I know this question comes up a lot on this board, but I couldn't find an answer to my question on any other threads. I am running a CNC router for a cabinet shop, and I've been learning the machine as I've been going (I'm 3 weeks into this job now), so pardon my ignorance on any issues that might seem obvious.
The machine we have is a brand new Biesse Skill. No-one else in my shop knows computers, so running the machine is all on me. The most commonly used bits are a 3/8" compression bit (60-123MW) for trimming and a 1/2" downcutting bit (57-360) for dadoing. I've noticed that my tool life is pretty short, I'm usually changing my compression bit once a week (running anywhere from a couple 4x8 sheets over the day if we're slow to near constant use over my 8-10 hr days). From reviewing other threads, I've noticed that tool life should be much greater than that, so I looked over my feed-rates and compared them with Onsrud's charts. My default feed-rate was around 350 in/min, and when I calculated the feed-rate from Onsrud the minimum rate should be 432 in/min. Chipload with the previous settings were .009, and onsrud's numbers say it should be .012 minimum for the 5/8 and 3/4 sheets we cut the most. I used the 60-100 profile for these equations.
Link to the chart i'm referencing: http://www.onsrud.com/files/pdf/2012...0Chipboard.pdf
Most of the reason why I'm sharing all that data is to make sure i'm doing it right. The bit feels cool after running my test parts (6x6x3/4 square with dadoes in it), so based on what i've read here, that setting is good. Obviously, I'll be able to stress-test the new settings and see if i've actually prolonged tool life.
Now, when I went to do the same math for the my 1/2" bit, I couldn't find the bit at all on the chart. I found it on the mdf chart, but it's softer than chipboard, so the chip-load it's specifying isn't going to be correct. Is there a tool that's close to what i'm using on the laminate chart?
Sorry for the wall of text.
-LaserGuided