Cutting tools are useful for cutting and shaping metals and other materials. These tools require the use of specific geometric shapes and blade angles. Cutting tools and supplies can cut various types of materials, like wood, metal, stone and plastic.
While dealing with the manufacturers or suppliers of cutting tools and supplies, you will come across various technical terms. This guide intends to familiarize you with the key terms for cutting tools and supplies, such as broach, endmill, lathe, HSS, CBN, abrasive cutting tools and flush cutting saws.
Broach
A broach is a piece of steel or metal with a series of increasingly taller chisel points. The teeth of the broach can cut steel, brass or any other metal very easily. The basic purpose of using a broach is to expand a circular or rectangular slot in an industrial product.
Endmill
An endmill is a machine tool used for shaping metal and other solid materials. It exists in two basic forms: horizontal and vertical. The form of endmill indicates the orientation of the cutting tool spindle.
HSS (High Speed Steel)
HSS is a material used for manufacturing machine tool bits and other cutters. The ability of HSS to withstand higher temperatures without losing its hardness enables it to cut faster than other cutting tool materials.
Lathe
A lathe spins a block of material on its axis against a fixed tool to perform various operations, such as cutting or drilling.
MechE, a website by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
CBN (Cubic Boron Nitride)
CBN is a type of cutting tool material that is extremely hard; diamond is the only material harder than CBN. Its high degree of hardness allows efficient high-speed cutting without affecting quality.
Abrasive cutting tools
Abrasive cutting tools machine the component by rubbing an abrasive material over the object. A grinding wheel is the most basic type of abrasive cutting tool.