1

Machine construction:
Following figure is a sketch of a typical milling machine showing its principal components;



A horizontal milling machine comprises of following parts:
1) Over arm
2) Arbor
3) Space
4) Cutters
5) Arbor support
2

6) Machine vice
7) Manual play lever for table
8) Automatic transmission lever
9) Knee assembly
10) Cross-slide lever
11) Knee control lever
12) Automatic lever for knee and cross-slide
13) Feed adjusting lever
14) Spindle speed adjusting lever
15) Electric panel
16) Coolant pump

Types:-
On the basis of configuration milling machines can be classified into following types,
Horizontal milling m/c:-
This type of milling machine has the milling cutter mounted on a horizontal spindle, as shown below.
The above machine description refers to a conventional horizontal milling machine.



Vertical milling machine:-
As a converse to the horizontal milling machine, it has the spindle installed in a vertical position. Unlike
horizontal one, it doesnt require an arbor and over arm.
3

Knee and column milling machine:-
It consists of a column and a knee used for supporting the spindle and the worktable respectively.

Knee and column type are further classified into
a) Universal milling machine-
It has a worktable capable of rotation about a vertical axis hence, facilitating
the cutting of angular shapes and helixes on work parts.
b) Ram type milling machine-
This one has got the spindle on a ram which can be positioned to place the tool on a
particular point on the work part along the direction of ram motion.
Ram can be rotated along the axis through its cross section to provide
angular orientation to the tool relative to the work piece.









Universal mill Ram mill

4

Bed type milling machine:-
Designed for high production, these possess more rigidity then knee type mills having the worktable
directly mounted over the bed instead of knee. They may contain one, two or three spindles, thus
acquiring the names, simplex, duplex and triplex respectively.
Other types include planer type and tracer milling machines.

CNC milling machine:
It is a milling machine in which the cutter path is controlled by numerical data rather than a physical
template. It is specially suited profile milling, pocket milling, surface contouring and die sinking
operations in which two or three axes of worktable must be simultaneously controlled to achieve the
required cutter path.
Operations on milling machine:
Following operations can be performed in milling machine:
Slab milling:
In slab milling cutter width extends beyond the work piece on both sides.
Slot milling:
In slot milling the width of the cutter is less than the work parts width, creating a slot in the work.
Side milling:
In side milling cutter machines the side of the work piece.
Straddle milling:
In straddle milling cutting takes place only on both sides of the work piece.
Conventional face milling:
Diameter of the cutter is greater than the work piece and cutter overhangs the work on both sides.
5


Partial face milling:
Cutter overhangs the work part only on one side.
End milling:
In this milling slot is cut on the part.
Profile milling:
It is a form of end milling in which outside periphery of the plat pat is cut.
Surface contouring:
A ball nose cutter is feed back and forth across the work along curvilinear path.