Flat end mills and ball end mills are the most common types of cutting tools, both of which can be used in CNC machine tool control for carving molds, parts, and machining. They have different purposes and characteristics, and understanding how to choose between them is a more sophisticated aspect of the field.

What are their purposes?

Flat End Mill:

1. Flat end mills are used for rough milling, removing a large amount of stock, and precision milling of small flat surfaces or contoured profiles.

2. Chamfered flat end mills can perform rough milling to remove excess material and achieve fine milling for smooth surfaces and small chamfers.

3. They can be used for precise milling and smoothing (compared to steep surfaces) with small chamfers.

Ball End Mill:

1. Ball end mills have cutting edges shaped like a sphere and are suitable for semi-precision and precision milling of curved surfaces.

2. Small-sized ball end mills are effective for precise milling of steep surfaces, vertical walls, and irregular contour surfaces.

3. They are particularly useful for creating smooth transitions and contours in three-dimensional machining.

Differences in Cutting Characteristics:

The cutting tip of a flat end mill is flat, providing a very smooth cutting surface. In contrast, the cutting tip of a ball end mill is spherical, allowing for arc-shaped cutting, making it suitable for machining uneven curved surfaces and three-dimensional parts.

Differences in Machining Range:

As mentioned earlier, flat end mills are suitable for flat and side milling, providing relatively smooth machining surfaces. Ball end mills are ideal for curved surface machining and three-dimensional shape machining, meeting more complex machining requirements.

Chip Evacuation:

Due to the flat cutting surface of flat end mills, chips are easily evacuated, making them suitable for applications requiring high cutting surface quality. Ball end mills, on the other hand, generate relatively small chips, making them suitable for applications with lower cutting surface requirements, such as machining curved and three-dimensional parts.

Cutting Force:

Flat end mills concentrate cutting force on a smaller cutting tip, resulting in higher cutting forces, making them suitable for applications with higher cutting force requirements. Ball end mills, due to their spherical cutting tip, distribute cutting forces evenly around the tip, making them suitable for applications with lower cutting force requirements.

Machining Precision:

Flat end mills, providing a relatively smooth cutting surface, are suitable for applications requiring high machining precision. Ball end mills, capable of arc-shaped cutting, are suitable for applications requiring high precision in shaping.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, there are evident differences between flat end mills and ball end mills in terms of cutting characteristics, machining range, chip evacuation, cutting force, and machining precision. Since their functions do not overlap, it is essential to carefully consider specific machining requirements when choosing the appropriate tool for a given application.