Rohit Cutting Tools - How to do Milling of Inconel 718 most efficiently ?

June 26, 2019

Do you have difficulty milling INCONEL 718 or Other Nickel Alloys ? Here is your guide to solving milling problems for nickel alloys

Introduction to Inconel 718

Why Inconel behaves like that for machinist all over the world, Does this material has less affinity with the machinist, yes it does, but this love is not one sided but it is reciprocity in nature...

Why Inconel and not any other material be used , when it is so much pain for machinist around the world ?

  • Punishable environment like High Temperatures and High Pressure with good oxidation , corrosion resistance at these elevated temperatures makes Inconel the best choice for these environment which are produced in multiple applications relating to Nuclear Power Plant Reactors, Marine Equipment , Aeronautical Engines etc.

Headache for Machinist while Milling Nickel Alloys

  • High Cutting Edge Temperatures due to Poor Thermal Conductivity of Nickel (Just for Reference : Pure copper is 357 W/(m·K), pure aluminum is 212, Inconel and titanium are 14 and 20, respectively )
  • Quick cutting tool edge wear due to maximum heat transferred to the tool.

Solutions for best results while Milling Nickel Alloys


Tips for better results while Milling Inconel

  • # 1 Tip ever suggested by a machinist to me was he always used to Stress Relieve his Inconel Material as it delays the Work Hardening which is major cause for high heat and quick tool wear.
  • # 2 Tip is that Always use Bright New Cutting Tools , Worn Out or Dull tools are Absolute NO NO for the Inconel Machining
  • # 3 Tip (and one of the most important too.. it doesn't others are not that important) is High Coolant Pressures of Minimum 15Bar
  • # 4 Tip : Coolant should not be normal 5~6% mix but 10~12% mix to make it greasy so that the cutting Edge does not heats up quickly.
  • # 5 Tip : Do not use Normal General Purpose End Mills , only use High Performance 4-flute or preferably 5-flute Variable Helix End Mills.

If you have any questions you can comment below Or email us at sales@rigpl.com , we would be more than happy to help you.


Abhinav Duggal
Abhinav Duggal

I am an Mechanical Engineer from Delhi College of Engineering and have been suggesting customers in field of Carbide & HSS cutting tools since 2005 to reduce their tooling cost & increase productivity; so far I have helped more than 300+ clients to reduce their tooling costs.

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