Straight Flute End Mills

As their name suggests, straight flute end mills have ‘straight’ and basic flutes, are single-ended and have a zero degree helix. The straight flute reduces the fraying of a workpiece’s edges and provides a good surface finish. They are used to mill plastics, composites of epoxy and glass, and for special profile milling applications.

End mills with straight flutes are single ended, and have a zero degree helix.  They are used to mill plastics, composites of epoxy and glass, and are also used for special profile milling applications.  The straight flute minimizes the fraying of the edges and provides better surface finishes than helical general purpose end mills.  They come in square and ball nose end geometries with two or four flute configurations.  They come as solid carbide or PVD AlTiN coated.  They are available in a wide variety of diameter sizes from 1/8" to 1".

Key of Straight Flute End Mills

Tooling Materials – Expensive, high quality materials yield more durable tools that can operate at faster speeds. The best end mills are made from carbide steel. CGS Tools manufactures a wide-range of solid carbide end mills to ensure machinists receive high performance results. HHS and Cobalt HHS tools are more affordable and adequate for many applications, but they are not as durable nor can they operate at certain high speeds.

End Mill Coatings – Protective coatings help to increase the life of the tool by reducing wear and tear. Most coatings, such as titanium nitride, help protect the tool, but others help increase the efficiency of the tool. For instance, TiAIN coated tools reduce or eliminate the need for lubrication because the coating helps prevent aluminum from sticking to the tool. Coated tools are initially more expensive, but in the long run they can save money due to their increased longevity and efficiency.

Helix Angles – Different materials require different helix angles. If hard metals are being milled, low helix angles are required for successful results. High helix angles, on the other hand, are best for soft metals.