The Niagara Cutter CNC430 TiN-coated carbide NC-style square nose end mill has four flutes and a plus-tolerance cutting diameter to match those of high-speed steel end mills, allowing an upgrade from high-speed steel to carbide and making the tool useful for milling keyways. Four flutes produce a better finish than fewer flutes. The 30-degree helix angle supports general-purpose applications. It balances lower angles’ strong cutting edge for difficult-to-machine materials with higher angles’ increased cutting action.
The general-purpose TiN coating combines stability at high temperatures with hardness for wear protection, increasing tool life and performance compared to uncoated end mills. (TiN is suitable for a range of materials, but TiCN or uncoated end mills are recommended for machining aluminum.) The carbide substrate is harder than high-speed or cobalt steel, making it more wear resistant at high speeds and providing longer tool life. The tool’s square end creates sharp, unrounded cuts. The center-cutting design has cutting teeth at the end of the tool, so it can be fed into the workpiece like a drill bit. NC-style tools can be used on both the older Numerical Control (NC) machines, which are programmed using physical media such as magnetic tape, and the newer CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines, which are programmed using computers. Cutting diameter tolerance is +0.001" to -0.000". The tool has a Weldon shank on shank diameters larger than 3/8”.
End mills are designed to remove material and create multi-dimensional shapes and profiles. They have cutting edges along the outside diameter and flutes that remove chips from the cutting area and allow cooling fluids to enter. If heat is not reduced effectively, the tool’s cutting edges will dull and additional material buildup can occur. The number of flutes can range from two to eight. Two-flute designs offer the most efficient chip removal, but more flutes provide a smoother finish. The shank is the end of the tool held in place by a tool holder or machine. Center-cutting end mills can create three-dimensional shapes and profiles, and make plunge cuts similar to a drill bit. Non-center-cutting end mills are for applications such as peripheral milling and finishing, but cannot make plunge cuts.
Niagara Cutter has been designing and manufacturing precision cutting tools since 1954. Specializing in end mills, cutting mills, and saws, the company is based in New York and manufactures its tools at facilities in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. This allows the company control over production, from substrate to coating, which is essential for customers in a variety of industries, especially aerospace and automotive.
