CNC Feeds and Speeds
From Oxford Hackspace
Tool direction
Conventional milling is more commonly used on softer materials, such as those used in the MDX-40. However, some hard plastics can respond better to climb milling.
Plastics
If the tool speed (rpm) is too high, plastic can melt from tool friction. A rough surface finish, smell of molten plactic, or a lump of plastic stuck to the tool are all signs of this. Reduce tool speed to combat this. Reducing feed rate can also help.
Tested cutting parameters
These parameters have been used successfully in the past.
| Material | Tool diameter | Flutes | Tool speed (rpm) | Feed rate (mm/s) | Cut depth | Tool direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABS | 2mm | 2 | 4500 | 5 | 0.5 | Conventional | Slow, but no melting |
| HD polystyrene | 6mm | 2 | 4500 | 5 | 0.2 | Conventional | Slow, but no melting |
