What SFM should I use for Nitronic 60?

Lakeshore Carbide – General Purpose End Mill Speeds & Feeds lists 200–300 SFM for carbide end mills in the "Stainless Steel – Hard" row. Start at the low end and adjust for your machine.

What chip load for a 1/2" end mill in Nitronic 60?

The published range for 3/8–1/2" carbide end mills is .0008–.0017" per tooth. At 200 SFM a 3-flute 1/2" end mill runs about 1528 RPM and 3.7 IPM.

Are these values for HSS tools, drilling or turning?

The end mill chart covers carbide end mills. The "Speeds by tool material" table adds published HSS, turning-insert and drilling rows for Nitronic 60 where a source lists them (LittleMachineShop, Sandvik Coromant).

Nitronic 60 Speeds and Feeds (Milling, Drilling, Turning)

Carbide end mills in Nitronic 60: 200–300 SFM. Also called UNS S21800. Chart row used: “Stainless Steel – Hard” (Annealed).

Starting point: carbide end mills

RPM and IPM use the low end of the published range (200 SFM and the lowest chip load for each diameter range). RPM = SFM × 12 ÷ (π × D); IPM = RPM × flutes × chip load.

Nitronic 60 — inch end mills
Diameter	Chip load (in/tooth)	RPM	IPM · 2 flute	IPM · 3 flute
1/8"	.0003	6,112	3.7	5.5
1/4"	.0004	3,056	2.4	3.7
3/8"	.0006	2,037	2.4	3.7
1/2"	.0008	1,528	2.4	3.7
3/4"	.0014	1,019	2.9	4.3
1"	.0020	764	3.1	4.6

Nitronic 60 — metric end mills (inch chip-load range the size falls in)
Diameter	Chip load (in/tooth)	RPM	IPM · 2 flute	IPM · 3 flute
3 mm	.0003	6,468	3.9	5.8
6 mm	.0004	3,234	2.6	3.9
10 mm	.0008	1,940	3.1	4.7
12 mm	.0008	1,617	2.6	3.9
16 mm	.0014	1,213	3.4	5.1
20 mm	.0020	970	3.9	5.8

Full published chip-load ranges

1/32-1/8": .0003–.0005"
1/8-1/4": .0004–.0007"
1/4-3/8": .0006–.0012"
3/8-1/2": .0008–.0017"
1/2-3/4": .0014–.0035"
3/4-1": .0020–.0050"

Calculator — prefilled for Nitronic 60

Results for Milling

Spindle RPM: 1,528
Feed: 4.9 IPM
Chip load: 0.0007 in

MRR: 0.18 in³/min
Power: — HP
Torque: — lbf·ft
Programmed fz: 0.0008 in
Actual SFM: 200
Spindle use: 13%

Pick a material in the library below to estimate spindle power and torque.

Operation Type

Milling

Turning

Material library

Auto-adjust cutting data

Material & condition

Cutting tool material

Tool coating

Tool & coating guidance

Grade, edge geometry and coating determine usable cutting data. Sharp polished edges can suit nonferrous work; substrate and geometry still govern. Coated vs uncoated carbide changes turning data only; no coating speed multiplier is inferred.

Tool & cut parameters

Manual values

SFM (Surface Feet/Min)

Cutter Diameter (in)

Number of Flutes

Axial depth of cut (in)

Feed per Tooth (in)

Machine RPM limit

Chip thinning & cutter body

Cutter body

Chip-thinning compensation

Radial engagement (% of diameter)

Entering angle KAPR (°)

Radial factor ×1.09Angle factor ×1.00Programmed fz 0.0008 inMax chip hex 0.0007 in

Fixed-angle peripheral estimate: hex = fz × radial factor × sin(KAPR). No radial correction at ≥50% engagement. Not a centered face-milling or ball-nose model. Sandvik geometry reference

Insert styles, guidelines & formulas

RPM = (SFM × 12) / (π × D) | Feed = RPM × programmed fz × effective zc | MRR = WOC × DOC × feed | HP = Kp × C × MRR × 1.1 ÷ 0.8 (Machinery's Handbook)

Milling Insert Styles

Square (SEMT/SNMG)

General purpose, 90° lead angle

Round (RPMW/RCKT)

Ramping, 3D contouring, high feed

Triangular (TPMX)

Light cuts, finishing

Octagonal (ONMU)

Face milling; HFM suitability is body-specific

Milling Guidelines

Start at 70% of max SFM, increase gradually
Chip load too low → rubbing & heat buildup
Use climb milling when machine rigidity allows
Radial engagement >50% → reduce feed per tooth
Round inserts: best for ramp-in and 3D surfaces

Open in the full calculator workspace

Speeds by tool material

Published starting ranges for Nitronic 60 by operation and tool material. Rows marked * are estimates.

Nitronic 60 — speeds by tool material
Operation	Tool	SFM	Feed	Source row
milling	Solid carbide end mill	200–300	0.0008–0.0017 in/tooth	Lakeshore Carbide · Stainless Steel – Hard
turning	Coated carbide (GC2015)	325–520	0.0080–0.0240 in/rev	Sandvik turning · CMC 05.23 Stainless, super-austenitic (Ni >= 20%)
drilling	Coated carbide (2234/4234)	65–195	0.0039–0.0063 in/rev	Sandvik CoroDrill 870 · CMC 05.23 Stainless, super-austenitic (Ni >= 20%)

Machinist tips

Chip thinning: At light radial engagement (under half the cutter diameter) the real chip is thinner than the feed per tooth. Raise the feed to keep the chip at the chart value, or the tool rubs and wears.
Climb vs conventional: On a rigid CNC, climb mill so each tooth starts thick and exits thin. Use conventional milling on machines with backlash or on hard scale skins.
Don't let it rub: Stainless work-hardens. Keep the tool cutting at a steady feed, avoid dwelling, and use flood coolant.

Common questions

What SFM should I use for Nitronic 60?: Lakeshore Carbide – General Purpose End Mill Speeds & Feeds lists 200–300 SFM for carbide end mills in the "Stainless Steel – Hard" row. Start at the low end and adjust for your machine.
What chip load for a 1/2" end mill in Nitronic 60?: The published range for 3/8–1/2" carbide end mills is .0008–.0017" per tooth. At 200 SFM a 3-flute 1/2" end mill runs about 1528 RPM and 3.7 IPM.
Are these values for HSS tools, drilling or turning?: The end mill chart covers carbide end mills. The "Speeds by tool material" table adds published HSS, turning-insert and drilling rows for Nitronic 60 where a source lists them (LittleMachineShop, Sandvik Coromant).

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