The most important aspect to carbide tooling operation is to set the speed and feeds correctly. These recommendations have been divided into categories so that you can make more informed decisions on how to run your endmills. Certain high performance endmills require specific parameters to run in accordance with their material families. These can be referred to as individual recommendations. These documents can also be downloaded as pdf files.

Many people are focused on the speed, which is related to the machine RPM, when choosing the right parameters. This is a mistake. You should focus on the proper feed per teeth (FPT) and then adjust speed. When a part's programming is complete and it is ready to be produced, the programmer will often choose conservative parameters. This causes chatter. Chatter is nothing but part vibration or noise, which means the tool isn't cutting properly. Usually, the first reaction is to reduce the RPM. The chatter will disappear. This is often a good idea, but it's not very productive. It has happened that the FPT has increased because of the slower feed speed. It is possible that the FPT previously was too low and this was what caused chatter.

You can choose the material to be machined on the left side.

You must determine the diameter of the mill to choose the right FPT for your material. FPT can either be measured in inches per tooth or millimeters per teeth (MMPT).

Calculate the radial depth to cut (CLF) to determine the correct chip load factor.

Now, choose the right surface feet/minute (SFM) or surface meter per minute(SMM).

To calculate your machine's RPM, you will need to use the SFM as well as the diameter of the mill.

Calculate the feedrate or IPM by using the RPM, IPT and CLF along with the number of flutes.

If you prefer to be conservative, select a lower SFM. But always choose the recommended FPT.

These guidelines will increase your success rate at part programming, as well as make you more productive.