Chipload Feeds & speeds for machinists

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Feeds and speeds, tap drills and shop math. Works with no signal.

Frequently asked

Where do the speeds and chip loads come from?

They are consolidated starting values from published tooling manufacturer charts, deliberately biased conservative. They are not a substitute for the data sheet that came with a specific tool.

Every value in the app is editable. Pick a material to seed the numbers, then overtype the surface speed or chip load with your own proven figures — those are always better than any generic chart.

The numbers look slow compared to what I run

Almost certainly the setup class. Chipload defaults to General purpose, which assumes a standard machine and an uncoated or basic-coated tool. If you are running a rigid VMC with a coated high-helix cutter and through-coolant, switch to High performance and the speeds rise by 60%.

The default is conservative on purpose: running 30% slow costs a little time, running 30% fast costs a tool and possibly a part.

Why did the feed go up when I reduced the stepover?

That is radial chip thinning, and it is correct. Below half-diameter stepover the arc of engagement is short enough that no tooth ever cuts a chip as thick as the feed you programmed. Feeding the nominal chip load at a light stepover makes the cutter rub instead of cut, which work-hardens the material and burns the edge — so tool life gets worse at what looks like a gentler setting.

Chipload raises the feed to restore the intended chip thickness and shows you the factor it applied. The correction is capped at 2× so it never asks for a feed no machine can deliver.

Why is the spindle speed higher than I expected for a ball nose?

Because a ball nose engaged shallow is not cutting on its nominal diameter. At 0.050" depth a 1/2" ball is cutting on a 0.300" circle, so it needs a proportionally higher RPM to reach the same surface speed. Using the nominal diameter there under-runs the spindle by 1.67×, which is one of the most common mistakes in this category.

Chipload uses the effective diameter automatically and tells you when it has.

Does it work without internet?

Yes, completely. There is no network code in the app. Put your phone in Airplane Mode and everything behaves identically — which is the point, because shop floors and basements do not have signal.

Does it do turning and drilling?

Milling is complete. Turning and drilling calculations are implemented and tested, and their screens are coming in a free update. Everything you buy stays bought — there are no subscriptions and no separately priced modules.

Is there a subscription?

No. One purchase, permanent, free updates.

Can I use metric?

Yes — Settings → Units. Results always show both systems at once regardless, because a print in one and a control in the other is normal, and doing that conversion in your head is where mistakes come from.

I found a number I think is wrong

Please email tech@trivena.net with the material, tool, cut and what you expected. Correctness matters more here than in most apps, and a report with specifics gets fixed fast.