Table of Contents

Cutter Configuration Notes

Cutter Body Settings

Cutter Body Types

Cutter body types include:

  • Milling Any tool that machines by rotation is classified as milling in HiNC, including drilling and boring.
  • Freeform Subtraction Cutting tools, EDM (electrical discharge machining) dies.

Milling Tool Description Parameters

  • Material: Shank material, cutter body material, (multi-layer) coating material and thickness.
  • Cutting edge rotation envelope: Can use simplified parameters (APT) or a custom ZR table.
  • Simplified (yield-equivalent) edge center rotation envelope:
    • Solid space ratio of the cutting edge rotation envelope.
    • Custom ZR table.
  • Clamping end (non-cutting zone) shape: Custom ZR table.
  • Per-tooth geometry (including side edges and bottom edges):
    • Simplified parameters: Helix angle position, rake angle, relief angle.
    • Custom per-Z value: Helix angle position, rake angle, relief angle, radius length.
  • Hone radius, tool weight, insert weight, and (thermal-equivalent) thickness.

For information on measuring rake angle and relief angle, refer to Radial Angle Measurement.

Relief Angle Setting

The relief angle setting in HiNC refers to the primary relief angle. It is used to calculate flank wear width (Flank Wear, VB).

Cutter Body Weight

Cutter body weight is used for thermal transfer calculations.

  • Solid tools: Enter the weight of the solid tool as the cutter body weight.
  • Indexable tools: Enter the total insert weight as the cutter body weight, excluding the weight of the tool body.

Hone Radius

The hone radius represents the sharpness of the tool and is the radius at the cutting edge tip. Typical values range from 20 to 50 um.

Tools used for machining easy-to-cut materials typically have a smaller hone radius (e.g., Al6061-T6, which can be assumed as 20 um); tools used for difficult-to-cut materials typically have a larger hone radius (e.g., stainless steel, which can be assumed as 50 um).

Edge Profile and Edge Grind — Bottom Edge Grind

The bottom edge grind needs to be configured when the bottom edge is horizontal or concave, and it affects segments with downward cutting.

Drill bits do not require bottom edge grind configuration — only the side edge grind needs to be set. This is because drill bit bottoms are not horizontal or concave. If a custom drill bit has a horizontal or concave bottom, then the bottom edge grind must be configured.

Typically, only bull-nose cutters require bottom edge grind configuration. Note that flat end mills usually do not perform downward cutting and should not, but if the process does so, the bottom edge grind must be configured.