What Is the Milling Feed Rate Calculator?
This tool finds the linear table feed rate of a milling cutter — how fast the table (or workpiece) advances into the tool. It works for any CNC or manual mill and is unit-agnostic: enter the chip load in inches and you get inch/min, enter it in millimetres and you get mm/min.
The Formula
Feed rate is the product of three values:
$$F = N \times Z \times f_z$$where \(F\) = table feed rate (length per minute), \(N\) = spindle speed in revolutions per minute (RPM), \(Z\) = number of teeth (flutes) on the cutter, and \(f_z\) = feed per tooth, also called chip load.
How to Use It
Enter your spindle speed, the number of flutes on the end mill, and the recommended feed per tooth for your material and cutter. The calculator multiplies them to give the feed the controller should command.
Worked Example
A 4-flute end mill runs at 2000 RPM with a chip load of 0.005 inch per tooth:
$$F = 2000 \times 4 \times 0.005 = 40\,\text{in/min}$$So you would program a feed of 40 inches per minute.
FAQ
What is feed per tooth? It is the thickness of material each cutting edge removes per revolution, set by the tool maker and material. Too low causes rubbing; too high overloads the edge.
Inch or metric? The result simply matches your chip load units — inch chip load gives inch/min, mm chip load gives mm/min.
How do I get RPM? Compute it first from cutting speed (SFM or surface metres/min) and tool diameter, then plug it in here.
