KEVOS® MAKEOS · Manufacturing
Face Milling Power Plan (Teeth, Chip Thickness, kc, Spindle Power)
How many teeth should my face mill have for this cut, what specific cutting force applies at the actual chip thickness, and does the spindle have the power?
Plan for a face milling cut: the number of teeth for the teeth wanted in the cut (as the milling cutter teeth tool), spindle speed and table feed, the engagement angle and mean chip thickness and the specific cutting force corrected for it (as the chip thickness and kc tool), and metal removal rate, cutting and motor power and torque (as the milling power tool), against the spindle power.
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How this tool works
Inputs, units and where to find them
| Input | Unit | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Cutter diameter | mm | Diameter of the face mill. |
| Width of cut | mm | Width of the surface being milled. |
| Depth of cut | mm | Axial depth of cut. |
| Teeth wanted in the cut | How many teeth you want cutting at once for smooth cutting. | |
| Teeth on the cutter (0 = suggested) | Teeth on the cutter you have; 0 uses the suggested number. | |
| Cutting speed | m/min | Cutting speed. |
| Feed per tooth | mm | Feed per tooth. |
| Lead (entering) angle | ° | Entering angle of the inserts (90° square shoulder, 45° face mill). |
| kc1.1 (specific force at 1 mm chip) | N/mm² | Specific cutting force of the material at 1 mm chip thickness. |
| Exponent mc | Chip-thickness exponent of the material. | |
| Effective rake angle | ° | Effective rake angle of the inserts. |
| Machine efficiency | % | Efficiency of the spindle drive. |
| Available spindle power | kW | Spindle motor power. |
Method and formulas
- Teeth = 6.3 D ÷ W × teeth in cut ÷ 2 (as the milling cutter teeth tool); n = 1000 v_c ÷ π D; table feed = f_z × z × n.
- Engagement φ = cos⁻¹(1 − 2 a_e ÷ D); mean chip h_m = 360 f_z sin κ a_e ÷ (π D φ); k_c = k_c1.1 h_m^(−m_c)(1 − γ ÷ 100) (as the chip thickness and kc tool).
- Q = a_e a_p v_f; P_c = a_e a_p v_f k_c ÷ 6×10⁷; motor power = P_c ÷ efficiency (as the milling power tool).
- Example: a 10-tooth cutter at 509.3 rpm feeds 763.94 mm/min; k_c = 2,997 N/mm² and the cut needs 11.448 kW.
Limitations
- Symmetric face milling with the cutter centred on the width.
- k_c data from the tool maker or handbook for the material.
- Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.
Typical uses
- Choose a face mill and feed for a machine’s power
- Check heavy roughing on a small spindle
- Explain why thin chips need more power per cm³
Who it is for
- Machinists
- CNC programmers
- Process planners
What you get
- Suggested teeth and spindle speed
- Engagement, mean chip thickness and kc
- Removal rate, power and torque
Interpreting the result
- Reducing feed per tooth thins the chip and raises k_c, so power falls less than the feed does.
References
- Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 808–809, 1084–1101. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.
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Open the Face Milling Power Plan (Teeth, Chip Thickness, kc, Spindle Power) calculator
