Hi Corey,
1. HSS is sharper, but Carbide is harder & stiffer. For foam, HSS is probably suitable. Carbide might be better for really long tools, however. I've never used cobalt. HSS is also cheaper.
2. Coatings probably aren't necessary for wood, definitely not for foam (foam is very easy to cut). They can add cost but can extend the life of your tools. A lot of these coatings are for high amounts of us on metals anyway.
3. Foam - 2 or 4 flute would be fine (again foam is easy) I'd probably go with 2 flutes, with other materials such as wood, flute choice is based on a number of things and will affect your programming. I suggest you learn a bit about CNC before choosing one or the other.
4. Can't help you much, but what the robot can handle might not be the issue you face with long tools. Stress on the tool itself is more likely. (mostly with wood, not so much foam)
It's probably a good idea to talk to the tool supplier, so they can recommend tools suitable for your application.
Be prepared for tools to break as well..
There's a lot of factors going on in CNC that effect tool choice and programming, so as Johannes said, buying tools as you go along is the best option.
Cheers,
Ryan
1. HSS is sharper, but Carbide is harder & stiffer. For foam, HSS is probably suitable. Carbide might be better for really long tools, however. I've never used cobalt. HSS is also cheaper.
2. Coatings probably aren't necessary for wood, definitely not for foam (foam is very easy to cut). They can add cost but can extend the life of your tools. A lot of these coatings are for high amounts of us on metals anyway.
3. Foam - 2 or 4 flute would be fine (again foam is easy) I'd probably go with 2 flutes, with other materials such as wood, flute choice is based on a number of things and will affect your programming. I suggest you learn a bit about CNC before choosing one or the other.
4. Can't help you much, but what the robot can handle might not be the issue you face with long tools. Stress on the tool itself is more likely. (mostly with wood, not so much foam)
It's probably a good idea to talk to the tool supplier, so they can recommend tools suitable for your application.
Be prepared for tools to break as well..
There's a lot of factors going on in CNC that effect tool choice and programming, so as Johannes said, buying tools as you go along is the best option.
Cheers,
Ryan