Chamfer vs fillet cost 4

[dejan95]

Hello everyone,

I have a simple question. I'm mechanical design engineer beginner and I'm wondering, is it better to design parts with fillets or with chamfers?

Bellow are a couple of examples.

Thank you for your help and have a happy holidays!

 

[CWB1]

Chamfering mills are generally a bit cheaper than similar-sized roundovers, but not enough to have a significant cost impact unless you're running many thousands. Unless specific chamfers or radii are required the best choice as mentioned above is a simple edge-break.

 

[SwinnyGG]

Agree, but:

-you can cut external chamfers without a chamfering tool if needed, which can save one (or more) tool changes. Less tool changes means cheaper parts; obviously this has more impact the larger/more complicated a part is

-Countersinks are extremely common, because drilled holes are typically going to have a chamfer or edge break. Every automated tool changer magazine is pretty much guaranteed to have a countersink tool in it - meaning you don't necessarily have to consume tool changer space to cut chamfers.

-A single countersink (or chamfer mill) can cut its nominal size chamfer, and every smaller external size chamfer down to zero. A roundover tool can only cut a single roundover radius. As a machinist, you don't just need one roundover tool - you potentially need a giant library of them.

 

[Orange_kun]

I agree with SwinnyGG. Every machinist I have dealt with prefers convex/exterior edges/corners to have chamfers vs fillets.

Conversely, concave/interior edges/corners are usually easier to make with either feature. Turned parts get free radii, and milled features are usually possible with a common ball-nose endmill.

I like to work with the tooling the shop has and is familiar with. If they can make my limited run (1s, 2s) of parts with existing tooling in the machine... everybody wins. Always try to find out what the shop has available, and be flexible on what you will accept. It should be a point of pride to make the tolerances as wide as possible and still get good parts. Be nice to your machinists!