MILLING MACHINE

PROCESSES & OPERATIONS

INTRODUCTION
Milling is a basic machining process by which a
surface is generated by progressive chip removal.
The w/p is fed into a rotating cutting tool.
Sometimes the w/p remains stationary, and the
cutter is fed into the work.
A multi-point cutting tool is used in milling
operation, which is known as milling cutter.

THE PROCESS
The milling process:
Typically uses a multi-tooth
cutter
Work is fed into the rotating
cutter
Capable of high MRR
Well suited for mass
production applications
Cutting tools for this process
are called milling cutters

CLASSIFICATIONS
Milling operations are classified into two major
categories:
Peripheral (side)
Generally in a plane parallel to the axis of the cutter
Cross section of the milled surface corresponds to the
contour of the cutter

Face
Generally at right angles to the axis of rotation of the cutter
Milled surface is flat and has no relationship to the contour of
the cutter
Combined cutting action of the side and face of the milling
cutter

MILLING PROCESS

Some basic types of milling cutters and milling operations. (a) Peripheral milling.
(b) Face milling. (c) End milling. (d) Ball-end mill with indexable coated-carbide
inserts machining a cavity in a die block. (e) Milling a sculptured surface with an
end mill, using a five-axis numerical control machine.

RELATED OPERATIONS
Side milling - machining a plane surface
perpendicular to the milling machine arbor with
an arbor mounted tool. This tool is called a side
mill.
Straddle milling - milling two parallel surfaces
using two cutters spaced apart on an arbor.
Gang milling - milling multiple surface
simultaneously using multiple cutters mounted on
an arbor.

Milling Operations

OPERATING PARAMETERS
Conventional vs. Climb Milling

MILLING MACHINES
Two Major Classifications - Knee & Column and Bed
Knee & Column (Bridgeport type)
Basic job shop type mill
Column mounted to the base which is the major support frame.
Construction provides controlled motion of the worktable in three mutual
perpendicular directions.
Knee moves vertically on the ways in the front of the machine
Table moves longitudinally on the ways on the saddle
Saddle moves transversely on the ways on the knee
Quill moves parallel in Z axis or, if head is rotated, X axis
Versatile general purpose machine

Column-and-Knee Type Milling Machines

Schematic illustration of (a) a horizontal-spindle column-and-knee type milling

machine and (b) vertical-spindle column-and-knee type milling machine.

MILLING MACHINES
Bed
Used extensively in production milling operations
Rigid construction capable of heavy cuts
Table is mounted directly to the bed
Spindle head moves vertically to set depth of cut
Head locks into position for cut
Base of machine functions as a coolant reservoir

BED TYPE MILLING MACHINE

Fig : Schematic illustration of a bed-type milling machine. Note the single vertical-spindle cutter
and two horizontal-spindle cutters.

HORIZONTAL MILLING MACHINE

Milling tool
Support

Shaft with
milling tool
X
slide

Volant

Part

Travers

X screw

Main
shaft
Y slide

Z screw

Engine

Z slide

Speed
box

Handle
weels

1
Engine
Y
screw

Vertical bed

Feed
box
Horizontal bed

VERTICAL MILLING MACHININING CENTER

Five-Axis Profile Milling Machine

Schematic illustration of a five-axis profile milling machine. Note that there are
three principal linear and two angular movements of machine components.

MILLING MACHINES

MILLING MACHINES

MILLING CUTTERS
Milling cutters can be classified according to the
way the cutter is mounted in the machine tool:
Arbor cutters
Shank cutters

Another method of classification applies only to

face and end mill cutters and relates to the
direction of rotation:
Right hand cutter
Left hand cutter

CUTTERS

ARBOR

Face-Milling Cutter

Face-Milling Cutter with Indexable Inserts

TYPES OF MILLING CUTTERS

Milling Operations

(a) Schematic illustration of conventional milling and climb milling. (b) slabmilling operation showing depth-of-cut, d; feed per tooth, f; chip depth-of-cut, tc;
and workpiece speed, v. (c) Schematic illustration of cutter travel distance, lc, to
reach full depth-of-cut.

