Working Faster With Drill Mills

By Author: Geoffrey Less
Total Articles: 73
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Milling machines are amazing devices that are often used in the creation of custom components. Because these machines can be programmed to perform precise cuts on a wide variety of materials, they have helped to revolutionize the process of manufacturing. Despite this fact, working will milling machines does have its setbacks, especially when time is of the essence. If you work in a shop that has to manufacture a high volume of components, versatile milling cutters like drill mills can help to speed up production.

Because milling machines operate at such high speeds, it can be difficult to design tools that can perform a wide range of functions. If you need a tool that will be able to quickly remove a large amount of material for the beginning of a project, you will probably need to do a tool change before diving into the fire details and then several more tool changes to drill any holes or add finishing touches.
One unique type of tool that ...
... every shop should have is a drill mill. As the name suggests, these cutting tools are designed with features common to both end mills and drill bits. One of the largest limitations of end mills is the fact that most are designed solely for side milling and not drilling operations. This means that any project that will include drilled holes is going to require some tool changes.
The flutes used on these cutters resemble the flute on an end mill and they are capable of side milling. That is most unique about drill mills is the fact that they terminate in a pointed tip like a drill bit instead of the usual ball or square end design that most end mills use. This point tip adds a lot of functionality that a normal end mill cannot provide.
One of the most obvious advantages of using these tools is the fact that they can be used to drill holes as long as those holes are consistent with the size of the cutter. If you need to drill larger holes, these cutters can be used in place of a spot drill to mark the hole locations and to help ensure a smooth final cut with your longer twist bit.
In addition to being able to side mill and perform drilling operations, these tools can help to fulfill a few other jobs. Because of their sharp points, drill mills can be used in place of a chamfer mill to help break the sharp edges of a freshly milled component. They can also be used to deburr a finished piece by tracing the edges and removing any stray metal burrs. These tools can also be used to add custom engravings and any other fine finishing touches that your workpiece needs.
If you are trying to find some drill mills for your shop, it is important to invest in high quality cutting tools from reputable manufacturers. One great place to start is with Online Carbide, an American manufacturer of solid carbide end mills and drill bits. They manufacture their tools using the same high quality micro grain tungsten carbide tool stock and offer their cutters at manufacturer direct pricing so you can always get a great deal on the tools you need. If you would like more information on any of their products or you are interested in having custom cutting tools made for you shop, feel free to reach out to a member of the Online Carbide team by sending an email to sales@onlinecarbide.com.
For more information about Carbide End Mill Set and Spot Drills Carbide Please visit : Online Carbide.