The Vertical Milling Machine

Turret type vertical milling machine.

The Horizontal Milling Machine

Horizontal milling machine with arbour steady between spindle nose

and arbour support.

Example of a horizontal milling operation

with multiple cutters used on a long arbour,
i.e. gang milling

Milling Cutters
Example of:
A ball nosed slot drill
A slot drill
An end mill

The gold colouring is a

titanium nitride coating
which has a lower
coefficient of friction
compared to the parent
material HSS. As a result
less heat is generated
and tool life increased.

Milling Cutters
A selection of
milling cutters for
both vertical and
horizontal milling
operations.

Aspects of End Milling

The radial depth of cut should be less than
0.1 of the diameter of the mill: ar <0.1 D.

Aspects of End Milling

The radial depth of cut should be no more
than 0.9 D: ar = to or <0.9 D.

Producing an open ended slot

The radial depth of cut is equal to the
diameter of the mill: ar = D.

Up-Cut & Down-Cut Milling

In conventional milling, the cutter revolves

opposite to the direction of table feed.
Therefore the width of the chip starts at zero
and increases to a maximum at the end of the
cut. This can lead to accelerated tool wear
under some conditions. Conventional milling
may be advantageous when milling hot rolled
steel, surface hardened and steels with a
surface scale.

In climb milling, the cutter revolves in the same

direction as the table feed. The tooth meets
the work at the top of the cut, producing the
thickest part of the chip first. In horizontal
applications the resultant force created by
climb milling can act as a clamping force,
acting towards the machine table.

It is important to make sure that the machine

tool has no leadscrew backlash. Normally
climb milling improves product surface finish
and increases tool life.

Tipped Milling Cutters

A tipped End Mill

Tipped Milling Cutters

Tipped cutters for
high removal rates.

Workholding
The Machine Vice

Workholding
The magnetic table.
Can be used to hold magnetic materials
quickly and effectively.

Workholding
Cylindrical workpieces can be held in a
chuck which is mounted directly to the
machine table

Milling Operations
A ripping cutter being
used to rough out.
The serrated edges
break the chip
improving swarf
evacuation and
reducing the risk of
tool breakage.

Workholding
Angle Plates can be
used for holding
workpieces during
milling operations.
The angle bracket
may need to be trued
first using a DTI.

Workholding
The rotary table.
Used for producing
radii, PCDs or circular
features on
workpieces.

The photograph
shows the rotary table
being set-up in-line
with the machine
spindle.

Use of a Rotary Table

Clocking up the
workpiece in-line with
the machine spindle.

Rotary Table - Further Applications

Aligning the
workpiece with the
machine spindle.

Rotary Table - Further Applications

Using the rotary table
to machining a radius
on the workpiece.
Note: a four jaw
chuck is being used
with some jaws
reversed.

Rotary Table - Further Applications

Production of radius.

Rotary Table - Further Applications

Production of radius.

Rotary Table - Further Applications

Using a rotary table to
index hole positions
and machine a PCD.

Rotary Table Further Applications

Use of a rotary
table to mill the
diameter of
workpiece.

Rotary Table with Additional Workholding

Workpieces can be
mounted directly to
the table of the
rotary table or
other workholding
devices such as
vices, angle plates
etc can be
mounted on the
table for work
holding.

The Dividing Head

The Dividing Head

A dividing head with corresponding tail
stock for supporting longer workpieces.

The Dividing Head

Workpiece held in a three jaw chuck for
machining.

The Dividing Head

Gear teeth are being cut individually. The
dividing head allows accurate indexing for
each tooth position.

The Dividing Head Production of Gears

Typical components produced using a
dividing head.

The Dividing Head

Further applications of the dividing head.

The Sine Table

The sine table allows
accurate angles to be
set using slip gauges
(gauge blocks).
The distance between
the two rollers is known
and forms the
hypoteneuse.
The slip gauges are
positioned to form the
opposite of the triangle,
i.e.
Sine = Opp / Hyp
Opp = Sine Hyp

Sine Table

The Sine Bar

The sine bar used in the same way as the
sine table as the distance between the
rollers is known.

Slip Gauges (also known as Gauge Blocks)

Sets are graded:
A for calibration.
B for inspection.
C for workshop.

Slips are wrung

together.
Surface are such
that molecular
attraction occurs
allowing slips to be
built up to a specific
size.

Vee Blocks
A range of vee blocks which can be used
to hold round workpieces.

Adjustable Vee Block

An adjustable vee block can be used to
set workpieces to required angular
position.

30/60 & 45 Set-up Plates

A Set of Angled Set-up Plates

Collets

Collets

Collets for Square Bar

Quick Release Milling Fixture using Collets

The Electronic Edge Finder

Electronic edge finder
with a " shank.
The 0.400" diameter
ball tip is springloaded to prevent
damage from over
travel.
When the edge is
detected, zero the
DRO, retract the quill
then move the axis
the distance of the
ball's radius (0.200")
& then zero the DRO,
again.

Edge/Centre Finders
A variety of edge
detectors &
center finders
with ". ", & "
shanks.
The wiggle-type
(right) works best
at about 1000
RPM.