Millwright Level 1 Practice Exam

The term that describes the amount of metal removed by each tooth of a cutter per revolution is chip load. Chip load specifically measures the thickness of the material removed by each tooth of the cutting tool during one complete rotation. It is a crucial concept in machining because it directly influences the cutting process, affecting factors such as tool wear, surface finish, and overall machining efficiency.

In contrast, feed rate refers to the linear distance or speed at which the workpiece is fed into the cutter, which is a different parameter that encompasses the total movement of the workpiece rather than the specific action of a single tooth. Revolutions per minute (RPM) measures the speed at which the cutter rotates but does not provide information about the amount of material removed per tooth. Cutting speed refers to the speed at which the cutting edge of the tool moves through the material, usually expressed in surface feet per minute or meters per minute, and again does not focus on the specific load per tooth.

Understanding chip load is essential for optimizing machining operations, ensuring that the cutter operates effectively without excessive wear or damage while achieving the desired material removal rates.