Improving the Cutting Conditions in the Five-axis Micromilling of Hardened High-speed Steel by Applying a Suitable Tool Inclination

In case of manufacturing miniaturized products with 3D features, micromachining is a suitable technology. By using a five-axis process, it is possible to produce complex products with high material removal rates. Further benefits are, for example, higher tool stiffness due to the possibility of utilizing tools with shorter cantilever lengths and higher surface qualities, which can be achieved by avoiding cutting with the center of the tool when using ball-end milling cutters. A tool inclination can not only be used to avoid the center cut in the five-axis process, but also to achieve better cutting conditions. In this paper, the influence of the tool inclination is analyzed for micromilling hardened high-speed steel (S6-5-2, 63 HRC). The presented results show the possibility of reducing tool wear and achieving better surface qualities by applying a specific tool inclination. This knowledge can be used to generate optimized NC programs for the five-axis micromilling of hardened steels.