The application of end mills in the Processing of office Equipment parts

End mills are widely used in the processing of office equipment parts, mainly undertaking tasks such as planar, contour, and groove processing. Their performance directly affects the accuracy of the parts and production efficiency. The following analysis is conducted from three aspects: application scenarios, tool selection, and process optimization:

First, application scenarios and processing requirements

Office equipment parts (such as printer casings, scanner frames, etc.) are usually made of aluminum alloy, stainless steel or engineering plastics. Processing requirements include:

Plane milling: It is used for processing the bottom surface or mounting surface of parts, and it is necessary to ensure flatness and surface roughness.

Contour milling: When processing the edges or internal cavities of parts, it is necessary to control dimensional accuracy and shape errors.

Groove and hole system processing: It is used for installing guide rails, bearings or connecting parts. It is necessary to ensure the width of the groove and the positional accuracy of the hole system.

Second, tool selection and parameter optimization

Tool material and coating:

Aluminum alloy processing: Hard alloy end mills are preferred, and TiAlN or TiCN coatings are used in combination to enhance wear resistance and cutting efficiency.

Stainless steel processing: Cobalt-containing high-speed steel end mills are selected, combined with AlCrN coating, which can reduce chip adhesion and tool wear.

Engineering plastic processing: High-speed steel end mills are selected, without coating, to avoid material deformation caused by cutting heat.

Tool geometric parameters:

Rake Angle: When processing aluminum alloy, a rake Angle of 10° to 15° can reduce the cutting force. When processing stainless steel, the rake Angle should be 5° to 8° to enhance the strength of the cutting tool.

Helix Angle: A 30° helix Angle is suitable for large feed rate processing, while a 45° helix Angle is suitable for high-precision processing.

Selection of edge number: For rough machining, a 2-edge end mill is chosen; for finish machining, a 4-edge or 6-edge end mill is selected to enhance surface quality.

Cutting parameter optimization

Aluminum alloy: Cutting speed 150-200m/min, feed rate 0.1-0.2mm/ tooth, axial cutting depth 0.5-2mm.

Stainless steel: Cutting speed 30-50m/min, feed rate 0.05-0.1mm/ tooth, axial cutting depth 0.3-1mm.

Engineering plastics: Cutting speed 80-120m/min, feed rate 0.2-0.3mm/ tooth, axial cutting depth 1-3mm.

Third, process optimization and quality assurance

Hierarchical processing strategy

For deep grooves or complex surfaces, a layer-by-layer processing method is adopted, with each cutting depth controlled within 0.5 to 1mm to reduce tool load and improve dimensional accuracy.

Tool path optimization

By using the row cutting method or the ring cutting method, the idle travel can be reduced and the processing efficiency can be improved.

For curved or rounded corners, a ball-end end mill is used for smoothing processing to ensure a natural transition.

Cooling and lubrication

When processing aluminum alloys, compressed air is used for cooling to prevent oxidation caused by residual cutting fluid.

When processing stainless steel and engineering plastics, extreme pressure cutting fluid is used to reduce the cutting temperature and friction coefficient.