Manufacturing Technology: Metal Cutting and Machine Tools - P.N.

Rao

MILLING
Cutter axis of rotation

Feed
Chip

Machined
surface

Workpiece

Peripheral milling

The Milling Process is characterised by

Interrupted cutting: Each of the cutting edges removes
material for only part of the rotation of the milling cutter. As
a result, the cutting edge has time to cool before it
removes material again. Thus the milling operation is
much more cooler compared to turning.
Small size of chips: though the size of the chips is small, in
view of the multiple cutting edges in contact a large
amount of material is removed and as a result the
component is generally completed in a single pass only,
and
Variation in chip thickness: This contributes to the nonsteady state cyclic conditions of varying cutting forces
during the contact of the cutting edge with the chip
thickness varying from zero to maximum size or vice
versa.
The varieties of milling machines available are:
a)

Knee and Column type

Horizontal
Vertical
Universal
Turret type
Ch. 7/1

b)

c)
d)

Production (Bed) type

Simplex
Duplex
Triplex
Plano millers
Special type
Rotary table
Copy milling (Die sinking machines)
Key way milling machines
Spline shaft milling machines
Horizontal Knee and column type milling machine

Spindle
Column
Head
Movement of
the head
Spindle nose
T-slot for clamping
Saddle

Accurate screw
for moving table
Knee

Some of the Milling Operations normally carried out on vertical axis

machines
Base
Ways

Column
Workpiece
Face milling cutter
Quill
Column

Spindle

Workpiece
Head
Table

(a) Top view

(b) Side view

Simplex bed type milling machine

Base
Ways

Column

Workpiece
Face milling cutter
Column

Spindle

Workpiece

Head

Table

Quill

(b) Side view

(a) Top view

Duplex bed type milling machine

Milling cutters are classified into various types

Based on construction:
Solid
Inserted tooth type
Based on mounting:
Arbor mounted
Shank mounted
Nose mounted
Based on rotation
Right hand rotation (Counter clockwise)
Left hand rotation (Clockwise)
Based on helix
Right hand helix
Left hand helix

(a) Slab milling cutter

(d) Side and face cutter

(a) Angle milling cutter

(d) Form relieved circular cutter

(b) Slab milling cutter

(e) Two side and face cutter

(c) Slitting sae

(f) Staggered tooth cutter (g) Side and face cutter

(b) Angle milling cutter

(c) Shell end mill

(e) Form relieved circular cutter

(f) Wood ruff key cutter

Length overall
Length of cut

Dia of shank

Dia of cut

(a) Four flute end mill

(e) End mill uses for making a slot

(b) Two flute end mill

Dia

Shak dia

(f) End mill

(c) Multi flute end mill

Radius
Shank
dia

Dia
(d) Ball end mill

Two flute
(g) Slot drilll

End Mill

Section A-A

(a) T-Slot Cutter

(b) Dove Tail Cutter

Hand of cut: This refers to the direction in which the cutter is rotated. When
viewed towards the spindle, when the cutter is moving counter clockwise it is
called right hand rotation while the opposite is called the left hand rotation.

w
w
d
Axial
dimension
Radial
dimension
(a) Peripheral miling

(b) Face milling

Hand of helix: In case of helical milling cutters, when viewed from the end
if the flutes move in a clockwise direction it is called the right hand helix
while the opposite is called the left hand helix. The axial cutting force
direction depends upon the hand of the helix. If two milling cutters of
different helices are arranged side by side in a gang milling operation, the
net axial force can be reduced to zero depending upon the cut taken by
each of the milling cutters.

Radial rake angle

Clearance angle
Straight teeth

Helix angle
Radial roke angle

Clearance angle
Helical teeth

Force

Force variation

Time
Helix angle = 0
(a)
Trailing edge

Force variation
Force

Leading edge

Helix angle 0
(b)

Time

Direction of rotation

Workpiece
Depth of cut
d
Feed

(a) Up Milling

h1

h
Feed

h1

(b) Down Milling

Up and Down milling

Based on the directions of movement of the milling cutter

and the feeding direction of the workpiece,
Up milling (conventional milling)
Down milling (Climb milling)
Advantages of Climb milling:
1
Suited to machine thin and hard-to-hold parts since the workpiece is
forced against the table or holding device by the cutter.
2
Work need not be clamped as tightly.
3
Consistent parallelism and size may be maintained, particularly on
thin parts.
4
It may be used where breakout at the edge of the workpiece could
not be tolerated.
5
It requires upto 20% less power to cut by this method.
6
It may be used when cutting off stock or when milling deep, thin
slots.
Disadvantages:
1
2

It cannot be used unless the machine has a backlash eliminator and

the table jibs have been tightened.
It cannot be used for machining castings or hot rolled steel, since the
hard outer scale will damage the cutter.

