LECTURE NO.

10

Milling Machines

1
 Milling
» Milling is a machining process in which the metal is cut by means of a
rotating cutter having multiple cutting edges
» In milling, as the workpiece moves against the cutting edges of milling
cutter, metal is removed in form chips
» Used for machining flat surfaces, contoured surfaces, external and
internal threads with great accuracy and very good surface finish.
» The rotatory speed of the cutting tool and the feed rate of the workpiece
depend upon the type of material being machined
Figure : Typical parts and shapes that can be produced with the machining processes
 Milling methods
Two basic methods of milling
 Up-milling or conventional milling
 Down-milling or climb milling

Conventional milling Climb milling

 Up-milling or conventional milling
» In up milling or conventional milling, metal is removed by cutter rotating against the
direction of travel of the workpiece.
» Needs stronger holding of the job.
» Chip thickness is minimum at the start of the cut and maximum at the end of cut.
» As a result, the cutting force also varies from zero to the maximum value per tooth
movement of the milling cutter.
» The major disadvantages of up-milling process are the tendency of cutting force to lift
the work from the fixtures and poor surface finish obtained.
 Down-milling or climb milling
» Metal is removed by a cutter rotating in the same direction of feed of the workpiece.
» In this method, teeth cut downward instead of upwards.
» Chip thickness is maximum at the start of cut and minimum at the end of cut.
» It is claimed that there is less friction involved and consequently less heat is generated
on the contact surface of the cutter and workpiece.
» The cutting force is directed into the work table, which allows thinner work parts to be
machined.
Climb milling
 Types of Milling Cutters
• Milling cutters may have teeth on the periphery or ends only, or
on both the periphery and ends.
• Peripheral teeth may be straight or parallel to the cutter axis, or
they may be helical, sometimes referred as spiral teeth.
– Plain milling cutters
– Side milling cutters
– Face milling cutters
– End milling cutters
– Fly cutters
– T-slot milling cutters
– Form milling cutters
– Metal slitting saw
 Plain or Slab Milling Cutters
• Plain milling cutters have straight or helical teeth cut on the periphery of a disc
or a cylindrical surface
• These cutters are generally used for milling flat surfaces parallel to cutter axis
• Helical teeth cutters are used where large stock removal is required
Side Milling Cutters
 Side Milling Cutters
» Side milling cutters are similar to plain milling cutters with the addition
of teeth on one or both sides.
» A side milling cutter may have teeth on the periphery and on one or both
sides of the tool.
» When teeth are added to one side only, the cutter is called a half-side
milling cutter and is identified as being either a right-hand or left-hand
cutter.
» These cutters may have straight, spiral or staggered teeth.
» Side milling cutters are generally used for slotting and straddle milling.
Face Milling Cutters
 Face Milling Cutters
» Face mill cutters are designed for facing operation.
» The cutting edges of face mills are always located along its
sides.
» Multiple teeth distribute the chip load, and since the teeth are
normally disposable carbide inserts, this combination allows for
very large and efficient face milling.
End Milling Cutters
 End Milling Cutters
» The end milling cutters have an integral shaft for driving and teeth on
both periphery and ends.
» These cutters are used to mill flat, horizontal, vertical bevel, chamfer and
slant surfaces, grooves and keyways and to cut slot.
» The flutes on the cutter may be either straight or helical
» End mill cutters may have either taper shank or straight shank
» Straight flute end milling cutters are generally used for milling both soft
or tough materials, while spiral flute cutters are used mostly for cutting
steel.
 End Milling Cutters
• Large end milling cutters (normally over 2 inches in diameter) are called
shell end mill cutters.
• These cutters have separate cutter part which is held on a stub arbor
• The teeth are usually helical and the cutter is used particularly for face
milling operations requiring the facing of two surfaces at right angles to
each other.
 Fly Cutters
» A Fly cutter is a cylinder with provision for mounting one or more tool
bits or single point cutters on the surface or periphery.
» Fly cutters are particularly suitable for high speed operation for quick
operation by giving more feed per tooth on metals like magnesium and
alumanium.
T-Slot Milling Cutters
 T-Slot Milling Cutters
» The T-slot milling cutter is used to machine T-slot grooves in worktables,
fixtures, and other holding devices.
» The cutter has a plain or side milling cutter mounted to the end of a
