For the machining of dies and molds, a very wide selection of cutting tools is necessary. As an example of a complicated shape requiring a large variety of cutting tools, you might observe the lower part of a mounted mold for injection molding of an electronics panel part,
The mold requires facing of large and small areas, machining of deep walls or shoulders either by facing or by side cutting,

and machining of long, deep and narrow slots. The machining of cavities requires plunging – or ramp down operations – as well as drilling and milling options. The large number of holes requires drilling of small and larger holes, deep drilling, reaming, tapping and chamfering operations. The three-dimensional complicated shape of the mold for the panel itself requires profiling with large- and small-diameter tools as well as special tools. It is essential to reach a very high surface quality and an upper surface layer with low stresses and no distortion.

A variety of cutting tools for the machining of dies and molds is offered by many manufacturers, For facing purposes of large surfaces, face milling cutters at A and B with 45′, 60′ or 75′ were used. For 90′ slotting and shouldering purposes, milling cutters with arbor clamping of type C and D shown were used. For narrower slots, endmills E and F; and for deeper slots, the heavy-duty G-type with multiple indexable inserts was used. Endmills with full or partial radii on the frontal face H, I and J – with indexable inserts – were used.

For profiling, milling cutters with arbor clamping L and M, as well as endmills K and N, were used. Milling cutters O and P were used for plunging and ramp down applications. The ballnose tool Q with indexable inserts and solid ballnose endmill R are typical options for profiling three-dimensional shapes. Tool S was used for 45′ chamfering or slotting, and tool T is an endmill with ground, longitudinal, helical brazed or solid cutting edges for larger depths and good surface quality. Additional tools like drills, reamers or sinkers as, for example, the drill U, were used for drilling into small or larger diameters.