An Assessment of High-Speed Machining

High-speed machining has the potential to become an outstanding manufacturing process. For instance, results obtained from the methods development study upon which this paper is based indicate that the most economical cutting speed for milling aluminum is on the order of 10,000 ft/min. (3,048 m/min). Conversely, that study which was conducted for Redstone Arsenal (U.S. Army Missile R&D Command) by Vought Corporation further indicates that high-speed machining may not be suitable for all materials and shapes. In this paper, which was prepared to help the reader evaluate high-speed machining for this usage, that process is analyzed; and traits which enable it to work, its applications and limitations, and its future are discussed.