Milling Machines &

Operations

Introduction
Addition to producing various external or internal round
profiles, Cutting operations can produce many other parts with
more complex shapes

 Highly versatile machining operation

Multitooth tool that produces a number of chips in one revolution

MILLING
Milling is another basic machining process by
which surface is generated progressively by
the removal of chips from a work piece as it is
fed against a rotating cutter.
Milling operations can be classified into two
broad categories

1. Peripheral Milling
2. Face Milling

Peripheral Milling

Peripheral Milling
Operation performed by milling cutter to

produce a machined surface parallel to axis of

rotation of cutter
Cutting force is not uniform throughout the

length of the cut by each tooth

Quality of surface generated and shape of the

chip formed depends upon the rotation of cutter

relative to direction of feed movement

It can be either UP milling or DOWN milling

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Up milling
Also called conventional milling,
- Cutter rotation opposite of the feed
- The chip formed by each cutter tooth starts out very thin
and increases its thickness
- The length of the chip is relatively longer
- Tool life is relatively shorter
- Need more clamping force to hold the work part still.

Down milling:

Also called climb milling,

- Cutter rotation is parallel to the feed
- The chip formed by each cutter tooth starts out thick and
leaves out thin
- The length of the chip is relatively short
- Tool life is relatively longer
- Need less clamping force to hold the work part still.

Face Milling

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Face Milling

The generated surface is at right angles to

the cutter
axis

It is the combined result of actions of the

portions of the
teeth located on both
periphery and the face of the cutter
Most of the cutting is done by the peripheral

portions of the teeth, with the face portions

provides the surface finish.

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MILLING MACHINES

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Milling Machines
The milling machine supplies an accurate
rotating spindle for the cutter and a table (vise) to
fix and position the work part.
Types of Milling Machines are -:

Column & Knee Type

Fixed Bed Type
Planer Type
Special Type

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Column & Knee Milling Machine

General purpose

Column, spindle, cutter, table,

knee, base are the common
parts of the vertical and
horizontal milling machines
The milling machines having
only the three mutually
perpendicular table motions
(x-y-z axes) are called plain
column and knee type
Vertical type is especially well
suited for face and end milling
operations

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Horizontal Milling Machine

In horizontal, arbor supports
the cutter and an over arm
supports arbor
The vertical column houses
the electrical, main drive,
spindles etc mounted on a
heavy base

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Vertical Milling Machine

In vertical, milling cutters can
be mounted directly in the
spindle
Housing (Head) can be fixed
or Swiveling type
Fixed Type - Head is always
vertical and can be adjusted up
and down
Swiveling Type Head can be
swiveled to any desired angle

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Universal Milling
Machine
Has a table that
can be rotated in a
horizontal plane to
any specified angle

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Bed Type Milling Machine

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Continue...

Bed Type Milling Machines:

Designed for mass production
Achieves heavier feed rates and depth of cuts, high

MRR
Work table is directly fixed on the bed of the machine

tool
The cutter mounted in a spindle head that can be

adjusted vertically along the machine column

Three types are available w.r.t. the count of spindles

available
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Simplex

Fixed bed replaces saddle and

knee. The table has
longitudinal travel only
Spindle head carries spindle to
which arbor is fitted to carry
cutter that moves up and down
along column ways

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Continue...

Duplex:
Has two spindles, permitting
simultaneous milling of two
surfaces at a single pass

Triplex:
Has three spindles,
permitting simultaneous
milling of three surfaces at a
single pass

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Planer type milling machines

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 Consists of a fixed bed carrying a table having longitudinal

movements
Consists of 2 vertical columns on each side of the bed
Cross rail fitter across columns can be raised or lowered
Each column carries a milling head(side/horizontal) moving
upwards or downwards
All cutters can be operated simultaneously to machine 4
surfaces at a time

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Continue...

CNC Milling
Machines
Cutter path controlled by
numerical data
Suited to profile, pocket,
surface contouring.

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Milling Operations

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Important Factors in Determining

Cutting Speed
Type of work material
Cutter material
Diameter of cutter
Surface finish required
Depth of cut taken
Rigidity of machine and work setup

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High-Speed Steel Cutter

Carbide Cutter
Material ft/min
m/min ft/min
m/min
Alloy steel 4070
1220 150250
4575
Aluminum 5001000 150300 10002000 300600
Bronze 65120
2035
200400 60120
Cast iron
5080
1525
125200 4060
Free m steel
100150 3045
400600 120180
Machine steel 70100
2130
150250 4575
Stainless steel 3080
1025
100300 3090
Tool steel
6070
1820
125200
4060

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Milling Machine Feed

Defined as distance in inches (or mm) per

minute that work moves into cutter

Independent of spindle speed

Feed: rate work moves into revolving cutter

Measured in in/min or mm/min

Milling feed: determined by multiplying chip

size (chip per tooth) desired, number of teeth

in cutter, and r/min of cutter
Chip, or feed, per tooth (CPT or (FPT): amount
of material that should be removed by each
tooth of the cutter
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Factors in Feed Rate

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Depth and width of cut

Design or type of cutter
Sharpness of cutter
Workpiece material
Strength and uniformity of workpiece
Type of finish and accuracy required
Power and rigidity of machine, holding
device and tooling setup

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1. Plain Milling(Slab Milling)

Operation of

production of
plane flat surface
parallel to axis of
rotation of plain
milling cutter
Cutter width

extends beyond the

work piece on both
sides
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2. Face Milling
The face milling

cutter is rotated
about an axis
perpendicular to
the work surface

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More Examples on Face Milling

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3. End Milling
Combination of

peripheral and face

milling
Cutter has teeth
both on end face
and periphery
Vertical milling
machine is most
suitable for end
milling operation
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4. Side Milling
Operation of

production of flat
vertical surface on
side of work piece
by using side
milling cutter
Depth of cut

adjusted by
rotating vertical
feed screw of the

table

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5. Straddle Milling
Operation of

production of flat
vertical surfaces
on both side of the
workpiece by using
two side milling
cutters mounted
on the same arbor

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6. Angular Milling
Operation of

production of
angular surface on a
workpiece other
than at right angles
to the axis of milling
machine spindle

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7. Gang Milling
Operation of

milling several
surfaces of the
workpiece
simultaneously by
feeding the table
against a number
of cutters having
same or different
diameters
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8. Form Milling
It is the operation

of production of
irregular contours
using form cutters
The contours
maybe convex,
concave or any
other shape

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9. Profile Milling
It is the operation

of reproduction of
an outline of a
template or
complex shape of
a master die on a
workpiece

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10.Milling Keyways, Grooves & Slots

Operation of

production of
keys, grooves and
slots of varying
shapes and size
by using a plane
milling cutter, a
metal slitting saw,
an end mill or by
side milling cutter

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11. Thread Milling

Operation of

production of
threads by using a
single or multiple
thread milling cutter.
It is performed in
special thread
milling machine to
produce accurate
threads
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Bibliography
Reading Material
Wikipedia
www.howstuffworks.com
www.custompart.net
Workshop Tech - Hajra Choudhury Vol 2

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