In CNC machining—whether for aerospace components, dispositivos médicos, or automotive parts—the common tools used in CNC machining directly determine machining efficiency, qualidade da superfície, and production costs. These tools aren’t a random collection; they’re categorized by function (moagem, perfuração, virando) and tailored to material properties (soft aluminum vs. hard steel) and process needs (roughing vs. acabamento). This article breaks down the core tool categories, seus principais recursos, cenários de aplicação, and practical selection strategies, helping you avoid mismatches and optimize your machining workflow.
1. What Are the Core Categories of Common CNC Machining Tools?
CNC machining tools are mainly divided into four functional categories, each covering multiple specialized types. Below is a clear breakdown to help you quickly identify the right tool for your task:
| Tool Category | Key Functions | Typical Tool Types | Suitable Machining Processes |
| Ferramentas de moagem | Remove material from workpiece surfaces; Shape flat, curvado, or grooved features | Face mills, round nose mills, flat bottom mills, ball end mills, chamfer mills | Moagem (vertical/horizontal machining centers); Contour shaping; Cavity machining |
| Drilling Tools | Create holes of different diameters; Finish hole accuracy and surface quality | Standard twist drills, exercícios centrais, U-drills, Amerizadores, torneiras | Perfuração; Hole finishing; Thread machining |
| Virando & Boring Tools | Machine cylindrical, conical, or hole features on lathes; Achieve high-precision hole diameters | Turning Tools, fine boring tools, rough boring tools | Virando (Tornos CNC); Tedioso (for existing holes); Grooving on cylindrical parts |
| Specialized Tools | Handle unique features or materials; Reduce tool changes and improve efficiency | Thread cutters, slot milling cutters, Ferramentas de formação, engraving tools | Thread machining; Keyway/T-groove cutting; Custom feature shaping; Fine engraving |
2. What Are the Key Features and Applications of Milling Tools?
Milling tools are the most versatile in CNC machining, used for everything from large-area roughing to precision contouring. Below is a detailed guide to the most common types:
2.1 Common Milling Tools: Características & Casos de uso
| Milling Tool Type | Função central | Principais características | Ideal Application Scenarios | Compatibilidade do material |
| Mill de rosto | Large-area roughing/finishing of flat surfaces | – Multi-flute design (4-12 flutes)- Large diameter (φ20-100mm)- High material removal rate | – Machining automotive engine blocks (flat top surfaces)- Finishing mold bases (AR 1,6-3,2μm) | Todos os metais (alumínio, aço, titânio); Best for large flat parts |
| Round Nose Mill | Balanced roughing + corner clearing; Complex contour machining | – Rounded cutting edge (radius 0.5-10mm)- Avoids sharp corner damage | – Machining shallow cavities with rounded edges (Por exemplo, electronic device housings)- Medium-area material removal (50-100cm² parts) | Ligas de alumínio (Materiais macios); Aço (with coated blades) |
| Flat Bottom Mill | Straight wall + straight bottom machining; Sharp corner forming | – Flat cutting edge (no radius)- Subdivided into: • Aluminum mills (focus on side edge sharpness) • Tungsten steel mills (for hard materials) | – Machining straight-wall grooves (Por exemplo, keyways in shafts)- Finishing rectangular cavities (Por exemplo, sensor mounting slots) | Aluminum mills: Al/Mg alloys; Tungsten steel mills: 45# aço, aço inoxidável |
| Ball End Mill | Curved surface machining; Complex contour trimming | – Hemispherical cutting edge- Improves surface finish via step adjustment (stepover 10-20% of tool diameter) | – Machining aerospace turbine blade curves- Engraving 3D patterns on mold inserts | Todos os metais; Best for curved surfaces (Por exemplo, optical lens molds) |
| Chamfer Mill | Chamfer cutting; Deburrendo; Countersink machining | – Fixed angles (30°, 45°, 60°)- Single/multi-flute options | – Deburring hole edges (prevents part damage during assembly)- Machining countersinks for screws (Por exemplo, Hardware de móveis) | Todos os metais; Universal for post-processing |
3. How to Select Drilling Tools for Different Hole Requirements?
Drilling tools are critical for hole creation, but choosing the wrong type leads to low accuracy or broken tools. Below is a selection guide based on hole depth, precisão, e material:
3.1 Drilling Tool Comparison: Precisão vs.. Eficiência
| Drilling Tool Type | Uso primário | Nível de precisão | Eficiência | Limitações -chave |
| Standard Twist Drill | Universal pre-drilling | Baixo (diameter tolerance: ± 0,1 mm) | Alto (fast drilling speed: 100-300mm/min) | Cannot achieve high precision; Needs reaming for tight tolerances |
| Center Drill | High-precision hole positioning | Alto (positioning accuracy: ± 0,02 mm) | Médio (slow feed rate: 20-50mm/min) | Only for positioning; Cannot drill deep holes (>5milímetros) |
| U-Drill (Violent Drill) | Deep hole machining (depth-to-diameter ratio >5:1) | Médio (tolerância: ± 0,05 mm) | Muito alto (one-pass drilling; Center outlet cooling) | Not suitable for shallow holes (<3x diameter); Requires high-pressure coolant |
| Reamer | Hole finishing; Correcting verticality | Muito alto (tolerância: ± 0,01 mm; Rá <0.8μm) | Baixo (slow feed rate: 10-30mm/min) | Cannot change hole position; Requires pre-drilled holes (90-95% of final diameter) |
| Tocar | Internal thread machining | Medium-high (thread tolerance: 6H/7H) | Médio | – Cutting taps: Para materiais macios (alumínio); Produce chips- Forming taps: Para materiais difíceis (aço); No chips (better for blind holes) |
