Foam Endmill Bits Cutting Specs for Foam Milling
Polyurethane Foam, Polyethylene Foam, Extruded Polystyrene Foam (XPS), Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA), insulation foam and similar types of foams are widely used for mould making, statues making, big 3d signs making.
A big size cnc router with a big long foam mill bits can do these kind of foam milling job. But how to choose the foam cutters? And how to set rpm specs?
Usually two kinds foam mills widely used, ball end and flat end. Flat end foam router bits widely used for foam cutting, rough cutting,ball end foam router bits widely used for foam cutting, finish carving.
For fast milling, you can choose a big diameter shank and CEL foam bits.
How to set the specifications?
The big foam bits RPM designed is 7000-10000RPM.
For EPS foam milling, we suggest to set the spindle RPM at 8000RPM. It is good to the machine cutters and can get a good surface finish.
For example, cut 80mm thickness polystyrene, we suggest twice cutting, one path cut 40mm thickness, running 8000rpm, feed rate at 150mm/Sec.
If you cut 80mm thickness once, run 8000rpm, feed rate should be within 70mm/Sec. Please try it.
Other information for reference:
I usually mill with these bits at about 7,000 rpm, and 70 inches per minute. Depends on the foam. I usually set the feed to 70 ipm, since that is the fastest I want to run the machine. Then do a test cut, and turn the rpm down until the foam cutting sounds good, (sort of a slicing sound). Too much rpm for the feed rate, and it melts the foam. Not good since it builds up on the bit, and makes a ball on the end of the bit.
My mill spends most of its time at lower RPM settings in foam, like around 8k. If you go much higher and don't increase your feed rates, you are probably burning and melting the foam as much as cutting it.
EPS is the common foam I use and I've run my 1" dia x 12" long 4 flute custom bit at 100% stepover at 6" deep, sometimes deeper. When you're manufacturing, cutting time is important. Hogging away as much material as you can with a large dia tool and then finishing with smaller tool is the way to go.
I do a lot of foam cutting like this for my customer. I use 2flt high spiral carbide end mill with a high sher on them. I run them from 100 to 300 ipm at about 10,000 rpm.We can supply a range of durable router bits made specifically for milling EPS, EVA and polyurethane foam, including regular and tapered cutters in ball end and end mill styles. Ball Nose and Flat Bottom End Mill styles available.
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