INTRODUCTION

• A milling machine is a machine tool that removes metal as the

work is fed against a rotating multipoint cutter.

• The milling cutter rotates at high speed and it removes metal at a

very fast rate with the help of multiple cutting edges. One or more
number of cutters can be mounted simultaneously on the arbor of
milling machine.

• Milling machine is used for machining flat surfaces, contoured

surfaces, surfaces of revolution, external and internal threads, and
also used for drilling, slotting, making a circular profile, gear
cutting or helical milling with good surface finish and accuracy.

• Typical components produced by a milling are given in Fig.

INTRODUCTION

Job surfaces generated by milling machine

 PRINCIPLE OF MILLING

• In milling machine, the metal is cut by means of a rotating cutter

having multiple cutting edges.
• For cutting operation, the workpiece is fed against the rotary
cutter. As the workpiece moves against the cutting edges of
milling cutter, metal is removed in form chips of trochoid shape.
• Machined surface is formed in one or more passes of the work.
The work to be machined is held in a vice, a rotary table, a three
jaw chuck, an index head, between centers, in a special fixture or
bolted to machine table.
• The rotary speed of the cutting tool and the feed rate of the
workpiece depend upon the type of material being machined
Milling Process

•Cutting action is carried out by feeding the workpiece against the

rotating cutter. Thus, the spindle speed, the table feed, the depth of
cut, and the rotating direction of the cutter become the main
parameters of the process. Good results can only be achieved with
a well balanced settings of these parameters.
Spindle Speed
•Spindle speed in revolution per minute (R.P.M.) for the cutter can
be calculated from the equation

:- where --
N = R.P.M. of the cutter,
CS = Linear Cutting Speed of the material in m/min.
d = Diameter of cutter in mm
Milling Process
Feed Rate
Feed rate (F) is defined as the rate of travel of the workpiece in
mm/min. But most tool suppliers recommend it as the movement
per tooth of the cutter (f). Thus,
F=f.u.N
Where , F = table feed in mm/min, f = movement per tooth of
cutter in mm, u = number of teeth of cutter N = R.P.M. of the cutter
where,
C.S. and feed rate for some common material :- Tool
Milling Process
Depth of Cut

•Depth of cut is directly related to the efficiency of the cutting

process. The deeper the cut the faster will be the production rate.
Yet, it still depends on the strength of the cutter and the material to
be cut.
•For a certain type of cutter, a typical range of cut will be
recommended by the supplier. Nevertheless, it should be noted
that a finer cut is usually associated with a better surface finish as
well as a long tool life.
 MILLING METHOD

•UP MILLING (Conventional milling)

•DOWN MILLING (Climb milling)
UP MILLING (Conventional milling)

•Cutter rotating against the direction of feed 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 the cut.
 Disadvantages:-
• Tendency of the cutting force to lift the work from the fixtures.
• Poor surface finish obtained.
DOWN MILLING (Climb milling)

•Cutter rotating in the same direction of feed of the workpiece.

•Chip thickness is maximum at the start of the cut and minimum in
the end.
•Cutting is more efficient, tool life is more and better surface finish
is possible.
•less friction involved and consequently less heat is generated on
the contact surface of the cutter and workpiece.
DOWN MILLING (Climb milling)
Advantage:
•Increased tool life (up to 50%)
-Chips pile up behind or to left of cutter
•Less costly fixtures required
-Forces workpiece down so simpler holding devices required
•Improved surface finishes
-Chips less likely to be carried into workpiece
•Lower power requirements
-Cutter with higher rake angle can be used so approximately
20% less power required

Disadvantage:
•Cannot be used for machining castings or hot-rolled steel
-Hard outer scale will damage cutter
CLASSIFICATION OF MILLING MACHINES

•Column and knee type milling machines

•Fixed bed type milling machines
•Planer type milling machines
•Special purpose milling machines
Column and Knee Type Milling Machine
•It is the most commonly used milling machine for general shop work.
•In this type of milling machine, the table is mounted on the knee casting
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.
•The column and knee type milling machines are classified on the basis of
various methods of supplying power to the table, different movements of the
table and different axis of rotation of the main spindle.
•Column and knee type milling machine comprises of the following important
parts-
1. Base 2. Column 3. Saddle 4. Table
5. Elevating screw 6. Knee 7. Knee elevating handle 8. Cross feed handle
9. Front brace 10. Arbor support 11. Arbor 12. Overhanging arm
13. Cutter 14. Cone pulley 15. Telescopic feed shaft.
Column and Knee Type Milling Machine

column and knee type milling machine

Column and Knee Type Milling Machine
Column and knee type milling machines types
(a) Hand milling machine
(b) Horizontal milling machine (Fig. 4)
(c) Vertical milling machine (Fig. 5)
(d) Universal milling machine
Column and Knee Type Milling Machine
Column and Knee Type Milling Machine

• The basic difference between

a universal horizontal milling
machine and a plain horizontal
milling machine is the addition
of a table swivel housing
between the table and the
saddle of the universal
machine.
• This permits the table to swing
up to 45° in either direction
for angular and helical milling
operations.

