The main consideration when machining polymer materials is to keep the cutting surface temperature as low as possible to ensure that the material properties are not affected and a good surface finish can be obtained. To do this, the best combination cutter speed, feed rate and cutter design must be considered.

The O type single flute cutter provides the best possible relief and rake angles to discharge the "chips" from the machined surface. During the milling process most of the heat is contained in the "chips", and therefore they must not be allowed to cling to the cutter with the possibility of rewelding them back onto the machined surface.

To use the O type cutter correctly, spindle speeds between 10,000 and 30,000 rpm give the best performace. Also, with such a wide speed range to choose from, good feed rates/min can still be obtained using a single flute cutter.

It is vital to address the question of work holding. Good Cutters and the correct cutting speeds are wasted if the material is allowed to vibrate.