Face-Milling Operation

Face-milling operation showing (a) action of an insert in face milling; (b) climb
milling; (c) conventional milling; (d) dimensions in face milling. The width of cut,
w, is not necessarily the same as the cutter radius.

WORKHOLDING DEVICES

Vise
Chucks
Rotating tables
Angle plates
Special fixtures
Universal dividing head
Modular fixturing systems
Clamp work to table

WORKHOLDING DEVICES

DIVIDING HEAD & INDEXING

STANDARD DIVIDING HEAD

A dividing head is a tool that is used to divide a
circle into equal divisions.

STANDARD DIVIDING HEAD

In a nut shell, a dividing head is simply a spindle mounted with a precision worm wheel
and provided with a crank attached to the worm shaft.
The crank's handle is equipped with a spring loaded plunger that will drop an indexing
pin into equally spaced holes in a disk mounted behind the crank.
The spindle is provided with the means to mount a chuck or collet attachment for
holding a workpiece.
It is also provided with a lock for clamping the spindle in position for increased rigidity.
These units are usually mounted such that the spindle's axis can be tilted through 90
degrees, to provide an additional axis of adjustment.
Most units are made with a 40:1 reduction in the worm, such that 40 turns of the crank
will rotate the spindle through one full turn.

INDEXING PLATE

The indexing plate is a disk with concentric circles of equally spaced holes situated
behind the crank.
It provides a handy positive index for positioning the crank at 1/n turns of the crank,
where n equals the number of holes in the disk.
The plunger can be positioned along the arm of the crank to select which circle of holes
you wish the indexing pin to engage.
These indexing plates are usually interchangeable to provide a wide variety of choices for
n, so that one turn of the spindle can be divided into a great variety of equal parts.
The crank is outfitted with a pair of sector arms which can be adjusted to indicate the
correct number of holes for any partial turn of the crank you must make.
This eliminates the need to count holes on every subsequent advance of the spindle.

Simple Indexing Mechanism

PROCEDURE
Dividing a circle into 40 equal parts is pretty straight forward since the worm wheel
has 40 teeth - one full turn of the crank equals one fortieth of a circle at the spindle.
To divide a circle into 20 parts: two turns of the crank would equal two 40ths, or
one 20th of a circle.
One fourth of a crank turn (or 6 holes in a 24 hole index circle) would equal one
160th of a circle at the spindle.
Here is the formula:
crank turns = 40 / N
where N = the desired number of equal divisions at the spindle
Reduce this fraction to its simplest form. Use any whole number to represent
complete turns, and use the denominator to determine the index plate to use.

PROCEDURE
Generally two types of Index Plates are supplied:
1. Brown and Sharpe type, 3 plates of 6 circles, each drilled as follows:
Plate 1- 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 holes.
Plate 2- 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 33 holes.
Plate 3- 37, 39, 41, 43, 47, 49 holes.

2. Cincinnati type, one plate drilled on both sides with circles divided as
follows:
First side- 24, 25, 28, 30, 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43 holes.
Second side- 46, 47, 49, 51,53, 54, 57, 58, 59, 62, 66 holes.

PROCEDURE
Example 1: T0 divide a circle in 6 equal parts:
Using the rule given above, divide 40 by 6, which equals 6 2/3 turns, or six
full turns plus 2/3 of a turn on any circle whose number of holes is divisible
by 3.
Therefore, six full turns of the crank plus 12 spaces on an 18-hole circle, or
six full turns plus 26 spaces on a 39-hole circle will produce the desired
rotation of the workpiece.
Example 2: To Cut a Gear of 42 Teeth:
Using the rule again, divide 40 by 42 which equals 40/42 or 20/21 turns, 40
spaces on a 42-hole circle or 20 spaces on a 21-hole circle.
To use the rule given, select a circle having a number of holes divisible by
the required fraction of a turn reduced to its lowest terms. The number of
spaces between the holes gives the desired fractional part of the whole

Indexing