The cutting process is generally divided into turning, milling and centering teeth cutting (drill bit, end face cutting of vertical milling cutter, etc.). The cutting heat of these cutting processes has different effects on the edge tip. Turning is a kind of continuous cutting. The cutting force of the blade tip has no obvious change. Milling is an intermittent cutting, the cutting force is applied to the tip, intermittent cutting vibration will occur, when the tip of thermal effects, is when the cutting heat and the cutting cooling alternates, general by fewer calories than when turning.

The cutting heat during milling is a kind of intermittent heating phenomenon, and the cutter teeth are cooled without cutting, which will be beneficial to the extension of tool life. Japan's physical and chemical research institute of turning and milling tool life for the contrast test of milling cutter used for ball end mill, turning to general lathe tool, both in the same material and processed cutting condition (due to the different cutting ways, cutting depth, feed, cutting speed and can only be broadly) and cutting test under the same conditions, the results show that the milling processing to prolong tool life.

Using blade with center (that is, the part of the cutting speed = 0 m/min) of the drill bit and ball end mill cutter for cutting, often appear near the center edge tool life is low, but it's still better than when turning processing. When cutting difficult materials, the cutting edge is greatly affected by heat, which often reduces the tool life. If the cutting method is milling, the tool life will be relatively longer. Can't but difficult-to-machine materials from beginning to end all adopt milling, there will always be a need for turning or drilling among processing, therefore, should according to different cutting ways, take corresponding technical measures to improve the machining efficiency.