What Is a Ball Milling Service?
A ball milling service is a cutting method used in milling machines and NC (Numerical Control) machine tools. It employs a cutting tool with a rounded, ball-shaped endmill tip. This spherical tip is particularly suited for cutting complex 3D curved surfaces, including both convex and concave shapes. Ball milling excels in operations where other end milling techniques struggle, such as peripheral cutting on R surfaces and grooving. Unlike other methods, ball milling achieves higher precision and requires less labor when machining curved surfaces.
In addition to ball end mills, tools like square end mills, radius end mills, and other types of end mills, such as tapered end mills, are commonly used. Tapered end mills gradually narrow down towards the tip.
Uses of Ball Milling Services
Ball milling services are particularly effective for machining curved surfaces. They are frequently employed for copy milling and radius machining in NC machine tools. While primarily used for curved surfaces, ball milling can also handle flat surfaces, pockets, and various other forms. However, its spherical blade tip means it cannot perform machining without an R (radius).
Using 4-axis and 5-axis milling machines allows for cutting various shapes, making ball milling services ideal for manufacturing complex parts such as automobile and aircraft components, molds, etc. Additionally, preventing the zero peripheral velocity point at the tool tip extends blade life and increases work speed.
Principle of Ball Milling Services
Ball milling services are essential for cutting 3D curved surfaces, crucial in the creation of increasingly complex molds and parts. This method enables a high degree of precision in finishing curved surfaces, potentially reducing the time needed for final manual polishing.
The primary drawback of ball milling is the spherical blade tip, which leaves a cusp when cutting flat surfaces, leading to a less desirable surface finish. To improve this, machining paths are overlapped, which increases cutting time. Furthermore, the accuracy of the machined surface depends on the contact point between the ball mill and the material. By tilting the ball end mill for optimal cutting, one can achieve high precision and prevent tool breakage. However, adjusting the angle to match the material’s curved surface complicates the programming process.
Tilting the endmill is not feasible with a 3-axis machine; a 5-axis machine, however, can facilitate time-saving and enable high-precision cutting.