A slot milling sequence includes a plurality of material removal processes or operations. Each of the material removal operations includes utilization of an end mill tool. Some of the material removal operations utilize trochoidal tool paths, whereas other material removal processes utilize one or more profile cuts. Some material removal operations that utilize profile cuts remove material from both sides of the cut in a single pass, whereas other material removal operations remove material from one side of the cut via a first pass of the end mill tool and remove material from the opposing side of the cut via a second pass of the end mill tool.

A micro form end mill includes a tool shank (2) and a cutting head (3) fixedly connected to the tool shank (2). The cutting head (3) has a plurality of cutting teeth (Z), and each of the plurality of cutting teeth (Z) has a cutting edge (S). A maximum radial distance (A.sub.max) of cutting points (6, 7, 8, 9) on the cutting edge (S) from the longitudinal axis (L) is less than 0.5 mm. At least two of the cutting edges (S) are arranged with a radial offset (V) from one another at least regionally. The radial offset (V) corresponds to a difference in the radial distances from the longitudinal axis (L) of such cutting points (6, 7, 8, 9) to the at least two cutting edges (S) that lie in a common plane (E) that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (L).

A cutting insert includes a rake face, a flank surface, and a cutting edge, the cutting edge includes a bottom cutting edge that is positioned at a front end in a central axis direction and forms a convex arc shape and an outer peripheral cutting edge aligned with a radial-direction outer end of the bottom cutting edge and forms a convex arc shape of which a curvature radius is larger than that of the bottom cutting edge, an angle formed between a tangent line to a boundary point between the bottom cutting edge and the outer peripheral cutting edge and the central axis is less than 45, a curvature radius R1 of the bottom cutting edge is 0.3 to 10 mm, and a ratio (R2/R1) of a curvature radius R2 of the outer peripheral cutting edge to the curvature radius R1 of the bottom cutting edge is 3.6 to 333.

An end mill that facilitates discharge of chips and enables twining of chips to be suppressed is provided. An end mill (10) includes a tool body, a helical flute, an end cutting edge, a flank, and a gash. The gash forms a cutting face of the end cutting edge. The cutting face is formed as a recessed curved surface and the end cutting edge comprised of a ridge between the cutting face and the flank is concavely curved.

The invention relates to a method for machining flat surfaces (30) of a workpiece (32) using a tool (10), in particular a milling tool, which is moved in a collision-free and laterally inclined manner () relative to a flat surface (30) such that a contact point (34) is guided on the flat surface (30). The flat surface (30) is machined using a tool (10) with a cutting contour (18), which has a conically convex design, on one flank (16) of the tool (10) at a pivot angle () parallel to the flat surface (30) in order to prevent a one-sided collision completely by the tool (10) and at at least two different pivot angles (, ) parallel to the flat surface (30) in order to prevent a two-sided collision by the tool (10), wherein the flat surface (30) is separated into at least two machining segments (44, 44, 44), each of which is assigned an individual pivot angle (, ) of the tool (10) in order to prevent a two-sided collision.

A machining system includes a machining unit and a moving apparatus configured to move the machining unit. The machining unit includes a rotating tool for rotating about an axis in a vertical direction, an upper surface abutting member configured to be abutted against an upper surface of a work, an end face abutting member configured to be abutted against an end face of the work between an upper edge and an lower edge of the work, and a vertical moving unit configured to change a position of the upper surface abutting member in the vertical direction with respect to the rotating tool. The rotating tool includes a machining portion main body, a first machining portion provided on a lower side of the machining portion main body, and a second machining portion provided on an upper side of the machining portion main body.