narrow shank.
» Straight or staggered teeth are cut on the periphery and both sides
» For making T-slot, first a side milling cutter makes the groove and then
the T-slot cutter enlarges the width of the bottom of the groove to form
the desired T-slot
 Metal Slitting Saw Milling Cutters
» The metal slitting saw milling cutter is essentially a very thin plain
milling cutter.
» It is ground slightly thinner toward the center to provide side clearance.
» These cutters are used for cutoff operations and for milling deep, narrow
slots, and are made in widths from 1/32 to 3/16 inch.
Form Milling Cutters
 Form Milling Cutters
• Form Milling cutters have a special curved tooth outline and are used for
milling contours of various shapes
• The teeth maybe either staggered or straight
• Different types of form milling cutters are;
– Convex milling cutters
– Concave milling cutters
– Corner-rounding milling cutters
– Pocket milling cutters
– Form milling gang cutters
– Spindle milling cutters
 Milling Tool Materials
• HSS cutters: Many cutters like end mills, slitting cutters, slab cutters,
angular cutters, form cutters, etc., are made from high-speed steel (HSS).
• Brazed cutters: Very limited number of cutters (mainly face mills) are made
with brazed carbide inserts. This design is largely replaced by mechanically
attached cutters.
• Mechanically attached cutters: The vast majority of cutters are in this
category. Carbide inserts are either clamped or pin locked to the body of the
milling cutter.
Examples of Milling Cutters
 Milling Cutter Nomenclature
• The pitch refers to the angular distance between adjacent teeth.
• The tooth face is the forward facing surface of the tooth that forms the
cutting edge.
• The land is the narrow surface behind the cutting edge on each tooth.
• The rake angle is the angle formed between the face of the tooth and the
centerline of the cutter.
• The rake angle defines the cutting edge and provides a path for chips that
are cut from the workpiece.
 Milling Cutter Nomenclature
• The primary clearance angle is the angle of the land of each tooth
measured from a line tangent to the centerline of the cutter at the cutting
edge.
• This angle prevents each tooth from rubbing against the workpiece after
it makes its cut.
• This angle defines the land of each tooth and provides additional
clearance for passage of cutting oil and chips.
Milling Cutter Nomenclature
 Types of Milling Machines
Milling machines
» The conventional milling machines provide a primary rotating motion for the
cutter held in the spindle, and a linear feed motion for the work piece, which is
fastened onto the worktable.
» Milling machines for machining of complex shapes usually provide both a rotating
primary motion and a curvilinear feed motion for the cutter in the spindle with a
stationary work piece.
Milling Machine Types
» The milling machine may be classified in several forms, but the choice of any particular
machine is determined primarily by the size of the workpiece.
» Various machine designs are available for various milling operations.
 Types of Milling Machines
According to configuration and motion of the work-holding table / bed
Knee type
» Small and medium duty machines where the table with the job/work travels over the bed (guides) in
horizontal (X) and transverse (Y) directions and the bed with the table and job on it moves vertically (Z) up
and down.
Bed type
» Usually of larger size and capacity; the vertical feed is given to the milling head instead of the knee type
bed
According to the orientation of the spindle
• Horizontal Milling Machine
– Horizontal spindle Feed
• Vertical milling machine
– Vertical Spindle Feed
• Universal milling machine
– Both Horizontal and Vertical spindle Feed
 Types of Milling Machines
According to nature of purposes of use
» General Purpose Milling Machine
₋ Conventional milling machines, e.g Up and down milling machines

» Single Purpose Milling Machine

₋ Thread, cam milling machines and slitting machine
» Special Purpose Milling Machine

₋ Mass production machines, e.g. duplicating mills, die sinkers, thread milling etc.
 Types of Milling Machines
1. Column-and-knee milling machines
• The column-and-knee milling machines are the basic machine
tool for milling.
• The name comes from the fact that this machine has two
principal components, a column that supports the spindle, and
a knee that supports the work table.
• Mostly used for general shop work.
• The table is mounted on the knee which in turn is mounted on
the vertical slides of the main column.
• The knee is vertically adjustable on the column so that the table
can be moved up and down to accommodate work of various
heights.
 Types of Milling Machines
The basic components of these machines are as follows:
• Worktable: on which the work piece is clamped using T-slots. The table moves longitudinally
relative to the saddle.

