PRTMM501 - Milling Machine Operations
Introduction
Milling is a process performed with a machine in which the cutters rotate to remove the material from the work piece present in the direction of the angle with the tool axis. With the help of the milling machines one can perform many operations and functions starting from small objects to large ones.
Milling machining is one of the very common manufacturing processes used in machinery shops and industries to manufacture high precision products and parts in different shapes and sizes.
Milling machines are machine tools that use a rotating cutter to perform different kinds of material removal operations in metals, plastics, and other materials. Milling machines can be manual machines, or they can be CNC. In some milling machines the spindle is oriented vertically.
These machines are called vertical milling machines. The most common configuration of a manual vertical milling machine is the knee mill. Knee mills have a large support member called the “knee” that supports the workpiece and moves vertically, along the spindle axis. Vertical CNC milling machines that are equipped with automatic tool changers and other automation options are commonly referred to as VMC’s. Another category of milling machines has the spindle oriented horizontally.
These are called horizontal mills. In many applications the horizontal orientation of the spindle helps chips fall down and out of the way of the cutting tool. Horizontal machines are often built with a more rigid frame than vertical machines, and CNC Horizontal mills are often used with work holding fixtures called “tombstones” that allow many parts to be fixtured and machined at the same time. Horizontal machines with tool changers and other automation options are called HMC’s. Some milling machines are hybrids between a milling machine and a lathe. These machines, called “mill-turn” or “turning mill” machines can make cuts in the same way a milling machine does, but they can also rotate the workpiece at high speed as in a lathe.