Milling and Shaping Parameters
& Cutting Time
Prof. Dr. Adel M. Abd El-Mageed
Milling machine is a very versatile machine. The milling machine employs a multipoint tool,
called milling cutter, for machining. The various operations done on a milling machine are
facing, forming or profile machining, slotting, keyway cutting, etc.
Milling machines are used to produce parts having flat as well as curved shapes. Milling
machines can perform the usual flat, horizontal and vertical machining operations and can
be used to do many other machining operations like gear teeth cutting, drilling, reaming,
boring, slotting, tapping, keyway cutting, cam milling and so forth.
In this process, the work piece is normally fed into a rotating cutting tool known as milling
cutter. Equally spaced peripheral teeth on the cutter meet the work piece intermittently and
machine the work piece. In conventional milling operation, metal is cut as the work piece is
fed against a rotating multi point cutter. Different types of cutters are used in milling like end
mill cutter, side and face cutter machine, form cutter and so forth.
Horizontal Milling Machine
Vertical Milling Machine
There are two different methods of metal cutting in the milling operation - up milling and -
down milling The difference between these two types of operations lies in the direction
along which the work piece is fed into the rotating milling cutter and the direction of
rotation of cutter.
UP Milling
In up milling or conventional milling, the feed direction of the work piece is opposite to that
of the cutter rotation.
Each tooth of the cutter starts the cut with zero depth of cut, which gradually increases and
reaches the maximum value as the tooth leaves the cut. The chip thickness at the start is
zero and increases to the maximum at the end of the cut.
Down Milling
Also called as Climb milling, the feed direction of the work piece is same as that of the
cutter rotation. The maximum thickness of the chip at the start of the cut and decreases to
zero thickness at the end of the cut. The surface becomes slightly wavy, as the cut does not
begin as soon as the cutter touches the work piece. The resultant cutting force are directed
upward and tend to lift the work piece upward from the table, and therefore, more secured
clamping of the work piece is required.
Up Milling
The resultant cutting forces in the down milling are directed downward into the machine
and tend to drag the work piece into the cutter. This type of milling produces better surface
finish and dimensional accuracy.
Operating Conditions in Milling
Cutting Speed is defined as the peripheral speed of the cutter = πDN/1000 m/min Where,
D = Diameter of the cutter in mm N = Rotational Speed of the cutter in rpm. Both N and D
refer to the milling cutter in milling.
Feed is defined as the movement of work piece relative to the cutter axis. In milling, the
feed can be defined in three ways:
1- Feed per tooth (F1) is defined as the distance advanced by the work piece between the
time interval when two teeth come into cutting action.
F1 = f / Z N ( mm / tooth)
Where, f = feed rate in mm, Z = number of teeth on the cutter periphery, N = rpm of the
cutter.
2. Feed per cutter revolution (F2) is defined as the distance advanced by the work piece in
the time interval when cutter goes through one complete revolution. The selection of the
cutting speed depends on the properties of the material being cut, diameter and life of
cutter, number of cutter teeth, feed, depth of cut as well as width of cut and coolant used.
F2 = F1 Z (mm/rev)
3. Feed per minute (f) is the distance advanced by the work piece in on minute.
f = F2 N = F1 Z N
feed per mm = feed per revolution x r.pm = feed per teeth x number of teeth x r.p.m
Depth of cut
It is defined as the thickness of the layer of material removed in one pass of the work piece
under cutter (d). It is expressed in mm.
Width of cut
The width of cut (ω) is the width of work piece surface contacting the cutter in a direction
perpendicular to the feed.
Material removal rate
It is the volume of material removed in unit time in milling by mm3/min
MRR = ω d f or
MRR = ω d F2 N or
MRR = ω d F1 z N
Machining time
It is defined as the time required for one pass of width of cut ω for milling or machining a
surface and is expressed in minutes.
Where L is the length of cut includes length of job + length of approach + length of over
travel distance
Length of cut
d(2D-d)
1- Determine the time required to mill a slot of 300 mm (length) X 25 (width) mm with a 5
mm depth, in a work piece of 300 mm length with a side and face milling cutter of 100
mm diameter (D), 25 mm wide and having 18 teeth. The depth of cut is 5 mm, the feed
per tooth is 0.1 mm and cutting speed is 30 m/min. assume approach and over travel
distance of 50 mm.
d(2D-d)
31.3 mm
31.3
381.3 mm
381.3
2.11 min.
2- Determine the cutting time for cutting a 125 mm long keyway using HSS end-mill of 20
mm diameter having four cutting teeth. The depth of keyway is 4.5 mm. Feed per tooth is
0.1 mm/ tooth and the cutting speed is 40 m/min. Assume approach and over travel
distances half of the diameter of the cutter and a depth of 4.5 mm can be cut in one pass.
The added table travel will depend upon the type of milling operation
(i) Face milling: In a face milling operation, when the milling cutter has traversed the length
of face, some portion of the face is yet to be milled as shown by shaded area. To complete
surface milling, an additional distance must be travelled by the table, which is given by,
Added table travel = ½ (D- Γ D2+W2 )
Where, D = Cutter diameter
W= Width of work piece
If
D = W, the approach = W/2
D > W, the approach = D/2
But we will have to make more than one transverse cut to complete one cut face width.
