Alloy milling cutters are multi-edge cutters, the number of teeth (z) can be changed, there are some factors that can help determine the pitch or number of teeth for different types of machining. Materials, workpiece dimensions, overall stability, overhang dimensions, surface quality requirements and available power are all factors related to machining. Factors related to the tool include adequate feed per tooth, at least two teeth are cutting together, and the chip capacity of the tool, to name but a few.
The pitch (u) of a milling cutter is the distance from a point on the cutting edge of the insert to the same point on the next cutting edge. Milling cutters are divided into sparse, dense and ultra-dense pitch milling cutters. A dense pitch means that there are more teeth and adequate chip space, enabling cutting with high metal removal rates. Generally used for medium duty milling of cast iron and steel. Fine pitch is a general purpose milling cutter recommended for mixed production.
Sparse pitch means that there are fewer teeth and a large chip space on the circumference of the milling cutter. The sparse pitch is often used for roughing to finishing of steel, and oscillation has a great influence on the machining results in steel machining. Sparse pitch is the problem solution, it is long overhang milling, low power machine tools or other applications to reduce cutting force.
The chip space of the ultra-dense pitch tool is very small, and a higher table feed can be used. These tools are suitable for continuous cutting of cast iron surfaces, rough machining of cast iron and small stock cutting of steel, such as side milling. They are also suitable for applications that insist on low cutting speeds. Milling cutters can also have uniform or unequal pitches. The latter refers to the unequal spacing of the teeth on the tool, which is also an effective way to deal with oscillation problems.
When there is an oscillation problem, use a sparse-tooth unequal pitch milling cutter as much as possible. With fewer blades, there is less chance of increased oscillation. Small tool diameters can also improve this situation.