• Saddle: supports the table and can move in the transverse direction.
• Knee: supports the saddle and gives the table vertical movement so that the depth of cut can be
adjusted and work pieces with various heights can be accommodated.

• Overarm: used on horizontal machines; it is adjustable to accommodate different arbor lengths.

• Head: contains the spindle and cutter holders.
 In vertical machines, the head may be fixed or can be adjusted vertically, and it can be
swiveled in a vertical plane on the column for cutting tapered surfaces.
 Column-and-Knee Type Milling Machines

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

and (b) vertical-spindle column-and-knee type milling machine.
 Types of Milling Machines
Bed type machines
» In bed type milling machines, the worktable is mounted directly on the bed that replaces
the knee which ensures greater rigidity, thus permitting heavier cutting conditions and
higher productivity.
» These machines are designed for mass production.
» The cutter mounted on the spindle head may be moved vertically on the column and the
spindle may be adjusted horizontally to provide cross adjustment.
» Single-spindle bed machines are called simplex mills and are available in either horizontal
or vertical models.
» Duplex mills have two spindle heads, and triplex mills add a third spindle mounted
vertically over the bed to further increase machining capability.
 Bed-type Milling Machine

Figure: Schematic illustration of a bed-type milling machine.

 (a)Horizontal Milling Machine

• The horizontal milling machine has a spindle that is parallel to the shop floor
and an overarm that extends over the workpiece.

• The overarm supports the arbor, which holds the milling cutter.

• On the horizontal mill, the arbor is the component that rotates the milling cutter.

• Designed for peripheral milling operations

 Arbors

Fig : Mounting a milling cutter on an arbor for use on a horizontal milling machine.
 (b)Vertical Milling Machine
 Spindle is vertical or perpendicular to the work table.

 It has all the movements of the table for proper setting and feeding the work.
 Spindle head may be swiveled at an angle, permitting the milling cutter mounted on
the spindle to work on angular surfaces.
 In some machines, spindle can also be adjusted up or down relative to the work.

 Adopted for machining grooves, slots and flat surfaces.

 Designed for face milling operations
VERTICAL MILLING
MACHINE

MAJOR PARTS :
1. BASE
2. COLUMN
3. SPINDLE
4. SPINDLE
HEAD
5. KNEE
6. SADDLE
7. WORKTABLE
 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HORIZONTAL &
VERTICAL MILLING MACHINES
SL. NO. HORIZONTAL MILLING MACHINE VERTICAL MILLING MACHINE

01 Spindle is horizontal & parallel to the worktable. Spindle is vertical & perpendicular to the worktable.

02 Cutter cannot be moved up & down. Cutter can be moved up & down.

03 Cutter is mounted on the arbor. Cutter is directly mounted on the spindle.

04 Spindle cannot be tilted. Spindle can be tilted for angular cutting.

Operations such as plain milling, gear cutting, form Operations such as slot milling, T-slot milling, angular
05 milling, straddle milling, gang milling etc., can be milling, flat milling etc., can be performed and also
performed. drilling, boring and reaming can be carried out.
 (c) Universal milling machine
» Difference from plain horizontal machine is
addition of table swivel housing Permits
table to be swiveled 45º in either direction
in a horizontal plane
» Used for milling of helical grooves in twist
drills, milling cutters, and gears
 3. Planer milling machine
• Looks like double column planer machine.
• Milling heads are mounted in various planes, vertical heads on
the cross-rail and horizontal heads at the sides (on column)
• This arrangement enables it to machine a workpiece on several
sides simultaneously
• Used for producing long straight surfaces on large and heavy
machine parts.
 4. Special-Type Machines
• Designed for individual milling operations
• Used for only one particular type of job
• Completely automatic Employed when hundreds or thousands of similar
pieces are to be machined
Tracer mills (Profiling milling machines):
- Also called duplicators
- Designed to reproduce an irregular part geometry that can be created on
an template
- In two dimensions- tracer
- In three dimensions- duplicator
CNC milling machines:
- Cutter path controlled by numerical data
- Suited to profile, pocket, surface contouring.
Machining center
 MILLING OPERATIONS
 Plain or slab milling
 Face milling
 End milling
 Side milling
 Slot milling
 Angular milling
 Form milling
 Straddle milling
PLAIN/SURFACE/ SLAB MILLING
Plain Milling:
Process to get the flat surface
on the work piece in which
the cutter axis and work
piece axis are parallel. The
primary motion is the
rotation of the cutter. The
feed is imparted to the work
piece.
Cutter: Plain milling cutter.
Machine : Horizontal
Milling m/c.
FACE MILLING
Face Milling:
Operation carried out for
producing a flat surface,
which is perpendicular to
the axis of rotating cutter.

