOC and over 50% stepover of highfeed machining the conditions that benefit climb vs conventional are not really present, so why not  go both ways and truly maximize cutting time.

I am wondering if that is what my Walter Rep. was getting at.

 

On 8/14/2023 at 12:21 PM, crazy^millman said:

Such a deep subject to think about that I think others have touched on the different things to consider. Testing and seeing where the best ROI gives is what really needs to be done.

Then a test shall be done! I owe everyone at least something for the help I have received.

Should be able to get a few different scenarios put together with some different materials.

 

 

[Kyle F]

20 hours ago, mackenzieruiter said:

Then a test shall be done! I owe everyone at least something for the help I have received.

Should be able to get a few different scenarios put together with some different materials.

 

keep us posted on your findings 

[jpatry]

On 4/1/2024 at 11:46 AM, mackenzieruiter said:

I am wondering if that is what my Walter Rep. was getting at.

 

Then a test shall be done! I owe everyone at least something for the help I have received.

Should be able to get a few different scenarios put together with some different materials.

 

 

As always, the proof is in the pudding.