Solid carbide spiral tools have been effective cutting tools for metal working for decades. With the widespread use of CNC routers in the woodworking industry, solid carbide is now the tool of choice in this market as well. Refinements in tooling design and also in the carbide material have made this possible.
Solid carbide offers many advantages over carbide-tipped and high speed steel tooling.
The first, and probably most notable, advantage is the spiral flute configuration. In most cases, a spiral flute will put more than one wing into contact with the material being cut, greatly reducing the vibration that normally is created by straight wing tools. The spiral cutting action also changes the formation and orientation of the chip reducing cutting pressure and noise generation. A straight edge tool will form a chip the length of which is equal to the thickness of the material being cut. A spiral tool has a much smaller contact area with the material being cut.