Cutting tools are the beating heart of every machining process. The right choice improves productivity, extends tool life, improves surface finish and lowers the production cost per part. The wrong choice causes tool breakage, vibration, rejects and wasted machine time. In this article we at ZF Engineering share the knowledge we have gathered over more than 50 years of consulting on and supplying cutting tools to Israeli industry.
1. The starting point: what really decides the tool choice?
Before talking about a brand or a supplier, you have to understand the basic triangle of every tool choice:
- The workpiece material - steel, stainless steel, aluminum, titanium, high-performance alloys, semiconductors, engineering plastics, graphite. Each material has a completely different machinability, and that is what dictates the coating, the geometry and the cutting parameters.
- The operation performed - external turning, internal turning, face milling, pocket milling, drilling, tapping, parting off, grooving, profiling. Each operation calls for a different tooling strategy.
- The machine and toolholding - a rigid or flexible machine, spindle power, the type of toolholder (HSK, BT, Capto, ER), internal coolant (through-coolant). A strong tool on a shaky machine is a waste of money.
Every recommendation we give starts with these three data points. Without them, there is no way to recommend the right tool - only to guess.
2. The main tool families
Indexable inserts (ISO Inserts)
The most common solution for turning and milling. An insert is a small piece of carbide with several active corners - when a corner wears, you index the insert. Advantages: lower cost per chip, quick changeovers, an international standard (ISO). Disadvantages: it needs a matching holder, and you have to choose a geometry and chipbreaker that suit the material.
- C80°
- D55°
- V35°
- T60°
- W80°
- S90°
- RRound
Solid carbide end mills (Solid Carbide End Mills)
One-piece carbide tools with the flutes cut directly into the tool body. Suited to precision machining, small details, deep slots and high-speed trochoidal milling. Ideal for aluminum, hardened steels and complex five-axis surfaces.
Milling heads (Indexable Milling Heads)
A tool body carrying several inserts. Common in face milling of large areas, fast material removal and heavy cutting loads. A quality milling head replaces 10-20 solid end mills at a more cost-effective price.
Modular drills and carbide drills
Solid drills and modular drilling systems in which the head (the insert) is replaceable. Modular systems let you change the diameter without replacing the whole tool - a significant cost saving.
Tapping tools
Cutting taps and forming taps (cold forming taps) for materials with plastic chip behavior. The right choice is critical here - a tap broken in a deep hole can scrap an expensive part completely.
3. Coatings - the technology that extends tool life up to 5 times
A quality coating can double or even triple tool life. The three main coating families:
| Coating | Especially suited to | Why |
|---|---|---|
| TiAlNTitanium Aluminum Nitride | Steels and stainless steels, at high cutting speeds | The most common coating. Resistant to high temperatures. |
| AlTiN / AlCrNAluminum-rich | Dry machining and hard materials, including milling hardened steels up to 60 HRC | They withstand high heat loads without coolant. |
| DLC / DiamondDiamond | Graphite, aluminum-silicon and composites | Tool life up to 10 times longer than a standard coating on these materials. |
In deposition technology there are two methods:
A thicker coating, suited to rough turning.
A thin, sharp coating, suited to milling and precision cutting.
4. Insert geometry and the chipbreaker - the detail that makes the difference
A positive geometry (positive rake) cuts "softly", lowers cutting forces and suits soft materials and less powerful machines. A negative geometry is more robust and suits heavy turning of hard materials.
The chipbreaker is responsible for breaking the continuous chip into short pieces - critical for unattended machining, for operator safety, and for preventing damage to the part. The wrong chipbreaker lets the chip wrap around the part, spoils the finish, and in severe cases breaks the insert.
5. Cutting parameters - the key to productivity
The three numbers that determine productivity:
- Vc - cutting speed (m/min): set by material + coating. For example, turning 1.7225 steel with a TiAlN insert - roughly 250-300 meters per minute.
- fn / fz - feed per revolution or per tooth (mm): affects chip thickness and surface finish.
- ap - depth of cut (mm): how much material is removed in one pass.
At ZF Engineering we start every optimization by calculating the theoretical MRR against the actual machining time - and from there we find where the machine is under-used.
6. How to spot a problem with a cutting tool?
The symptom on the tool or the part tells you what went wrong:
- Corner wearCutting speed too high, or a coating that does not suit the material.
- Insert breakageFeed too aggressive, a sudden load, or a holder that is not rigid.
- Vibration (chatter)Excessive tool overhang, a flexible machine, or a natural frequency that does not match the spindle speed.
- Poor surface finishWrong corner radius, feed too high, or a worn tool.
- Chips too longThe wrong chipbreaker, or feed too low.
Spotting problems early saves thousands of shekels in rejects and replacement parts.
7. Why is a portfolio of several suppliers better than a single supplier?
Most cutting tool suppliers in Israel sell only what they represent - one manufacturer, one catalog, one solution. This approach creates a built-in constraint: if the supplier's tool does not exactly fit the job, people try to bend the job to the tool instead of the other way around.
The question is not "which tool from our brand fits", but "which tool, from which supplier, fits this requirement exactly".
At ZF Engineering we work differently. We have built a portfolio of several leading manufacturers, with each supplier carefully chosen for its unique advantage - a particular material, a coating technology, a specific geometry, or the price-performance ratio in a particular market segment.
The diverse portfolio lets us offer smart combinations - for example, using one manufacturer's inserts for a particular steel family and another manufacturer's end mills for aluminum, and together building an optimal "tool kit" for each shop. Alongside supplying tools, we also provide CAM programming (with Hexagon Robotmaster and ESPRIT), end-to-end project management, and hands-on training at the machine.
All the cutting tool manufacturers we represent
8. Summary - four recommendations for action
- Do not save money on the wrong toolA better tool will pay for itself ten times over in productivity and fewer rejects.
- Run a test cut (test cut)before every large batch - do not rely on the catalog alone.
- Document the cutting parametersthat work - and build an in-house library of "recipes".
- Book a professional review once a quartereven if everything looks good, there is always a possible 15-30% improvement in production speed.
If you are unsure which cutting tool suits your next job - we are here. Book a free initial consultation call: contact form.
ZF Engineering - 50+ years of experience in machining, cutting tools, technology consulting and CNC programming. A portfolio of strategic partnerships with several leading manufacturers in the industry - each supplier carefully chosen to meet a specific need of our customers.
