KEVOS® MAKEOS · Manufacturing

Cutting Speed or Feed for Full Machine Power

How fast can this cut run before it uses all the available spindle power?

Highest cutting speed (turning) or table feed (milling) that uses the available spindle power for a given depth, feed or width of cut and specific cutting force.

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How this tool works

Inputs, units and where to find them

InputUnitTypical source
OperationchoiceTurning or milling.
Available spindle powerkWSpindle power available at the speed you will run (from the machine power curve).
Machine efficiency%Overall efficiency from motor to cutting edge.
Specific cutting force kcN/mm²Specific cutting force for the material at your chip thickness (tool supplier data).
Depth of cut (axial in milling)mmDepth of cut (turning) or axial depth (milling).
Feed (turning)mm/revFeed per revolution (turning).
Workpiece diameter (turning)mmWork diameter, to give the spindle speed (turning).
Width of cut (milling)mmRadial width of cut (milling).

Method and formulas

  1. Turning: vc = P η × 60 000 ÷ (kc ap f) (m/min); n = 1000 vc ÷ πD.
  2. Milling: vf = P η × 60 × 10⁶ ÷ (ae ap kc) (mm/min).
  3. Removal rate at the limit = P η × 60 000 ÷ kc (cm³/min) for either operation.
  4. Example: 11 kW at 80% with 4 × 0.3 mm in kc 2000 allows up to 220 m/min.

Limitations

  • The tool supplier’s speed limit and the machine’s speed and torque limits may be lower than the power limit.
  • kc changes with feed and tool wear.
  • Example values are illustrations. Replace them with values for your actual task.

Typical uses

  • Plan the fastest roughing cut a machine can take
  • Find whether a cut is power-limited or tool-limited
  • Compare machines for a job

Who it is for

  • Machinists
  • CNC programmers
  • Manufacturing engineers

What you get

  • Maximum cutting speed and spindle speed (turning)
  • Maximum table feed and removal rate (milling)

Interpreting the result

  • Run at the lower of the power-limited and tool-recommended values, with a margin for wear.

References

  • Machinery’s Handbook, 29th edition (Industrial Press, 2012), printed pp. 1084–1101. Topic reference; no source tables or recommended settings are reproduced.

WORKOS tools are screening and decision-support utilities. Verify important financial, engineering, safety, legal or operational decisions using appropriate professional standards and your organisation’s approved data.

Open the Cutting Speed or Feed for Full Machine Power calculator