Cutter: Face milling

cutter.

Machine: Vertical Milling

Machine
 END MILLING

End Milling:
Operation performed for
producing flat surfaces, key
slots, grooves or finishing the
edges of the work piece.

Cutter: End milling cutter.

Machine: Vertical Milling

Machine
FIG. END MILLING
SIDE MILLING

SIDE MILLING : Operation

performed for producing flat
surfaces, slots, grooves or
finishing the edges of the
work piece.

Cutter: End milling cutter.

Machine: Horizontal Milling

Machine
 SLOT MILLING

Slot Milling:
Operation of producing
slots like T-slots, plain
slots etc.,

Cutter: End milling

cutter, T-slot cutter,
side milling cutter

Machine: Vertical
Milling Machine
FIG. T-SLOT MILLING
 ANGULAR MILLING

Angular Milling:
Operation of producing all
types of angular cuts like V-
notches and grooves,
serrations and angular
surfaces.

Cutter: Double angle cutter.

Machine:Horizontal Milling
FIG. ANGULAR MILLING
Machine
FORM MILLING
Form Milling:
Operation of producing
all types of angular cuts
like V-notches and
grooves, serrations and
angular surfaces.
Cutter: Double angle
cutter.
Machine: Horizontal
Milling Machine
 STRADDLE MILLING

Straddle Milling:
Operation of machining two
parallel surfaces
simultaneously on a work
piece.

Cutter: 2 or more side &

face milling cutters

FIG. STRADDLE MILLING Machine: Horizontal

Milling Machine
 GANG MILLING
Gang Milling:
Process to get different
profiles on the work
piece simultaneously
with two or more cutters
at one stretch.

Cutter: Different cutters

as required.
FIG. GANG MILLING
Machine: Horizontal
Milling Machine
 Indexing
» Indexing is the process of evenly dividing the circumference of a circular work
piece into equally spaced divisions, such as in cutting gear teeth, cutting
splines, milling grooves in reamers and taps, and spacing holes on a circle.

