The rake angle of the main cutting edge of a milling cutter is located on the circumference of the milling cutter. The rake angle is between minus 15 degrees and plus 25 degrees, depending on the material being machined. Tools with a positive rake angle machine soft materials and produce curled chips. Tools with a negative rake angle form a scraping cut. A large rake angle of 10 to 25 degrees produces a sharp cutting edge and is suitable for milling very soft and sticky materials. There are two forms of relief angle. The arc relief face has a stable cutting edge and mills smoothly, which is why it is suitable for machining stainless steel and heat-resistant steel.

Milling cutters with double relief face have sharp cutting edges and mill powerfully.

Milling tools are also designed with different helix angles – from zero to 55 degrees. The smaller the helix angle, the fewer contact points are created between the tool and the workpiece. Therefore, tools with a smaller helix angle can only achieve a lower finish and are more suitable for roughing. Tools with a larger helix angle impress with their smoother milling and are used for finishing.