RotationRotation RotationRotation RADIAL CHIP THINNING INCREASE FEED RATES BY UNDERSTANDING AND APPLYING RADIAL CHIP THINNING FACTORS Radial Chip Thickness Depth Of Cut (DOC) exceeding two-thirds Even though the APT in this case is .0105”, the Limitations on a cutting tool’s performance are the diameter of the cutter, the chip thickness ACT (or chip load) is only .005”. generally established in terms of maximum increases until it equals the APT at the chip load. Since commonly used speed centerline of the cutter. The chip thickness then A two-effective, 2.000” diameter end mill had and feed calculators show only Advance decreases to nothing as the cutting edge exits an APT of .0105” and a chip thickness of only Per Tooth (APT), chip load and APT tend to the cut (Figure 1). .005”. The Radial Chip Thinning Factor (RCTF) be used interchangeably. This is an area of is the ratio of chip thickness to APT or, in this misunderstanding which can be significant. Thus, APT is a constant for a given operation example, .48. Chip load actually refers to chip thickness, not and the chip thickness is variable, changing APT. cyclically. Mathematically, the RCTF can be expressed as: where: APT is defined as the increment of feed that Peripheral cutting: When end mill cuts are takes place in the time necessary for the cutter shallow in relation to the cutter diameter, the to rotate the distance between cutting edges.Mathematically, it is:Actual Chip Thickness (ACT) is less than the APT.This chip thinning effect allows much higherRCTF =1–1–2 x WOC 2Eff. Dia. APT = IPM feed rates (Figure 2). RPM x T For example, assume the following parameters: D = Diameter of cutter where: 2.000” diameter end mill WOC = Radial Width Of Cut IPM = Feed rate (inches/min) Two-effective RPM = Spindle speed (rev/min) 500 Surface Feet per Minute (SFM) Whenever the radial DOC is equal to or greater T = Teeth .12” radial Width Of Cut (WOC) than the effective cutter radius, the RCTF is .005” chip thickness equal to 1. The chip thickness is the “bite” taken by each 955 effective RPM cutting edge as it performs its work. For a typical end mill in a radial APT Diameter of Cutter ACT Radial Width of Cut Fig. 1 Fig. 2 APT APT Insert takesthick chip here Diameterof Cutter CT Radial ACT Diameter Widthof Cutterof Cut Max. ACT Radial Width of Cut Insert eases out of chip here Chip thickness equals the Advance Per Tooth at Chip thickness is less than the Advance Per the centerline of the cutter.APT Insert takes Tooth. thick chip here CT Radial Diameter Width of Cutter of Cut Max. ACT Insert eases out of chip here 312