» The index head of the indexing fixture is used for this purpose.
Index Head
» The index head of the indexing fixture contains an indexing mechanism which is
used to control the rotation of the index head spindle to space or divide a work
piece accurately.
» A simple indexing mechanism consists of a 40-tooth worm wheel fastened to the
index head spindle, a single-cut worm, a crank for turning the worm shaft, and an
index plate and sector.
 Indexing
• Since there are 40 teeth in the worm wheel, one turn of the index crank causes the
worm, and consequently, the index head spindle to make 1/40 of a turn; so 40
turns of the index crank revolve the spindle one full turn.
 Indexing
Index Plate
• The indexing plate is a round plate with a series of six or more circles of equally spaced
holes and the index pin on the crank can be inserted in any hole in any circle.
Sector
• The sector indicates the next hole in which the pin is to be inserted and makes it
unnecessary to count holes when moving the index crank after each cut.
• It consists of two radial, beveled arms which can be set at any angle to each other and then
moved together around the center of the index plate.
 Indexing
Indexing Methods
1. Simple Indexing or Plain Indexing
• In simple or plain indexing, an index plate selected for the particular application, is fitted on the worm shaft
and locked through a locking pin’
• To index the work through any required angle, the index crank pin is withdrawn from the hole of the index
plate than the work is indexed through the required angle by turning the index crank through a calculated
number of whole revolutions and holes on one of the hole circles, after which the index pin is relocated in
the required hole
• The number of turns that the crank must be rotated for each indexing can be found from the formula
– N = 40 / Z
– Where
– Z - No of divisions or indexing needed on the work
– 40 – No of teeth on the worm wheel attached to the indexing plate, since 40 turns of the index crank
will turn the spindle to one full turn
 Indexing
• Suppose it is desired to mill a gear with eight equally spaced teeth. l/8th of 40 or 5 turns
(Since 40 turns of the index crank will turn the spindle one full turn) of the crank after
each cut, will space the gear for 8 teeth.
• If it is desired to space equally for 10 teeth, 1/10 of 40 or 4 turns would produce the
correct spacing.
• The same principle applies whether or not the divisions required divide equally into 40.
For example, if it is desired to index for 16 divisions, 16 divided into 40 equals 2 8/16
turns. i.e for each indexing we need two complete rotations of the crank plus 8 more
holes on the 16 hole circle of plate 1(Plate I - 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 holes)
 Indexing
Direct Indexing
• In direct indexing, the index plate is directly mounted on the dividing head spindle ( no worm shaft
or wheel)
• While indexing, the index crank pin is withdrawn from the hole of the index plate than the pin is
engaged directly after the work and the indexing plate are rotated to the desire number of holes
• In this method fractions of a complete turn of the spindle are limited to those available with the
index plate
• Direct indexing is accomplished by an additional index plate fastened to the index head spindle. A
stationary plunger in the index head fits the holes in this index plate. By moving this plate by hand
to index directly, the spindle and the work piece rotate an equal distance.
• Direct index plates usually have 24 holes and offer a quick means of milling squares, hexagons, taps,
and so forth. Any number of divisions which is a factor of 24 can be indexed quickly and
conveniently by the direct indexing method.
 Indexing
Differential Indexing
• Sometimes, a number of divisions is required which cannot be obtained by simple indexing
with the index plates regularly supplied. To obtain these divisions, a differential index head is
used. The index crank is connected to the worm shaft by a train of gears instead of a direct
coupling as with simple indexing. The selection of these gears involves calculations similar to
those used in calculating change gear ratio for lathe thread cutting.
• Gear Ratio I = 40/K ( K – Z)

Where
– K – a number very nearly equal to Z
– For example if the value of Z is 53, the value of K is 50
 Indexing
Indexing in Degrees
• Work pieces can be indexed in degrees as well as fractions of a turn with the usual index
head. There are 360 degrees in a complete circle and one turn of the index crank
revolves the spindle 1/40 or 9 degrees.
• Therefore, 1/9 turn of the crank rotates the spindle 1 degree. Work pieces can therefore
be indexed in degrees by using a circle of holes divisible by 9.
• For example, moving the crank 2 spaces on an 18-hole circle, 3 spaces on a 27-hole
circle, or 4 spaces on a 36-hole circle will rotate the spindle 1 degree.
 Milling Parameters
The rotational speed in milling is related to the desired cutting speed at the surface of
the work piece.
υ
N = -------------
πD
N= rotational speed, rev/min
υ = cutting speed, ft/min (m/min)
D= Tool diameter, ft (m)
 Milling Parameters
 Feed rate can be found by the formula;
f r= N.n t . f
f r = feed rate, in/min (mm/min)
f = chip load, in/tooth (mm/ tooth)
n t = number of teeth on cutter
 Material removal rate can be found by the formula;
MRR= w. d. f r
d = depth of cut, in (mm)
w = width of cut, in (mm)
Milling Parameters: Slab Milling
Machining Time
L+A
T m = --------------------

fr

A : Approach distance to reach full cutter depth

A = d.(D-d)
T m: Machining time, min
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Milling Parameters: Face Milling
Machining Time

L+2.A
T m = --------------------

fr
A : Approach distance to reach full cutter depth
A = w.(D-w): For partial Face milling
A = D/2 : For conventional Face milling
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 Milling Parameters: Slab Milling

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Troubleshooting Guide for Milling Operations
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