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Feed per tooth, written fz, is the distance a milling tool advances for each effective cutting tooth. To calculate table feed, multiply feed per tooth by spindle speed and the number of effective teeth: vf = fz × n × zc. The result is a feed rate, not necessarily the maximum thickness of the chip being cut.
What is feed per tooth (fz)?
In milling, fz describes the tool’s linear advance associated with each effective cutting tooth. It is commonly called chip load, but that shop term can be misleading: feed per tooth and the chip’s actual maximum thickness are not always the same.
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In the standard metric relationship, fz is measured in millimeters per tooth, spindle speed n in revolutions per minute (rpm), and effective tooth count zc as a count. Their product gives table feed vf in millimeters per minute (mm/min). Sandvik Coromant’s milling formulas and definitions and Haas Tooling’s metric speeds-and-feeds reference use this relationship.
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Use the tooth count that is effective in the operation. When the cutter’s flutes are all participating, that is commonly its flute count; if not, use the effective tooth count specified for the operation or tool guidance.
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Table feed: vf = fz × n × zc
For inch units, multiplying inches per tooth by rpm and flute count gives inches per minute. Keep the units consistent; do not combine a metric feed-per-tooth value with an inch-per-minute result.
Example calculation
For arithmetic only—not as a recommended cut—consider a four-flute cutter running at 6,000 rpm with a table feed of 1,200 mm/min. Back-calculate feed per tooth:
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fz = vf ÷ (n × zc) = 1,200 ÷ (6,000 × 4) = 0.05 mm/tooth
The example shows how to find a nominal value from machine settings. It does not establish that 0.05 mm/tooth is appropriate for a particular tool or job.
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Why fz is not always the chip’s actual thickness
Cutter engagement and geometry change the chip thickness produced by a given feed per tooth. For example, Harvey Performance explains that when radial depth of cut is less than half the cutter diameter, radial chip thinning reduces the maximum chip thickness for a given fz. Sandvik Coromant also notes that a smaller entering angle produces a thinner chip at a given feed per tooth in its milling application guidance.
These effects do not justify applying a generic feed increase. Any adjustment for chip thinning must follow guidance for the specific cutter geometry and account for the material, engagement, machine limits, and setup.
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How to choose a suitable feed per tooth
There is no universal fz that suits every milling job. Start with the cutter maker’s recommendation for the tool and workpiece material, then check whether the operation and machine can support it.
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- Tool and material: Match the recommendation to the cutter material and geometry, workpiece material, cutter diameter, and tooth or flute count.
- Engagement and geometry: Consider radial and axial depth of cut and entering angle, which affect chip thickness and cutting load.
- Machine and setup: Check spindle speed and feed limits, rigidity, tool overhang, power, and torque.
- Chip evacuation: Confirm that chips can clear the cut, particularly in slots or other confined operations.
In slot milling, depth affects the feed-per-tooth choice: Sandvik Coromant advises reducing fz for deeper slots and increasing it for shallower slots to maintain the recommended maximum chip thickness. Follow the cutter-specific guidance rather than treating that advice as a universal numerical adjustment. See Sandvik’s groove or slot milling guidance for related application considerations.
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Common calculation mistakes
- Using the wrong tooth count: Multiplying by a nominal flute count when fewer teeth are effective changes the calculated feed rate.
- Mixing units: Confirm that feed per tooth, spindle speed, and resulting table feed use compatible metric or inch units.
- Treating fz as a universal setting: A value suitable for one tool, material, or engagement may not suit another.
- Equating fz with maximum chip thickness: Radial engagement and entering angle can make the actual chip thinner than the nominal feed per tooth suggests.
- Increasing feed for chip thinning without checks: Verify the toolmaker’s specific guidance and the limits of the machine and setup before changing feed.
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