Cutting tool (machining)

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In the context of machining, a cutting tool (or cutter) is any tool that is used to remove material from the
workpiece by means of shear deformation. Cutting may be accomplished by single-point or multipoint tools.
Single-point tools are used in turning, shaping, plaining and similar operations, and remove material by means
of one cutting edge. Milling and drilling tools are often multipoint tools. Grinding tools are also multipoint tools.
Each grain of abrasive functions as a microscopic single-point cutting edge (although of high negative rake
angle), and shears a tiny chip.
Cutting tools must be made of a material harder than the material which is to be cut, and the tool must be able
to withstand the heat generated in the metal-cutting process. Also, the tool must have a specific geometry, with
clearance angles designed so that the cutting edge can contact the workpiece without the rest of the tool
dragging on the workpiece surface. The angle of the cutting face is also important, as is the flute width, number
of flutes or teeth, and margin size. In order to have a long working life, all of the above must be optimized, plus
thespeeds and feeds at which the tool is run.
Contents
[hide]

1 Types

1.1 Cutting tools with inserts (indexable tools)

1.2 Solid cutting tools

1.3 Holder

1.4 Tool setup

2 Materials

3 References

[edit]Types
Linear cutting tools include tool bits (single-point cutting tools) and broaches. Rotary cutting tools include drill
bits, countersinks and counterbores, taps and dies, milling cutters,reamers, and cold saw blades. Other cutting
tools, such as bandsaw blades, hacksaw blades, and fly cutters, combine aspects of linear and rotary motion.

[edit]Cutting

tools with inserts (indexable tools)

Cutting tools are often designed with inserts or replaceable tips (tipped tools). In these, the cutting edge
consists of a separate piece of material, either brazed, welded or clamped on to the tool body. Common
materials for tips include tungsten carbide, polycrystalline diamond, and cubic boron nitride. [1] Tools using
inserts include milling cutters (endmills, fly cutters), tool bits, and saw blades.

[edit]Solid

cutting tools

The typical tool for milling and drilling has no changeable insert. The cutting edge and the shank is one unit and
built of the same material. Small tools cannot be designed with exchangeable inserts.

[edit]Holder
To use a cutting tool within a CNC machine there is a basic holder required to mount it on the machines spindle
or turret.

[edit]Tool

setup

The detailed instruction how to combine the tool assembly out of basic holder, tool and insert can be stored in
a tool management solution.

[edit]Materials
To produce quality p, a cutting tool must have three characteristics:

Hardness hardness and strength at high temperatures.

Toughness toughness, so that tools dont chip or fracture.

Wear resistance having acceptable tool life before needing to be replaced.[2]

Cutting tool materials can be divided into two main categories: stable and unstable.
Unstable materials (usually steels) are substances that start at a relatively low hardness point and are then
heat treated to promote the growth of hard particles (usually carbides) inside the original matrix, which
increases the overall hardness of the material at the expense of some its original toughness. Since heat is the
mechanism to alter the structure of the substance and at the same time the cutting action produces a lot of
heat, such substances are inherently unstable under machining conditions.
Stable materials (usually tungsten carbide) are substances that remain relatively stable under the heat
produced by most machining conditions, as they don't attain their hardness through heat. They wear down due
to abrasion, but generally don't change their properties much during use.
Most stable materials are hard enough to break before flexing, which makes them very fragile. To avoid
chipping at the cutting edge, most tools made of such materials are finished with a sightly blunt edge, which
results in higher cutting forces due to an increased shear area. Fragility combined with high cutting forces
results in most stable materials being unsuitable for use in anything but large, heavy and stiff machinery.

Unstable materials, being generally softer and thus tougher, generally can stand a bit of flexing without
breaking, which makes them much more suitable for unfavorable machining conditions, such as those
encountered in hand tools and light machinery.

Tool material

Properties

Carbontool
steels

Unstable. Very inexpensive. Extremely sensitive to heat. Mostly obsolete in today's commercial
machining, although it is still commonly found in non-intensive applications such as hobbyist
or MRO machining, where economy-grade drill bits, taps and dies, hacksaw blades, and reamers
are still usually made of it (because of its affordability). Hardness up to about HRC 65. Sharp
cutting edges possible.

High speed
steel(HSS)

Unstable. Inexpensive. Retains hardness at moderate temperatures. The most common cutting tool
material used today. Used extensively on drill bits and taps. Hardness up to about HRC 67. Sharp
cutting edges possible.

HSS cobalt

Unstable. Moderately expensive. The high cobalt versions of high speed steel are very resistant to
heat and thus excellent for machining abrasive and/or work hardening materials such as titanium
and stainless steel. Used extensively on milling cutters and drill bits. Hardness up to about HRC
70. Sharp cutting edges possible.

Castcobalt
alloys

Stable. Expensive. Somewhat fragile. Despite its stability it doesn't allow for high machining speed
due to low hardness. Not used much. Hardness up to about HRC 65. Sharp cutting edges possible.

Cemented
carbide

Stable. Moderately expensive. The most common material used in the industry today. It is offered
in several "grades" containing different proportions of tungsten carbide and binder (usually cobalt).
High resistance to abrasion. High solubility in iron requires the additions of tantalum
carbide and niobium carbide for steel usage. Its main use is in turning tool bits although it is very
common in milling cutters and saw blades. Hardness up to about HRC 90. Sharp edges generally
not recommended.