Universal milling machine

Fixed bed type milling machines
•Used for heavy cuts.
•The work table has only a longitudinal motion.
•The vertical motion is imparted to the spindle head instead of table.
•These machines are available as simplex, duplex or triplex.
•The Simplex Bed type has only one spindle head.
•The spindle head can be adjusted up and down on the column.
•After adjustment the spindle and spindle head they clamped in
position for operation.
•The feed is then given to the table.
•A duplex fixed bed type machine has two opposed spindle on two
columns, one on each side of the bed, so that both can operate
simultaneously.
•A triplex machine has three spindle.
Fixed bed type milling machines

Simplex fixed bed type Duplex Fixed bed type

Advantages and limitation :-
• Fixed bed type machines are designed to remove metal rapidly and to
require minimum of attention from the operator.
•Not as easy to adapt to various jobs as general purpose machines but
are very useful for long run jobs where set up changes are not frequent
and special fixtures are justified for holding the jobs.
Planer type milling machines
•This type of milling machines look similar to a double housing
planer except that the table in this case moves at a slower speed
and the tool heads are replaced by spindle carriers for rotating
cutters.
•The work is given longitudinal feed motion while the transverse
and vertical movements are provided on the cutter spindle.
•Designed to handle large work pieces requiring multiple cuts.
Special Purpose Milling Machines
•Used for special kind of work.
o Profilers
o Duplicators
o Cam millers
o Planetary millers
o Pantograph engraving machines
o Rotary table milling machines
o Milling centre
•Profilers are capable of duplicating external or internal profiles.
•Duplicators produce forms in three dimensions.
•Cam millers produce disc cams.
SIZE OF MILLING MACHINE
The size of the column and knee type milling machine is specified
by
(1) The dimensions of the working surface of the table, and
(2) Its maximum length of longitudinal, cross and vertical travel of
the table.
In addition to above, number of spindle speeds, number of feeds,
spindle nose taper, power available, floor space required and net
weight of machine will also be required for additional specification.
Milling machine operations
1. Plain milling 9. Keyway milling
2. Face milling 10. Drilling & reaming
3. Side milling 11. Boring
4. Straddle milling 12. Gear cutting
5. Angular milling 13. Flute milling
6. Gang milling 14. Cam milling
7. Form milling 15. Thread milling
8. End milling
Milling machine operations
Plain milling Face milling

• It is the operation of production

of a flat surface parallel to the • The face milling is the
operation performed by the
axis of rotation of the cutter. face milling cutter rotated
• It is also called as slab milling. about an axis at right angles to
the work surface.
• Plain milling cutters or slab
• The depth of cut is provided to
milling cutters are used to the table.
perform this operation.
Milling machine operations
Side milling Straddle milling

• It is the operation of production of

two vertical surfaces on both sides
•Side milling is the of the work by two side milling
operation of machining a cutters mounted on the same arbor.
vertical surface on the • Distance between the two cutters is
side of a work piece by adjustable.
using a side milling cutter. • Commonly used to produce square
or hexagonal surfaces.
Milling machine operations
Angular milling Gang milling

• It is the operation of machining several

• Production of an angular surfaces of work simultaneously by
surface on a work piece other feeding the table against a number of
than at right angles to the cutters (either of same type or of
axis of the milling machine
spindle is known as angular different type) mounted on the arbor of
milling. the machine.
• Example of angular milling is • This method saves much of machining
the production of the ‘V’ time
blocks.
• Mostly used in production work.
Milling machine operations
Form milling End milling

• The form milling is the

• It is the operation of producing a
operation of production of flat surface which may be vertical,
irregular contours by using horizontal or at an angle to the
form cutters. table surface.
• Machining convex and  The end milling is performed by a
cutter known as an end mill.
concave surfaces and gear
 End milling is mostly performed in
cutting are some examples of a vertical milling machine.
form milling.
Milling machine operations
Keyway milling Gear cutting

• The operation of production • Gear cutting operation is

of keyways, grooves and
slots of different shapes and performed in a milling machine
sizes can be performed in a by using a form cutter.
milling machine by using a • The work is held between
plain milling cutter, a metal
slitting saw, an end mill or by centers on a universal dividing
a side milling cutter. head.
Milling machine operations
Drilling and reaming
•The operation of drilling and reaming are performed in a milling machine
by mounting drills and reamers into the spindle of the machine.

Boring
•A single point cutting tool is mounted on the arbor to perform boring.
•By adjusting the single point cutting tool radially, different diameters of
bores are machined.

Flute milling
•Flute milling is performed by selecting a suitable cutter in a milling
machine.
•The flutes found on the drills, reamers and taps are machined by this
method.
Milling machine operations
Cam milling
•Cam milling is the operation of producing cams in a milling
machine with the use of a universal dividing head and a vertical
milling attachment.
•It is performed by end mills on the cam blank.

