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General Machining Guidelines

Using the data tables and the milling formulas below, you can calculate the speeds and feeds of any carbide end mills and diamond end mills. Are you using a Harvey tool? Click here for speeds and feeds specific to your tool.

Carbide End Mills
Non-Ferrous

 

 

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Carbide End Mills
Iron, Steel,
Stainless

 

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Carbide End Mills
High Temp Alloys, Titanium

 

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Machining Guidelines Diamond End Mills

Diamond End Mills
Non-Ferrous

 

 

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Carbide End Mills

Non-Ferrous

NON-FERROUS CHIP LOAD (IPT, BASED ON CUTTER DIAMETER)
MATERIAL GRADE SFM 1/8" 3/16" 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4" 1"
Aluminum 440, 356, 380, C61300 500-1000 .001 .002 .002 .003 .004 .005 .006 .007
Aluminum 2024-T4/T6, 2014, 6061-T6/T651, 7075-T6 800-1500 .001 .002 .002 .003 .004 .005 .006 .007
Copper Navel Brass, High Silicon Bronze, A-17, C-17200 600-1000 .001 .001 .002 .0025 .003 .004 .004 .005
Copper Yellow Brass, High Lead Brass, Red Brass 800-1500 .001 .001 .002 .0025 .003 .004 .004 .005
Copper Alloys Nickel Silver, Beryllium Copper, Oxygen-Free Copper 700-1000 .001 .001 .002 .0025 .003 .004 .004 .005
Copper Alloys Alum/Bronze, Low Silicon Bronze 800-1000 .001 .001 .002 .0025 .003 .004 .004 .005
Magnesium Die-Cast, Extruded 1000 min .001 .002 .002 .003 .004 .006 .008 .009
Plastics Polycarbonate 200-500 .001 .002 .003 .004 .006 .008 .010 .015
Plastics Acrylics, Phenolics, Polysulfone 200-600 .001 .002 .003 .004 .006 .008 .010 .015
Carbon Carbon, Graphites 500-1000 .004 .004 .006 .008 .010 .010 .015 .020
Milling Formulas & Glossary
FORMULAS GLOSSARY  
RPM = (3.82 x SFM) / D
IPM = RPM x IPR
IPM = RPM x IPT x T 		SFM - Surface Feet per Minute
RPM - Revolutions per Minute (Speed)
IPT - Inches Per Tooth (Chip Load)
IPR - Inches Per Revolution 		IPM = Inches Per Minute (Feed)
D - Cutter Diameter
T - Number of Teeth

Carbide End Mills

Iron, Steel, Stainless

IRON - STEEL - STAINLESS CHIP LOAD (IPT, BASED ON CUTTER DIAMETER)
MATERIAL GRADE SFM 1/8" 3/16" 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4" 1"
Ductile Iron Gray Cast Iron 100-400 .0005 .001 .002 .003 .004 .005 .006 .008
Ductile Iron Ductile Cast Iron - Soft 80-140 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .002 .003 .004 .005
Ductile Iron Ductile Cast Iron - Hard 100-400 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .002 .003 .004 .005
Ductile Iron Malleable, Chilled 90-2500 .0005 .001 .002 .003 .004 .005 .006 .008
Low Alloy 23XX, 31XX 100-150 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .003 .004 .005 .006
Low Alloy 10XX, 11XX, 13XX 100-300 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .003 .004 .005 .006
Medium Alloy 200, 250, 301 100-350 .0005 .0005 .001 .002 .0025 .0035 .004 .005
Medium Alloy 200, 250, 300 60-120 .0005 .0005 .001 .002 .0025 .0035 .004 .005
High Alloy Hy-Tugg, Stressproof, AmorPlate 50-150 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .001 .0015 .002 .004
High Alloy A-2/6/10, P-3/10, 01, 02, 06 100-250 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .001 .0015 .002 .004
High Strength 4340M, EDT-150, HP9-430, 300M, D6-Ac, 11-10 80-180 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .001 .0015 .002 .004
High Strength 4340, 6150, 52100, H-11, H-13 50-250 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .001 .0015 .002 .004
Austenic 304, 310, 314, 316, 321, 330, 347, 348, 21-6-9 100-250 .0001 .0002 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .003 .004
Austenic 200 Series, 302, 303, 304L, 316L 100-350 .0001 .0002 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .003 .004
Precipitation 17/4, 17/7, AF-71, Custom 450/636, 15/7 Mo, 21-6-9 90-250 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .002 .002 .004 .006
Precipitation 13/8, 15/5, AM-350/355 100-250 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .002 .002 .004 .006
Martensitic 420, 430F, 440C, 446 90-250 .0001 .0002 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .003 .004
Martensitic 403, 410, 416 100-250 .0001 .0002 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .003 .004
Milling Formulas & Glossary
FORMULAS GLOSSARY  
RPM = (3.82 x SFM) / D
IPM = RPM x IPR
IPM = RPM x IPT x T 		SFM - Surface Feet per Minute
RPM - Revolutions per Minute (Speed)
IPT - Inches Per Tooth (Chip Load)
IPR - Inches Per Revolution 		IPM = Inches Per Minute (Feed)
D - Cutter Diameter
T - Number of Teeth