T-bolt

Thin workpiece

Clamp

Work
Step block

Y-block
Mill
table

Parallel strips
(a)

Finger clamp
(double end)

(b)

Gooseneck clamp
Finger clamp
(single end)

Plain slotted clamp

U-clamp
(c)

Correct

Incorrect

Block

Block
Work

Work

Correct

Incorrect

Block

Block
Work

Work
Correct

Incorrect

Side and face milling cutter

Slab mill

Gang milling
Slab mill
Slot mill

Finished
part

3
4
End
mill
5
Angle
mill

Typical process sequence in milling

Shell end
mill

Worm wheel

Spindle
Hole in index plate

Index pin

Index clamp

Clamp nut

Worm

Sector

Bevel gear

Index plate

Dividing head construction

Index head spindle

Sector arm

Worm wheel
40 teeth

Index pin

Index crank

Worm shaft
Sector arm

Worm single
thread

Index plate

Indexing method of the Dividing head

Index plate no. 1 of Brown and Sharpe Dividing head

The index plates available with the Brown and Sharpe milling machines
are
Plate no. 1: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 holes
Plate no. 2: 21, 23, 27, 29, 31, 33 holes
Plate no. 3: 37, 39, 41, 43, 47, 49 holes
The index plate used on Cincinnati and Parkinson dividing heads is
Plate 1: Side 1
Side 2

24, 25, 28, 30, 34, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42 and 43 holes
46, 47, 49, 51, 53, 57, 58, 59, 62 and 66 holes

It is also possible to get additional plates from Cincinnati to increase

the indexing capability as follows:
Plate 2:Side 1
Side 2

34, 46, 79, 93, 109, 123, 139, 153, 167, 181, 197 holes
32, 44, 77, 89, 107, 121, 137, 151, 163, 179, 193 holes

Plate 3:Side 1
Side 2

26, 42, 73, 87, 103, 119, 133, 149, 161, 175, 191 holes
28, 38, 71, 83, 101, 113, 131, 143, 159, 173, 187 holes

Compound indexing using the Index plate no. 1 of Brown and Sharpe
Dividing head with 5 holes in 20-hole circle minus 1 hole in 15-hole circle
Differential Indexing

Workpiece

Change gear mounted at

back end of the spindle

Change gears,
compound gearing
Idler
gear

Dog
Spindle

Center
Change gear
Shaft which rotates
the index plate

Lock for the index plate in an unlocked

position. The index plate is rotated
by gearing from the spindle

Milling machine table

feed screw

The change gear set available is

24, 24, 28, 32, 40, 44, 48, 56, 64, 72, 86 and 100

Milling
machine
table

A few points to be remembered during the differential indexing is

(a) Use the hole circles for indexing which will easily factorise with the
available gear set. For example, in the case of Brown & Sharpe, 18,
20, 21 and 27 hole circles should be used.
(b) The difference from the actual to the approximate indexing should
be a small value such that the change gear set can accommodate
this ratio. For example a total difference of 0.5 to 1.5 will be most
convenient.
(c) The idler gear has to be provided when the index plate has to move
in the opposite direction to that of the crank movement.

7.8 Machining Time Estimation

Feed, f
A

V=
Where,

DN
1000
V = cutting speed (surface), m/min
D = diameter of the milling cutter, mm
N = rotational speed of the milling cutter, rpm
2

Approach distance, A =
Where

D D
d =

2 2

d (Dd )

D = diameter of the slab milling cutter

d = depth of cut

Time for one pass =

Where

l +2 A
f Z N minutes

Z = number of teeth in the milling cutter

f = feed per tooth, mm

,f
Feed

Face milling operation

Approach distance for the face milling case is given as
A=

D
2

for W =

A = W ( D W )

D
upto D
2
for W <

Where W = width of cut

D
2

Problem encountered

Possible cause and remedy

Chatter is characterised
by large amplitude
vibrations which spoil
the surface finish of the
component as well as
reduce the tool life

1. The machine tool, fixture and the

workpiece are less rigid
2. The cutting force is high. Reduce
the depth of cut.
3. Milling cutter needs resharpening.
4. No cutting fluid is applied.
5. The milling cutter has straight
teeth. Change to helical cutter.

Poor dimensional
tolerance

1. High cutting force which causes

the deflection causing inaccuracy.
Reduce the depth of cut.
2. The chips are filling the gaps in
the cutter teeth and are not being
flushed properly by the cutting
fluid.
3. Chips in the work holding
surfaces causing locational
errors.

Lower milling cutter life

1. Higher cutting forces causing the

cutter to dull quickly. Reduce the
depth of cut.
2. Insufficient cutting fluid applied.

Poor surface finish on

milled workpieces

1. Higher feed rates used not

commensurate with the required
finish.
2. The milling cutter needs
resharpening.
3. The cutting speed is low.
4. The number of teeth on the
milling cutter is low which is
suitable for roughing operation.
Use a cutter with larger number of
teeth.

axis of
the spindle
Table feed
Rotation of the worklpiece provided
by the dividing head
Workpiece

Milling cutter

Helix angle. The milling

machine table is swiveled
about a central vertical
axis through the helix
angle

Helical
cut

Helical milling operation

Cam blank

End mill
Cam blank
Chuck
a

End mill
a
Blank at the
start of the cut
The cam after one
complete revolution
Table

B
A

(a)
a
C

End mill
(b)

Cam milling setup

Dividing
head

Cam milling setup at two different angles.