Thread milling
•It is a method of milling threads on dies, screws, worms, etc. both
internally and externally.
•As an alternative to the screw cutting in a lathe, this method is
being more extensively introduced now a day in modern machine
shops.
Milling Cutters

Milling cutters can be classified according to the:-

1) Method of mounting
2) Shape
3) Method used in grinding the teeth
4) Material
5) Construction
Milling Cutters
Method of mounting the cutters
Arbor mounting cutter:
• Have a central hole which closely fits the arbor of the machine.
•Collars and cutters are secured on the arbor with the help of the tightening nut.
Shank-Mounting cutters:
•Cutters of this type have either a straight or taper shank integral with the body of
the cutter.
•Mounted on the spindle.
•If shank do not fit the spindle nose, adapters are available.
•Large shank mounting cutters are made with removable shank to reduce cost.
Known as shell type cutters.
•End mills are the example of it.
Cutters Mounting Directly on the spindle Nose:
• Large diameter cutters of the face mill type are mounted directly on the spindle
nose.
Milling Cutters

Types of Milling Cutters

Milling Cutters

Method Used in Grinding the Teeth

Teeth in milling cutters are made in two general
styles according to the method used in sharpening
them.
Profile cutters
Formed cutters
Milling Cutters
Cutter Material
•Milling cutters are made of high carbon steel, high speed steel,
sintered carbide or cast non-ferrous alloys.
•High carbon steel cutters have a limited use since they dull
quickly.
•Most general purpose cutters are made of HSS
•which may be used at temp 500 to 600° C and cutting speed 2 to
2.5 times than carbon steel cutters.
•Sintered carbide tipped cutters and cast non-ferrous alloys
cutters have greater resistance to heat and used for heavy cuts
and high cutting speed.
•Cutting speeds are 2 to 5 times greater than HSS.
Work Holding Method

• The vice jaws and the workpiece must be free from burrs, chips, and cutting fluid.
• Smaller workpiece should be supported by parallel bars to provide the supporting
datum.
• Round bar must be placed between the workpiece and the movable jaw to ensure
that the workpiece is in perfect contact with the fix jaw.
• The vice handle should be tightened by hand to avoid over clamping of the
workpiece as well as the vice. Hide face hammer should be used to assure that the
workpiece is in perfect contact with the supporting base.
• On completion of the milling of the first face, the workpiece should be unloaded,
deburred, and cleaned before the next operation.
• To machine the second and the third faces, the workpiece should be clamped with
its preceding machined surface facing against the fix jaw of the vice.
• Similar clamping method can be applied in the machining of the fourth face.
• Yet it can also be clamped on the vice without the round bar.
• Both ends of the workpiece can be machined with the periphery flutes of the
cutter using up cut milling
Indexing of Milling Machine
•Indexing is the process of evenly dividing circumference of a circular
work piece equally spaced division.
•It is used in cutting gear teeth, cutting splines, milling grooves in
reamers and tap and spacing holes on a circle.

Indexing or Dividing head

•The indexing 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 40 teeth worm wheel
fastened to the index head spindle, a single- cut worm, a crank for
turning the worm shaft, an index plate and a sector.
Indexing of Milling Machine
•Since there are 40 teeth in worm wheel, one turn of the index
crane causes the worm wheel, and the index head spindle to make
1/40 of a turn.
•So,40 turns of the index crane revolve the spindle one full turn.
Indexing of Milling Machine
Index Plate
•The indexing plate is a round plate with a series of six or more circles
of equally spaced holes.
•The index pin on the crank can be inserted in any hole in any circle.
•With the interchangeable plates regularly furnished with most index
heads, the spacing necessary for most gears, bolt heads, milling
cutters, splines can be obtained.
•Three indexing plates are used. These plates have concentric circles of
holes with their different numbers as described below :
Plate No. 1 : 15,16,17,18,19,20
Plate No. 2 : 21,23,27,29,31,33
Plate No. 3 : 37,39,41,43,47,49
Indexing of Milling Machine
Cincinnati type consists of one plate drilled on both side with circles
divided as follows:
First side : 24,25,28,30,34,37,38,39,41,42,43 holes
Second side : 46,47,49,51,53,54,57,58,59,66 holes

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
any angle.
Indexing of Milling Machine
Index Methods

Simple Indexing

•In simple 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 no of whole revolution and holes on one of the hole
circles, after which the index pin is relocated in the required hole.
•If the number of turns that the crank must be rotated for each
indexing can be found from the formula
N = 40/Z
Indexing of Milling Machine
Where,
Z = No of division 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

•Suppose it is desired to mill a gear with eight equally spaced teeth.

1/8th 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. It it is desired to space equally for 10 teeth. 1/1 of 40 or 4
turn 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 rotation of crank plus 8 more holes on the 16
hole circle of plate1 (Plate1 – 15,16,17,18,19,20 holes)