Ceramics

Stable. Moderately inexpensive. Chemically inert and extremely resistant to heat, ceramics are
usually desirable in high speed applications, the only drawback being their high fragility. Ceramics
are considered unpredictable under unfavorable conditions. The most common ceramic materials
are based on alumina (aluminium oxide), silicon nitride and silicon carbide. Used almost
exclusively on turning tool bits. Hardness up to about HRC 93. Sharp cutting edges and positive
rake angles are to be avoided.

Cermets

Stable. Moderately expensive. Another cemented material based on titanium carbide (TiC). Binder
is usually nickel. It provides higher abrasion resistance compared to tungsten carbide at the
expense of some toughness. It is far more chemically inert than it too. Extremely high resistance to
abrasion. Used primarily on turning tool bits although research is being carried on producing other

cutting tools. Hardness up to about HRC 93. Sharp edges generally not recommended.

Cubic boron
nitride(CBN)

Stable. Expensive. Being the second hardest substance known, it is also the second most fragile. It
offers extremely high resistance to abrasion at the expense of much toughness. It is generally used
in a machining process called "hard machining", which involves running the tool or the part fast
enough to melt it before it touches the edge, softening it considerably. Used almost exclusively on
turning tool bits. Hardness higher than HRC 95. Sharp edges generally not recommended.

Diamond

Stable. Very Expensive. The hardest substance known to date. Superior resistance to abrasion but
also high chemical affinity to iron which results in being unsuitable for steel machining. It is used
where abrasive materials would wear anything else. Extremely fragile. Used almost exclusively on
turning tool bits although it can be used as a coating on many kinds of tools. Sharp edges generally
not recommended.

[edit]References

1.

^ Stephenson, David A.; Agapiou, John S. (1997), Metal cutting theory and practice, Marcel Dekker,
p. 164, ISBN 9780824795795.

2.

^ Schneider, George, "Chapter 1 - Cutting Tool Materials," American Machinist, October, 2009
[hide]

Types of tools

Broom

Brush

Feather duster

Cleaning tools

Floor buffer

Hataki

Ice resurfacer

Mop

Mop bucket cart

Needlegun scaler

Pipe cleaner

Pressure washer

Sponge

Squeegee

Steam mop

Tawashi

Vacuum cleaner

Blade

Bolt cutter

Broach

Ceramic tile cutter

Cutting and

abrasive tools

Chisel

Coping saw

Countersink

Diamond blade

Diamond tool

Draw knife

Drill bit

Emery cloth

File

Fretsaw

Froe

Glass cutter

Grater

Grinding wheel

Hand saw

Knife

Miter saw

Nail clipper

Pipecutter

Plane

Pocket knife

Rasp

Razor

Reamer

Sandpaper

Saw

Scalpel

Scissors

Steel wool

Surform

Switchblade

Utility knife

Water jet cutter

Wire brush

Wire cutter

Wire stripper

Adze

Axe

Baling hook

Billhook

Bow saw

Garden tools

Chainsaw

Cultivator

Earth auger

Edger

Garden fork

Garden hose

Garden trowel

Hatchet

Hedge trimmer

Hoe

Hori hori

Irrigation sprinkler

Lawn aerator

Lawn mower

Lawn sweeper

Leaf blower

Loppers

Loy

Machete

Mattock

Pickaxe

Pitchfork

Plough (plow)

Post hole digger

Pruning shears (secateurs)

Rake

Roller

Rotary tiller

Scythe

Shovel

Sickle

Slasher

Spade

Splitting maul

String trimmer

Block plane

Hand tools

BNC inserter/remover

Brace

Bradawl

Breaker bar

Card scraper

Cat's paw

Caulking gun

Clamp

Crimping pliers

Crowbar

Grease gun

Fish tape

Hammer

Hand truck

Hawk

Hex key

Jack

Lug wrench

Locking pliers

Mallet

Mitre box

Monkey wrench

Multi-tool

Nut driver

Paint roller

Paintbrush

Pipe wrench

Pliers

Plumber's snake

Plunger

Punch

Punch down tool

Putty knife

Ratchet

Sink wrench

Scratch awl

Screwdriver

Sledgehammer

Socket wrench

Spike maul

Staple gun

Stitching awl

Strap wrench

Tire iron

Torque wrench

Trowel

Upholstery hammer

Wrench (spanner)

Automatic lathe

Ball-peen hammer

Broaching machine

Machine and

metalworking tools

Drill press

Endmill

English wheel

Gear shaper

Grinding machine

Hacksaw

Hobbing machine

Jig borer

Lathe

Metalworking lathe

Milling cutter

Milling machine

Planer

Plasma cutter

Screw machine

Shaper

Tap and die

Thread restorer

Tool bit

Turret lathe

Welder

Architect's scale

Measuring and
alignment tools

Beam compass

Caliper

Chalk box

Compass

Engineer's scale

Flexible curve

Jig

Laser level

Laser line level

Laser measuring tool

Micrometer

Plumb-bob

Protractor

Ruler

Scale

Sliding T bevel

Spirit level

Square

Straightedge

Tape measure

Template

Triangle

Angle grinder

Bandsaw

Belt sander

Blow torch

Chop saw

Circular saw

Concrete saw

Power tools

Crusher

Cutting torch

Die grinder

Drill

Glue gun

Heat gun

Impact wrench

Jackhammer

Jigsaw

Jointer

Nail gun

Power trowel

Radial arm saw

Random orbital sander

Reciprocating saw

Rotary tool

Router table

Sander

Scroll saw

Soldering gun

Soldering iron

Steam box

Table saw

Thickness planer

Wood router

Wood shaper

Other

Antique tools

Backscratcher

Bucket

Comb

Flashlight

Halligan bar

Kelly tool

Ladder

Pencil

Tool belt

Toolbox

Vise

Workbench