Helical vs. Straight end mills – CNC milling

Written By Ashish Kumar S

November 5, 2025

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CNC – Why a helical end mill is preferable to a straight one

Each time that the edge of an end mill comes in contact with the part, there is an impact and a sudden shock load. If the end mill has 4 edges and is rotating at 1000 RPM, that’s 4000 impacts and vibration of 66 Hz (4000 / 60, to convert to seconds).

With a helical end mill, some edge or the other always in contact with the part. There is no periodic impact, and cutting is therefore smoother. Helical end mills give you better part quality, and are kinder to the machine’s spinde bearings.

Pics. and text source: Cadem NCyclopedia multimedia CNC training software.

CAD/CAM software,CNC Program Simulation,CNC Training Software

Author

Ashish Kumar S

cadem

Ashish brings strong techno-commercial depth across CNC productivity solutions, CAD/CAM systems, and skill development initiatives. As the face of CADEM’s CNC ecosystem, he drives solution adoption and market growth by aligning advanced manufacturing software with real-world production challenges. A passionate advocate of CNC education in India, he actively engages with customers and students to bridge the gap between industry needs and workforce readiness.

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