Gear Cutters and Hobs Specifications

Help with Gear Cutters and Hobs specifications:

Cutter Type

	Cutter Configuration:
	Your choices are...
	Solid Construction
	Holder and Inserts
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.
	Tip / End Geometry:
	Your choices are...
	Square End		Cutting tips are square or straight ended with no radius, chamfer, or other finish feature.
	Ball Nose		Cutter ends with a hemispheric "ball nose" whose radius is one half of the cutter diameter.  They are useful for machining female semicircles grooves or radii.
	Radius Tip		Straight flutes end with ground radius on tips.
	Chamfer Tip		Cutter side or ends contain an angled section on tip to produce an angled cut or a chamfered edge on the workpiece.
	Other		Other unlisted or specialized tip geometry.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.
	Finish Type (if applicable):
	Your choices are...
	Roughing / Hogging		Cutter geometry, flutes, and/or materials are designed for rapid, heavy material removal.  Roughing cutters are typically used to machine workpieces somewhat over the desired finish dimensions, after which a finishing cutter is used to produce closer tolerances or a better surface finish.
	Finishing		Cutter geometry and edges suitable for producing finish geometry and surface finish on the workpiece.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Back to Top

Cutter Size

	Cutting Diameter:		Full-tool cutting diameter.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
	Shank / Arbor Diameter (if different):		Diameter of mounting shank or arbor.  For milling cutters that attach to a separate arbor, this is the I.D. of the mounting hole.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
	Flute / Cutting Length:		Total length of cutting edge(s).
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
	Overall Length:		Total tool length, including integral shank, if present.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
	Radius Dimension (if applicable):		Dimension of the radius on the cutter tips, if applicable.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
	Chamfer / Angle (if applicable):		Angle of cutter or of chamfer on cutting tip, if present.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.

Back to Top

Cutter Construction

	Number of Flutes / Cutting Edges:		The number of cutting flutes or inserts can vary with cutter diameter, material being milled, and other factors.  Two-flute cutters are often used on very ductile materials that produce long chips, and higher-flute cutters can be used to minimize chip load and vibration.  Consult with manufacturer for optimization of flute configuration.
	Search Logic:		User may specify either, both, or neither of the "At Least" and "No More Than" values. Products returned as matches will meet all specified criteria.
	Cutter Material
	Your choices are...
	Carbide		Carbide grades are much harder than high-speed steel, and therefore last longer and wear less.  Several coatings are available to lengthen cutter life.
	Micrograin Carbide		Micrograin carbide exhibits a small grain size that enables grinding to a very fine edge.  These are often used for finish cutting where surface finish is a consideration.
	Ceramic		Many grades of ceramic are used in the manufacture of cutting tools.  Ceramic grades are characterized by good wear and abrasion resistance, non-conductivity, and good thermal properties.
	Cobalt		Cobalt steel tools are somewhat harder than high-speed steel and are often used for milling stainless steel and other alloys.
	High Speed Steel		Cost-efficient cutter material, used for general application metal machining.
	Diamond / PCD		Industrial diamond grades such as polycrystalline diamond (PCD) provide very long service life, and are often used for special applications such as very high-speed cutting.
	Other		Other unlisted or specialized cutter material.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.
	Coating
	Your choices are...
	None		Uncoated cutting edges.
	Coated		The cutter has a coating to assist in cutting lubricity and/or add abrasion resistance for longer tool life.
	Titanium Nitride (TiN)		Titanium nitride is widely used general-purpose tool coating and in most cutting operations. The coating provides good adhesion and low friction. It is typically pale gold in color.
	Titanium Carbonitride (TiCN)		Titanium carbonitride maintains good hardness and smoothness, and is often used on drills and reamers for castings and nonferrous materials. It is often bluish-gray in color.
	Titanium Aluminum Nitride (TiAlN)		Titanium aluminum nitride forms an oxide-like layer on the tool substrate.  It is typically used in high-speed or high heat dry-cutting operations, and is bronze in appearance.
	Aluminum Titanium Nitride (AlTiN)		Aluminum titanium nitride is a variation of TiAlN with increased hardness and abrasion resistance. It is dark gray or black in color.
	Aluminum Oxide (Al2O3)		Aluminum oxide applications include high-speed cutting or turning of abrasive materials such as ductile irons. It is also used as an additive for other coatings due to its abrasion and temperature resistance. Depending on its grade, aluminum oxide can range from gold-to-black in appearance.
	Chromium Nitride (CrN)		Chromium nitride provides good corrosion and oxidation resistance. It is often used for plastics processing and cutting.  It exhibits low friction, making it useful for drawing, forming, and extruding tools.
	Zirconium Nitride (ZrN)		Zirconium nitride is typically used on nonferrous materials such as aluminum, brass, nickel alloys, plastics, etc., but can have applications for some iron and stainless steel grades. It provides good abrasion resistance and lubricity, and is pale gold in appearance.
	Diamond		Thin diamond films are applied to cutters to increase service life and abrasion resistance.
	Other		Other unlisted, specialized, or proprietary coating.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Back to Top

Cutting Application

	Your choices are...
	General Purpose		Designed for a variety of materials and general applications.
	Aluminum		Aluminum is a widely used machining material that combines generally good machinability, good strength-to-weight ratio, non-magnetic properties, and corrosion resistance. It is available in many grades for different applications.
	Bronze / Brass / Copper		Many different grades of copper and its alloys are used in electrical, plumbing, fluid power, decorative, and other applications.  Machinability and properties vary widely with the various alloys.
	Ceramic		Ceramic is a broad class of bonded materials noted for good thermal properties and wear and abrasion resistance.
	Hard / Hardened Metals		This category includes hard and ultra hard materials such as carbide grades and hardened steels.
	Plastic		Tools designed for machining of plastics and polymers can include specialized rake and relief angles, chip clearance geometry, and coatings for this purpose.
	Steel		Steel refers to a broad category of alloys containing primarily iron with trace amounts of carbon and other alloying elements.  This category includes all steels, such as mild steel, tool steel, etc.
	Stainless Steel		Stainless steel is an alloy that exhibits corrosion resistance and generally non-magnetic qualities. It is available in many grades.
	Titanium / Exotic Metals		Tools designed for use with metals such as titanium, niobium alloys, precious metals, etc.
	Wood		Tools designed for cutting wood.
	Other		Other unlisted material application.
	Search Logic:		All products with ANY of the selected attributes will be returned as matches. Leaving all boxes unchecked will not limit the search criteria for this question; products with all attribute options will be returned as matches.

Back to Top