Serrated ball nose end mill insert

A ball nose end mill having one or more removable cutter inserts, comprising:

• an axially extending tool body having a centerline of rotation;
• a tool mounting surface on the tool body for removably securing an insert body to the tool body;
• the insert body having a contact surface for mating engagement with a mounting surface of the tool body, the insert body including a curved cutting face surface extending between an axially leading tip cutting face surface and an axially trailing side cutting face surface substantially spaced from the centerline of rotation, the insert body including a curved land surface extending between a tip land surface and a side land surface substantially perpendicular to the tip land surface, an intersection of the curved cutting face surface and the curved land surface forming a curved cutting edge;
• and
• a plurality of face serrations formed along the curved cutting face surface, the face serrations having face crests each raised from the contact surface a distance greater than a spacing between an adjacent face root and the contact surface, each face crest having a face crest centerline and each face root having a face root centerline, the plurality of face serrations forming a serrated curved cutting edge.

A ball nose end mill insert for removable affixation to a tool body having a centerline of rotation, the insert comprising:

• an insert body having a contact surface for mating engagement with a mounting surface of the tool body;
• the insert body including a curved cutting face surface extending between an axially leading tip cutting face surface and an axially trailing side cutting face surface substantially spaced from the centerline of rotation, the insert body including a curved land surface adjacent the curved cutting face surface and extending between a tip land surface and a side land surface substantially perpendicular to the tip land surface, an intersection of the curved cutting face surface and the curved land surface forming a curved cutting edge;
• and
• a plurality of face serrations formed along the curved cutting face surface, the face serrations having face crests each raised from the contact surface a distance greater than a spacing between an adjacent face root and the contact surface, each face crest having a face crest centerline and each face root having a face root centerline, the plurality of face serrations forming a serrated curved cutting edge, and the face crests and the face roots each lie substantially within a respective crest plane and root plane.