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A cutting insert for a ball nose end mill includes a body including two opposed substantially flat retention surfaces. Each retention surface includes a chip control groove thereon extending from a point at or near an axial center of the body at an angle relative to the axial center of the body. The

A cutting insert for a ball nose end mill includes a body including two opposed substantially flat retention surfaces. Each retention surface includes a chip control groove thereon extending from a point at or near an axial center of the body at an angle relative to the axial center of the body. The insert further includes a peripheral surface joining the two retention surfaces, wherein the peripheral surface includes a locating surface at a first end thereof and two arcuate surfaces at an opposed, second end thereof extending rearwardly from approximately the axial center of the second end and positioned on opposite sides of the insert symmetrically with respect to the centerline of the insert. The arcuate surfaces each including an arcuate cutting edge at the intersection of outer portion of a chip control groove and the arcuate surface. The arcuate surfaces are formed with a face clearance angle under the cutting edges.

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1. A ball nose end mill for material removal, the end mill comprising a cylindrical tool body comprising: an axially positioned slot in one end of the tool body, said slot including a locating surface to accurately position a cutting insert mounted in the slot axially and relative to an axial center

1. A ball nose end mill for material removal, the end mill comprising a cylindrical tool body comprising: an axially positioned slot in one end of the tool body, said slot including a locating surface to accurately position a cutting insert mounted in the slot axially and relative to an axial centerline of the tool body; anda fastener for attaching a cutting insert in the slot in a desired position axially and relative to the axial centerline of the tool body; anda cutting insert comprising: a body including two opposed substantially flat retention surfaces, each retention surface including a chip control groove thereon extending from a point at or near an axial center of the body at an angle relative to the axial center of the body; anda peripheral surface joining the two retention surfaces, the peripheral surface including a locating surface at a first end thereof and two arcuate surfaces at an opposed, second end thereof extending rearwardly from approximately the axial center of the second end and positioned on opposite sides of the insert symmetrically with respect to the axial center of the insert, the arcuate surfaces each including an arcuate cutting edge at the intersection of an outer portion of a chip control groove and the arcuate surface, the arcuate surfaces being formed with a face clearance angle under the cutting edges. 2. The tool of claim 1, wherein the face clearance angle progressively increases in a direction toward the axial center of the second end. 3. The ball nose end mill of claim 2, wherein the face clearance angle increases from an angle in the range of 2° to 10° to an angle in the range of 5° to 20°. 4. The ball nose end mill of claim 2, wherein the face clearance angle increases from an angle of 6.5° to an angle of 10° for a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 5. The ball nose end mill of claim 1, wherein each chip control groove is defined by an inner side wall and an outer side wall, and an included angle between said inner and outer side walls is in the range of 80° to 150°. 6. The ball nose end mill of claim 5, wherein the included angle between the inner and outer side walls defining each chip control groove is in the range of 131.5° for a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 7. The ball nose end mill of claim 1, wherein the peripheral surface includes side surfaces located between the locating surface and the arcuate surface on opposite sides of the cutting insert body, wherein each side surface defines a side clearance angle. 8. The ball nose end mill of claim 7, wherein the side clearance angle is in the range of 2° to 10°. 9. The ball nose end mill of claim 8, wherein the side clearance angle is 6.5° and the ball nose end mill is a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 10. The ball nose end mill of claim 2, wherein the peripheral surface includes side surfaces located between the locating surface and the arcuate surfaces on opposite sides of the cutting insert body, each side surface defining a side clearance angle. 11. The ball nose end mill of claim 10, wherein the side clearance angle is in the range of 2° to 10°. 12. The ball nose end mill of claim 11, wherein the side clearance angle is 6.5° for a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 13. The ball nose end mill of claim 1, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbide, cemented carbide, cermet, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, and ceramic. 14. The ball nose end mill of claim 13, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of a whisker reinforced ceramic material. 15. The ball nose end mill of claim 13, wherein the whisker reinforced ceramic material is WG-300® ceramic. 16. The ball nose end mill of claim 1, wherein the cutting insert further comprises a coating formed on at least one surface thereof. 17. The ball nose end mill of claim 16, wherein the coating comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of TiC, TiCN, TiN, Al2O3, HfN, and TiAIN. 18. The ball nose end mill of claim 2, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbide, cemented carbide, cermet, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, and ceramic. 19. The ball nose end mill of claim 18, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of a whisker reinforced ceramic material. 20. The ball nose end mill of claim 19, wherein the whisker reinforced ceramic material is WG-300® ceramic. 21. The ball nose end mill of claim 18, wherein the cutting insert further comprises a coating formed on at least one surface thereof. 22. The ball nose end mill of claim 21, wherein said coating comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of TiC, TiCN, TiN, Al2O3, HfN, and TiAIN. 23. A cutting insert for a ball nose end mill comprising: a body including two opposed substantially flat retention surfaces, each retention surface including a chip control groove thereon extending from a point at or near an axial center of the body at an angle relative to the axial center of the body; anda peripheral surface joining the two retention surfaces, the peripheral surface including a locating surface at a first end thereof and two arcuate surfaces at an opposed, second end thereof extending rearwardly from approximately an axial center of the second end and positioned on opposite sides of the cutting insert symmetrically with respect to a centerline of the cutting insert, the arcuate surfaces each including an arcuate cutting edge at the intersection of an outer portion of a chip control groove and the arcuate surface, the arcuate surfaces being formed with a face clearance angle under the cutting edges. 24. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein the face clearance angle progressively increases in a direction toward the axial center of the second end. 25. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein the face clearance angle increases from an angle in the range of 2° to 10° to an angle in the range of 5° to 20°. 26. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein the face clearance angle increases from an angle of 6.5° to an angle of 10° for a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 27. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein each chip control groove is defined by an inner side wall and an outer side wall, and an included angle between said inner and outer side walls is in the range of 80° to 150°. 28. The cutting insert of claim 27, wherein the included angle between the inner and outer side walls defining each chip control groove is in the range of 131.5° for a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 29. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein the peripheral surface includes side surfaces located between the locating surface and the arcuate surfaces on opposite sides of the cutting insert body, wherein each side surface defines a side clearance angle. 30. The cutting insert of claim 29, wherein the side clearance angle is in the range of 2° to 10°. 31. The cutting insert of claim 30, wherein the side clearance angle is 6.5° and the ball nose end mill is a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 32. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein the peripheral surface includes side surfaces located between the locating surface and the arcuate surfaces on opposite sides of the cutting insert body, each side surface defining a side clearance angle. 33. The cutting insert of claim 32, wherein the side clearance angle is in the range of 2° to 10°. 34. The cutting insert of claim 33, wherein the side clearance angle is 6.5° for a 0.5″ diameter end mill. 35. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbide, cemented carbide, cermet, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, and ceramic. 36. The cutting insert of claim 35, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of a whisker reinforced ceramic material. 37. The cutting insert of claim 35, wherein the whisker reinforced ceramic material is WG-300® ceramic. 38. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein the cutting insert further comprises a coating formed on at least one surface thereof. 39. The cutting insert of claim 38, wherein the coating comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of TiC, TiCN, TiN, Al2O3, HfN, and TiAIN. 40. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbide, cemented carbide, cermet, cubic boron nitride, polycrystalline diamond, and ceramic. 41. The cutting insert of claim 40, wherein the cutting insert is fabricated of a whisker reinforced ceramic material. 42. The cutting insert of claim 41, wherein the whisker reinforced ceramic material is WG-300® ceramic. 43. The cutting insert of claim 40, wherein the cutting insert further comprises a coating formed on at least one surface thereof. 44. The cutting insert of claim 43, wherein said coating comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of TiC, TiCN, TiN, Al2O3, HfN, and TiAIN. 45. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from a vertical centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 5% of the width of the cutting insert. 46. The cutting insert of claim 45, wherein the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from the vertical centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.008″and the cutting insert has an effective cutting diameter of 0.5″. 47. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from a vertical centerline of the insert by an amount that does not exceed 5% of the width of the cutting insert. 48. The cutting insert of claim 47, wherein the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from the vertical centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.008″and the cutting insert has an effective cutting diameter of 0.5″. 49. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from a horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 10% of the width of the cutting insert. 50. The cutting insert of claim 49, wherein the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from the horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.016″ and the cutting insert has an effective cutting diameter of 0.5″. 51. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of a cutting end of the insert are spaced from a horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 10% of the width of the cutting insert. 52. The cutting insert of claim 51, wherein the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of a cutting end of the insert are spaced from the horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.016″ and the cutting insert has an effective cutting diameter of 0.5″. 53. The cutting insert of claim 23, wherein bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of a cutting end of the insert are spaced from a vertical centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 5% of the width of the cutting insert and the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from a horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 10% of the width of the cutting insert. 54. The cutting insert of claim 53, wherein the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of cutting insert are spaced from the vertical centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.008″ and the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from the horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.016″ and the cutting insert has an effective cutting diameter of 0.5″. 55. The cutting insert of claim 24, wherein bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from a vertical centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 5% of the width of the cutting insert and the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from a horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by an amount that does not exceed 10% of the width of the cutting insert. 56. The cutting insert of claim 55, wherein the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from the vertical centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.008″and the bottoms of the chip control grooves nearest the axial center of the second end of the cutting insert are spaced from the horizontal centerline of the cutting insert by about 0.016″ and the cutting insert has an effective cutting diameter of 0.5″.