Carbide End Mills

High Temperatire Alloys, Titanium

HIGH TEMPERATURE ALLOYS - TITANIUM CHIP LOAD (IPT, BASED ON CUTTER DIAMETER)
MATERIAL GRADE SFM 1/8" 3/16" 1/4" 3/8" 1/2" 5/8" 3/4" 1"
Cobalt Base Air-Resist 13/213/215, Haynes 21/36, NASA CO-W-RE 40-80 .0004 .0005 .001 .001 .001 .001 .0015 .002
Cobalt Base Stellite, HS-21, HAYNES25/188, X-40, L-605 60-100 .0004 .0005 .001 .001 .001 .001 .0015 .002
Iron Base A-286, Haynes 556, Discoly, V57 50-80 .0005 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .0025 .003 .004
Iron Base Incoly 600-802, Multimet N-155, Timkin 16-25-6 80-100 .0005 .0005 .001 .0015 .002 .0025 .003 .004
Nickel Base Hastalloy-C/B/X, INCONEL 718/X/W, Waspalloy, Rene 41-95 40-60 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .002 .0025 .003 .004
Nickel Base INCONEL 600/625, Nickel 200-270, Monel 400-405 45-100 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .002 .0025 .003 .004
Titanium Alloy 5AL-2.5Sn-Eli, 8Al-1 Mo-1V 90-120 .0005 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .0015 .002 .004
Titanium Alloy Commercially, Pure, 6AL-4V, Astm 1/2/3, 6AL-25N-4Zr-2Mo-Si 50-250 .0005 .0005 .0005 .001 .001 .0015 .002 .004
Milling Formulas & Glossary
FORMULAS GLOSSARY  
RPM = (3.82 x SFM) / D
IPM = RPM x IPR
IPM = RPM x IPT x T 		SFM - Surface Feet per Minute
RPM - Revolutions per Minute (Speed)
IPT - Inches Per Tooth (Chip Load)
IPR - Inches Per Revolution 		IPM = Inches Per Minute (Feed)
D - Cutter Diameter
T - Number of Teeth

Diamond End Mills

Non-Ferrous

NON-FERROUS ONLY CHIP LOAD OF GRAPHITE ONLY (IPT, BASED ON CUTTER DIAMETER)
MATERIAL SFM CHIP LOAD (IPT)   DIAMETER SOFT MEDIUM HARD
Aluminum (5%-8% Si) 2000 - 6000 .005 - .010   1/32" .0005-.0006 .0004-.0005 .0003-.0004
Aluminum (8%-12% Si) 1500 - 5000 .004 - .008   1/16" .0010-.0013 .0008-.0010 .0005-.0008
Aluminum (14%-18% Si) 1000 - 3000 .002 - .006   3/32" .0015-.0019 .0011-.0015 .0008-.0011
Copper 750 - 1500 .001 - .008   1/8" .0020-.0025 .0015-.0020 .0010-.0015
Bronze 900 - 1350 .003 - .008   3/16" .0030-.0038 .0023-.0030 .0015-.0023
Brass 2000 - 4000 .001 - .008   1/4" .0040-.0050 .0030-.0040 .0020-.0030
Babbit 700 - 1000 .003 - .010   5/16" .0050-.0063 .0038-.0050 .0025-.0038
Unfilled Plastic 1000 - 4000 .003 - .020   3/8" .0006-.0075 .0045-.0060 .0030-.0045
Glass Fiber Materials 750 - 1500 .001 - .010   7/16" .0070-.0088 .0053-.0070 .0035-.0053
Ceramic Materials (Green) 500 - 1500 .002 - .010   1/2" .0080-.0100 .0060-.0080 .0040-.0060
Carbon Composites 500 - 2000 .003 - .015          
Carbon (Graphite) 500 - 2000 see right          
Milling Formulas & Glossary
FORMULAS GLOSSARY  
RPM = (3.82 x SFM) / D
IPM = RPM x IPR
IPM = RPM x IPT x T 		SFM - Surface Feet per Minute
RPM - Revolutions per Minute (Speed)
IPT - Inches Per Tooth (Chip Load)
IPR - Inches Per Revolution 		IPM = Inches Per Minute (Feed)
D - Cutter Diameter
T - Number of Teeth