1. How do I contact A&F for technical advice?
Contact A&F at 586-791-0286

2. Does A&F manufacture custom router bits?
Yes, A&F is an industry leader in the manufacture of solid carbide custom router bits.

3. Does A&F offer metric size tooling?
Yes, A&F offers a broad line of metric sized tooling.

4. Does A&F re-sharpen router bits?
Yes, contact us for pricing.

5. When is it time to have a tool re-sharpened?
When the cutting edge becomes dull. Some things to look for are:

• Surface finish quality will decrease
• Amount of horsepower necessary to cut will increase
• Noise level may increase

6. What is the major cause of tools becoming dull?
Heat is the major reason tools break down and become dull. To reduce the amount of heat, increase the chip load or reduce the RPM. This will keep the heat in the chip and remove it from the part. After a cut, the tool should be cool to the touch.

7. What is chip load and why is it important?
Chip load is the actual thickness of chip that is produced in the machining process. Chip load is measured in thousandths (i.e.: 0.010) and is influenced by the spindle speed and the feed rate of a CNC machine. The number of cutting edges on a router bit determines how the chip load is divided. A single edge tool takes all the chip load during a revolution, while a double edge tool divides the load over two edges. Chip load is an important factor in tool life because it dictates how much heat will be carried away from the cutting edge. Better heat dissipation directly relates to increased tool life. The formula for determining chip load is:

chip load= feed rate/(rpm x #cutting edges).


8. What is the recommended feeds and speeds when utilizing a CNC router?
Please contact us with your specific situation and one of our engineers will consult with you on alternative settings to improve your performance.

9. When utilizing the feed and speed data, the end-user should keep these thoughts in mind:
When fine tuning a CNC router:

• Start at the low end of the feed rate recommendation
• Use the feed rate override to increase feed rate until:

- The edge finish deteriorates because of tool chatter
- The machine defaults to a slower speed due to tight radiuses
- The part moves or is pushed off the vacuum

• After the maximum feed is determined, lower the spindle speed until the edge finish once again deteriorates. At this point, adjust the spindle speed higher until the finish becomes acceptable. By adjusting feed and spindle speed, maximum productivity and tool life has been reached.

10. Does A&F provide a tool selection guide?
This information is readily available in the catalog and on af-engineering.com. Also, A&F, as a part of their on-call service, has regional sales managers and in-house technical specialists to assist in tool selection and arriving at proper feeds and speeds to maximize the productivity of the tooling. These valuable resources guarantee the end-user will select the right tool for the job.

11. Does A&F provide on site assistance to end-users?
Yes, this is a major part of the A&F on-call service. Basically, the regional sales manager will visit an end-user site by appointment to determine the right tool for the job. They bring years of experience and knowledge along with a tool box to actually demonstrate how various A&F tools will affect the productivity of the operation in a positive way.

12. What if I need assistance before the regional sales manager can visit?
Most times, the regional sales manager from A&F can make recommendations via telephone, e-mail or other correspondence until they can make a follow-up visit.

13. What is A&F's approach to high speed machining of aluminum?
A&F is no stranger to the machining of aluminum. They have been providing router tooling to related industries for over 10 years. The biggest change in recent years has been the type of CNC machining centers found in the major aluminum fabrication shops throughout the world. With demands on increased productivity, the spindle speeds of these machines has steadily been increased to 8,000 rpm's and above. The shearing action of router type tooling provided by A&F is more appropriate than the bludgeoning process afforded by end mills. The use of router tools negates the need for climb cutting and finish passes relative to end mills and places the aluminum fabricator into the realm of conventional cutting with better productivity and finish. Because of A&F's long history of success in high spindle speed environments, there is no better place to go for solid carbide tooling designed for such use.