Tool Tuning
These examples show how to "tune" an endmill by changing its stick-out or pitch (tooth count). The endmills are all 5/8" diameter in the same toolholder, tap-tested in the same UMC-750 12,000 RPM machining center.
Identical 1/2" 4 flute endmills in P1 material. Watch what happens to the fastest stable zone at 11,000 RPM when you change the stickout by 0.200" in and out. You must re-tap the tool to see the change in the Dashboard.
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Pull the endmill out 0.200" and the lobe shifts slower.
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Push the endmill in 0.200" and the lobe shifts faster.
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When would you need to use this? With the Dashboard on the left we artificially increased the maximum speed to 16,000 RPM and that revealed a stable lobe at 15,000 RPM. To try and access this lobe, we increased the endmill stick-out by 0.500", re-tapped the tool and the stable lobe moved into the machine's 12,000 RPM maximum speed.
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You can also tune the application by changing the number of teeth. We begin with a 4 flute endmill.
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We added a flute and the 5 tooth endmill shifted the lobe faster.
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We removed a flute and the 3 tooth endmill shifted the lobe slower.
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NOTE: We changed the number of teeth in Tool Details to generally see the effect, but to be accurate, you must re-tap test the new tool with the diffrent flute count.