What is a face milling cutter?

What is a face milling cutter?

Face milling cutter ( Face Milling Cutter ) is a milling cutter used in metal processing, mainly used for processing the workpiece's plane surfaces, and can also perform light processing such as chamfering and slotting at certain angles.

In the cemented carbide industry ，face milling cutters usually use Lichou cemented carbide blades ( carbide inserts ) for cutting. The cutter body is generally made of high-strength steel or alloy steel, while the cutting edge is a replaceable cemented carbide blade to achieve efficient, wear-resistant, and long-life processing effects.

In CNC blade industry ，blades specifically for face milling cutters (such as SNMU 、 WNMU 、 PNMU 、 RDMW   etc.) have the following characteristics:

Designed with multiple edges (multiple cutting edges) to disperse the cutting load.

Various cutting edge structures, such as right angles, round corners, and slopes, adapt to different processing needs.

Uses coated cemented carbide materials, such as TiAlN coating, to enhance heat resistance and wear resistance.

 

Typical characteristics of face milling cutters

High processing efficiency ：A large amount of metal material can be removed with one pass, suitable for rough machining and plane finishing.

Convenient blade replacement ：The cutter body can be used for a long time, only the blades need to be replaced, reducing the cost of use.

Strong adaptability ：Can process various materials such as steel, stainless steel, cast iron, and non-ferrous metals.

Stable cutting ：The reasonably designed cutting edge geometry can effectively control the cutting force and reduce vibration.

Common usage scenarios for face milling cutters

Mold manufacturing industry (processing mold surfaces, cavity surfaces)

Automotive parts processing (engine housings, gearbox covers)

Aerospace structural parts processing (large aluminum alloy plates)

Mechanical manufacturing industry (large machine bases, flange surfaces, mechanical housings)

Engineering machinery parts (pump bodies, brackets, bases)

 

What is a face milling machine?

The face milling machine is the horse, and the cemented carbide blade is the saddle —— Good horse with good saddle

Milling the plane can be fast and efficient! Don't believe it? Bring a workpiece to test the machine, work for 8 hours without stopping, or I lose!

Face milling machine ( Face Milling Machine ) is a machine tool specifically used for processing workpiece planes 。
It clamps the face milling cutter ( Face Milling Cutter ), causing the tool or workpiece to rotate and perform large-area plane cutting.

Simply put: A face milling machine is for rapid and precise milling of large-area planes designed machine tool.

 

Characteristics of face milling machines

Use large diameter face milling cutters ：Wide single cutting range, suitable for batch processing.

High rigidity body structure ：Can withstand relatively large cutting forces to ensure that the processed surface is flat.

Adjustable cutting parameters ：Such as speed and feed rate, suitable for processing different materials (steel, stainless steel, cast iron, aluminum alloy, etc.).

Suitable for heavy-duty cutting ：Especially rough machining, which can efficiently remove a large amount of material.

 

What materials can face milling cutters process?

Face milling cutter ( Face Milling Cutter ) It is a very versatile and powerful tool, especially when combined with cemented carbide blades ，it can process various metal and some non-metal materials.
Commonly processed materials include:

1.  Carbon steel ( Carbon Steel )

low carbon steel, medium carbon steel, high carbon steel

Application scenarios: mechanical parts, structural parts

2.  Alloy steel ( Alloy Steel )

structural steel, quenched and tempered steel, carburized steel, etc.

Application scenarios: automotive parts, engineering machinery accessories

3.  Stainless steel ( Stainless Steel )

For example 304、316、410  Grade

Application scenarios: Food equipment, medical devices, petrochemical equipment

Note: When processing stainless steel, select blades with good wear resistance and sharp edges (such as coated carbide blades).

4.  Cast iron ( Cast Iron )

Gray cast iron, ductile iron

Application scenarios: Machine tool bases, engine housings, pump bodies

Features: High hardness during milling, easy to wear blades, requires high wear-resistant materials

5.  Aluminum and aluminum alloys ( Aluminum & Alloys )

Pure aluminum, hard aluminum alloys (such as 6061、7075 )

Application scenarios: Automotive parts, aerospace, electronic equipment

Features: Aluminum material is soft, requires ultra-sharp edges to prevent blade sticking

6.  Copper, brass, bronze ( Copper, Brass, Bronze )

Application scenarios: Valves, connectors, electrical accessories

Features: Easy to stick the knife during milling, choose face milling cutters suitable for non-ferrous metal processing

7.  Titanium alloy ( Titanium Alloys )

Application scenarios: Aerospace, medical devices

Features: High material toughness, poor thermal conductivity, difficult processing, requires high-performance blades

8.  High-temperature alloy (such as Inconel and Hastelloy)

Application scenarios: Aerospace, energy equipment

Features: Large cutting force, easy to wear, requires high-temperature and wear-resistant milling cutter materials

9.  Plastics, composite materials

Specific hard plastics, glass fiber reinforced plastics ( GFRP ), carbon fiber materials ( CFRP )

Features: Requires special edge treatment to prevent tearing of materials

Face milling cutters have a very wide processing range, from conventional steel, stainless steel to high-difficulty titanium alloys and aluminum alloys.
Choose the right Blade material (such as carbide, coated blades) and Edge shape (sharp type, tough type), can further improve the processing effect and tool life.
When processing different materials, it is recommended to adjust the cutting parameters according to the material properties, such as cutting speed, feed rate, feed per tooth, etc.

 

Features and advantages of face milling cutters

Face milling cutter ( Face Milling Cutter ) It is one of the most commonly used cutting tools in metal processing, especially suitable for large-area planar processing and high-efficiency material removal.
From the perspective of the cemented carbide blade industry, face milling cutters have the following characteristics and advantages:

Main features

Multi-blade design, efficient cutting
Face milling cutters usually assemble multiple cemented carbide blades, each blade sharing the cutting load, achieving higher cutting efficiency.

Replaceable blades, reduce costs
After the blade is worn, only the blade needs to be replaced, and the entire tool body does not need to be replaced, greatly reducing the cost of use.

Various edge designs to suit different materials
Different edge shapes (sharp type, tough type) and different coating processes allow face milling cutters to handle various materials such as steel, cast iron, stainless steel, aluminum, and titanium alloys.

Strong rigidity, stable cutting
The rigid design of the tool body combined with high-quality blades results in low vibration and uniform cutting force during face milling, ensuring the flatness and surface finish of the workpiece.

Suitable for roughing and semi-finishing
It can quickly remove a large amount of material, and can also achieve higher surface quality by selecting different edge blades.

 

Recommended face milling blades by Lizhou

S Type

SEKN1203AFN

SEKR1203AFTN

SEKT1204AFTN

SNMX1205ANTN

SNMU1206ANEN

O Type

ONMU0504EN-MO8

W Type

WNMU080608EN-GM