4. What Are the Must-Know Turning & Boring Tools for Lathe Machining?
Turning and boring tools are essential for cylindrical parts and hole refinement on CNC lathes. Below is a breakdown of their key roles:
| Tipo de ferramenta | Função | Parâmetros -chave | Exemplos de aplicação |
| Turning Tool | Outer circle, inner circle, and grooving machining | – Cutting edge angle: 30-90°- Insert material: Carboneto (para aço); PCD (para alumínio) | – Turning automotive drive shafts (outer circle diameter φ50-100mm)- Grooving for O-rings (groove width 2-5mm) |
| Fine Boring Tool | Precision hole finishing | – Adjustable edge position (± 0,001 mm)- Acabamento superficial: Rá <0.4μm | – Finishing hydraulic cylinder holes (tolerance H7)- Machining bearing seats (redondeza <0.005milímetros) |
| Rough Boring Tool | Rough boring or reaming | – Large cutting volume (depth of cut 1-3mm)- Tolerância: ± 0,1 mm | – Pre-processing engine cylinder bores (before fine boring)- Enlarging existing holes (from φ20mm to φ30mm) |
5. How to Choose the Right CNC Machining Tool: Um guia passo a passo
Choosing tools randomly leads to 30-50% higher costs (due to rework or tool breakage). Follow this 4-step process for optimal selection:
Etapa 1: Define Machining Requirements
Clarify core goals to narrow down tool types:
- If roughing: Prioritize tools with high material removal rates (Por exemplo, face mills, U-drills).
- If finishing: Choose tools with sharp edges and high precision (Por exemplo, ball end mills, Amerizadores).
- If hole machining: Match tool to hole depth (U-drill for deep holes) e precisão (reamer for tight tolerances).
Etapa 2: Match Tool to Material Properties
Soft and hard materials require different tool materials:
| Material da peça de trabalho | Material de ferramenta recomendado | Principal razão |
| Aluminum/Magnesium Alloys (Macio) | PCD (polycrystalline diamond) ou aço de alta velocidade (HSS) | PCD has ultra-sharp edges; Avoids material adhesion |
| Aço/aço inoxidável (Duro) | Tungsten carbide (with TiAlN coating) or CBN (Nitreto de boro cúbico) | Coated carbide resists wear; CBN handles high temperatures |
| Ligas de titânio (Difficult-to-Cut) | Ultra-fine grain carbide (with TaN coating) | Alta dureza (HRC70) e resistência ao calor |
Etapa 3: Consider Machine Tool Performance
Ensure tools match your CNC machine’s capabilities:
- Velocidade do eixo: High-speed spindles (>15,000 RPM) work best with PCD tools (para alumínio); Low-speed spindles need carbide tools (para aço).
- Coolant system: U-drills require high-pressure coolant (30-50MPA); Micro lubrication suits ball end mills (reduces chip adhesion).
Etapa 4: Evaluate Cost-Efficiency
Balance tool life and price:
- Produção de alto volume: Invest in durable tools (Por exemplo, coated carbide) to reduce tool changes (salva 20-30% in labor time).
- Baixo volume, peças personalizadas: Use universal tools (Por exemplo, standard twist drills) instead of expensive custom tools (cuts tool costs by 40-60%).
6. Yigu Technology’s Perspective on Common Tools Used in CNC Machining
Na tecnologia Yigu, nós vemos common tools used in CNC machining as the “silent efficiency drivers”—the right tool choice can cut production time by 20-40% while improving quality. Nossos dados mostram 70% of machining defects (Por exemplo, acabamento superficial ruim, hole deviation) come from tool-material mismatches, not machine errors.
We recommend a “scenario-driven” tool selection approach: For auto part manufacturers, we pair tungsten steel flat bottom mills with 45# aço (reducing tool wear by 50%); For medical device clients, we use PCD ball end mills for titanium alloys (alcançando ra <0.2μM para implantes). We also help clients build tool life trackers (via IoT sensors) to replace tools before failure—avoiding costly rework. Em última análise, tool selection isn’t just about “buying the best”—it’s about “matching the right tool to the right task.”
7. Perguntas frequentes: Common Questions About CNC Machining Tools
1º trimestre: Can I use a ball end mill for flat surface machining instead of a face mill?
Tecnicamente sim, but it’s inefficient. Ball end mills have a smaller cutting area (only the tip contacts the surface), so machining a 100mm×100mm flat surface takes 3-5x longer than a face mill. Face mills also produce smoother surfaces (Ra 1.6μm vs. Ra 3.2μm for ball end mills) and last longer—they’re the better choice for flat surfaces.
2º trimestre: Why do forming taps work better for hard materials (Por exemplo, aço inoxidável) than cutting taps?
Forming taps use cold extrusion to shape threads (no chip removal), while cutting taps remove material to create threads. Para materiais difíceis, cutting taps are prone to chip clogging (causing broken taps) and edge wear (reducing thread quality). Forming taps avoid these issues—they produce stronger threads (20-30% maior resistência à tração) and last 2-3x longer than cutting taps for stainless steel.
3º trimestre: How often should I replace common CNC tools (Por exemplo, Mills finais de carboneto)?
It depends on tool type and material:
- Carbide face mills (para aço): Replace after 80-120 minutes of cutting (or when surface roughness worsens to Ra >3.2μm).
- PCD ball end mills (para alumínio): Last 300-500 minutos (substitua quando lascas nas bordas estiverem visíveis).
- Standard twist drills: Replace after 50-80 buracos (ou se a força de perfuração aumentar repentinamente, indicando bordas opacas).
Sempre monitore a vida útil da ferramenta com um registro – não espere pela quebra da ferramenta (que pode danificar peças de trabalho).