Development of new solid cermet end mill.

A new solid-type end mill is the up-to-date cutting tool made from supertough cermet material, which was developed for end mill. This cermet has TiC and TiN for its main ingredients and equals cemented carbide in elastic modulus and its heat conductivity is lower than one tenth of that of cemented carbide. The tool life of cermet end mill in optimum cutting condition proves to be about two times as long as that of cemented carbide one. This end mill ensures surface roughness of 1μmRmax which is equal with ground surface one. Since cermet end mill is so small as φ2-12mm in tool diameter, restriction from machine tool side at cutting speed and feed rate, also, is considered, but careful consideration is paid to tool design, so that stable cutting could be capable at the cutting speed 30-100m/min.