High-performance carbide ball end mills are designed to last longer and create a finer finish when used in their recommended, first-choice materials than general purpose ball end mills. They are used in production milling. Miniature ball end mills have a small diameter and provide high precision and control over material removal during detailed milling applications such as dental milling or small-electronics manufacturing. Carbide end mills provide excellent wear resistance and heat resistance, and they are harder than high-speed steel or cobalt steel end mills. Ball end mills have a rounded nose that creates a round-bottomed groove in milling tasks. Also known as ball-nose end mills, they are rotated against a workpiece to make round-bottomed slots and pockets or mill complex shapes without sharp corners.