Measuring Slotting Cutters

Categories: Milling Tips Tapping Different Cutters

Tap-testing a large disc slotting cutter requires a different technique and setup:

1. Chose the indexable endmill setting which is 5000 Hz bandwidth and no weight/mass on the hammer.

2. Under Setup, click on the Measurement tab and change the Response Direction on both the X and Y Directions to minus ("-") . BE SURE TO REVERSE THIS WHEN YOU ARE DONE WITH THIS CUTTER.

3. Put the accelerometer on the insert and tap on the steel behind the insert.

If the inserts are mounted opposite, that is for very one that is cutting up, one is cutting down, the number of teeth stays the same, but the allowable stable slot depth (Ae) may be less than what is shown on the Dashboard. This is also true if the teeth are staggered. The speed predictions will be correct, but the slot depth may need to be reduced. This can be compensated for by reducing the slot width (Ap) to the actual width of each insert not the total slot width.

This how the Dashboard settings will look for a slotting cutter. "Ap" is the slot width and "Ae" is the slot depth.