Ballend

Ball-end mills, or ball-nose end mills, are milling cutters with hemispherical tips. They are used to create curved surfaces, 3D contoured shapes, and fillets in metals, plastics, and wood. The spherical tip enables smooth transitions on complex geometries and high-quality finishes.

The cutting end is spherical; diameters range from about 0.5 mm to several centimeters. Typical configurations have 2–4 flutes and carbide or high-speed steel bodies. Helix angles commonly lie between 15 and 45 degrees, and coatings such as TiN or TiAlN are used to improve wear resistance.

In machining, ball-end mills are favored for 3D contouring, sculpting, die finishing, and pocket fillets. CAM toolpaths are generated to follow surface curvature, using small stepovers for surface accuracy. Cutting parameters depend on work material; climb milling vs conventional milling are considerations, and coolant is often used with metals to control heat.

Limitations include slower material removal on flat areas and tool deflection in deep cavities. Ball-end mills can be re-sharpened or reground depending on material, but carbide tools are more brittle. They complement flat-end mills by enabling smooth rounded regions in multi-axis machining.