Cutting Tools

The broad category of “cutting tools” includes all of the consumable tooling involved in milling, drilling, turning and other lathe and machining center operations. Drills, end mills, taps, reamers and inserts are all included here. Consumable tooling used on certain other types of machine tools is included here as well. Also found here are toolholders and closely related accessories such as angle heads. Supplier pages, FAQs related to cutting and cutting tools can be found here, as well as essential reading on the topic and all of the latest 91爆料网 cutting tools coverage.

Choosing the Right Drill Type
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Choosing the Right Drill Type

Specifying the right option for your application can save time and tools.  

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Latest Cutting Tools News And Updates

Machines

Grizzly Industrial Mill/Drills Feature Detailed Digital Readouts

The G0982 and G0983 mill/drill combination machines are designed for small metalworking shops with limited space.

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Cutting Tools

A New Frontier in Surface Finish Control

What if your machine tool could measure surface roughness as it cuts? This article explores how in-process metrology is advancing from concept to reality, enabling real-time feedback, immediate detection of anomalies and new levels of control over surface quality. Discover the technologies making this possible.

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Cutting Tools

Monaghan Reamer Reconditioning Service Extends Tool Life

The company’s reamer reconditioning service includes replacing all blades, grinding fresh bevel geometry, refurbishing the body of the reamer and optional coating of the blades if required.

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Cutting Tools

Horn Tool System Provides High Surface Quality Finishes

Horn’s CBN tool system features geometries specially developed for finishing with tight tolerances and high process reliability when machining the material groups P, K and S.

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Holemaking

Allied Drilling System Enables High Penetration Rates

Eastec 2025: The T-A Pro high penetration drilling system offers customers a high performance drilling solution which combines excellent penetration capabilities with versatility across a wide range of sizes.

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Holemaking

Heule Drills Maintain Precise Results at High Feed Rates

Eastec 2025: DCC tooling is designed to drill and chamfer both sides of the workpiece in a single operation without turning the workpiece or changing tooling.

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Featured Posts

Milling Tools

Stability Maps for Milling

Selecting stable radial depths of cut for 2.5D milling.

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Milling Tools

Picking the Right End Mill

Kennametal global product manager Katie Myers explains how cutting tool features can impact machining strategies for different materials.

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Cutting Tools

Inside the Process of Cutting Tool Recycling

Global Tungsten & Powders, part of the Ceratizit Group, sheds light on the processing steps that convert a shop’s used inserts into new tools and other applications.

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Cutting Tools

Indexable Drill Heads Double Profitability

Moving to a robust line of indexable drills enabled this shop to dramatically alter the manufacturing process for a problem part, doubling its profitability.

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Measuring Torque, Thrust Force for Smart Drilling Operations

To monitor drilling operations for smart manufacturing solutions, torque and thrust force can be measured.

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Cutting Tools

Advanced CAMs Simplify Programming of Conical Barrel Cutters

Conical barrel cutters have grown in popularity thanks to the large stepovers that reduce the time needed for some finishing processes, but advanced CAM systems can dramatically improve their usefulness.

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FAQ: Cutting Tools

Why is through-tool coolant valuable, and why are shops are seeing greater need for it?

Getting coolant to the cutting edge is critical for any manufacturing application. It helps in cooling the cutting zone, provides very needed lubrication, and can assist in breaking a chip. Many times, external lines are used to splash coolant near the work zone. Long Chips can easily interfere with this delivery method, possibly knocking the lines out of the way. Additionally, when tools need to be changed or indexed coolant lines might be moved for better access to the tool. Then when the line is put back it is never the same as it previously was. Often times there is a give-and-take methodology used to cover areas being machined with this coolant, so all tools get some cooling, but none of them get ideal cooling. A coolant-through tool allows pinpoint accuracy with a specific direction of coolant pointed exactly at the cutting zone.

Source: Q&A: Trends in Cutting Tool Application

Through-tool coolant is available on cutters that couldn't offer it before. What has changed in the technology of tool manufacturing to make this possible?

There’s been a big change is the ability to drill small-diameter holes very deep and do this in a production atmosphere. Part of this comes from the drilling machines being able to reach the necessary speeds and holders that provide superior clamping and runout. The other part comes from tools designed specifically for this drilling application.

On a coolant-through tool, material could be added in areas that may need additional strength, allowing for the intersecting coolant ports to be drilled accordingly.

Source: Q&A: Trends in Cutting Tool Application

What aspect of tool engineering is responding to greater cutting speed?

Machines and tools seem to have a back-and-forth dance in terms of which is leading. Coatings continue to evolve, with more layers, and different material being used. This is something all tool manufactures are playing with on some level. The changes in coating technology is somewhat more limited, and not as many are playing in this arena. One process that comes to mind is “HiPIMS,” or high-power impulse magnetron sputtering. This process uses microsecond timing of extreme-power pulses. This allows the metal to ionize to nano size particles to be deposited on the tools. This process allows for greater adhesion and coating hardness, while maintaining great lubricity. Additionally, this process has greatly reduced compressive stresses. This reduction allows for smaller edge preps to be used, thus resulting in sharper tools.

Why is diamond used as an industrial cutting tool?

Developments in polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and cubic boron nitride (CBN) have allowed these materials to improve in ways that make them more versatile and cost-effective. Meanwhile, the machining speed and tool life of these tools continue to take machining processes to levels of performance where carbide cannot go.

Through long tool life and fast cutting parameters, the tools increase machine capacity by reducing the frequency of tool replacements and allowing machines to make parts at a greater rate. Meanwhile, the tooling increasingly figures into expert solutions tailored to more demanding applications in various industries.

Source: The New Rules of Cutting Tools - Rule #3: Diamond Shouldn't Be Rare

What are cutting tools made of?

Polycrystalline diamond (PCD), cubic boron nitride (CBN), ceramic, high-speed steel (HHS), cemented carbide or cermet.

Sources: What's Happening With Cutting Tools

Why Binderless CBN Inserts Turn Titanium Faster

Cutting Tools Supplier Categories