Module 4 Milling

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 Milling Machine
Working Principle: The workpiece is holding on the worktable
of the machine. The table movement controls the feed of
workpiece against the rotating cutter. The cutter is mounted on a
spindle or arbor and revolves at high speed. Except for rotation
the cutter has no other motion. As the workpiece advances, the
cutter teeth remove the metal from the surface of workpiece and
the desired shape is produced.

Horizontal Milling Machine

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 1. Base: It gives support and rigidity to the machine and also acts as a
reservoir for the cutting fluids.

2. Column: The column is the main supporting frame mounted vertically

on the base. The column is box shaped, heavily ribbed inside and houses
Horizontal Milling Machine all the driving mechanisms for the spindle and table feed.

3. Knee: The knee is a rigid casting mounted on the front face of the
column. The knee moves vertically along the guide ways and this
movement enables to adjust the distance between the cutter and the job
mounted on the table. The adjustment is obtained manually or
automatically by operating the elevating screw provided below the knee.

4. Saddle: The saddle rests on the knee and constitutes the intermediate
part between the knee and the table. The saddle moves transversely, i.e.,
crosswise (in or out) on guide ways provided on the knee.

5. Elevating screw: The upward and downward movement to the knee

and the table is given by the elevating screw that is operated by hand or
an automatic feed.

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6. Table: The table rests on guide ways in the saddle and provides
support to the work. The table is made of cast iron, its top surface is
accurately machined and carriers T-slots which accommodate the
clamping bolt for fixing the work. The worktable and hence the job
fitted on it is given motions in three directions:

a). Vertical (up and down) movement provided by raising or

lowering the knee.
b). Cross (in or out) or transverse motion provided by moving the
saddle in relation to knee.
c). Longitudinal (back and forth) motion provided by hand wheel
fitted on the side of feed screw.

7. Overarm: The Overarm is mounted at the top of the column and is

guided in perfect alignment by the machined surfaces. The Overarm
is the support for the arbor.

8. Arbor support: The arbor support is fitted to the Overarm and can
be clamped at any location on the Overarm. Its function is to align
and support various arbors. The arbor is a machined shaft that holds
and drives the cutters.
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 Operation performed in Milling
There are two basic types of milling operations, shown in Figure (a) peripheral milling and (b) face
milling.

a) Plain or slab milling: Machining of a flat surface which is

parallel to the axis of the rotating cutter.

b) Face milling: Machining of a flat surface which is at right

angles to the axis of the rotating cutter. 6
Peripheral Milling In peripheral milling, also called plain milling, the axis of the tool is
parallel to the surface being machined, and the operation is performed by cutting edges
on the outside periphery of the cutter.

a) slab milling, the basic form of peripheral milling in

which the cutter width extends beyond the workpiece
on both sides;
(b) slotting, also called slot milling, in which the
width of the cutter is less than the workpiece width,
creating a slot in the work—when the cutter is very
thin, this operation can be used to mill narrow slots or
cut a workpart in two, called saw milling;
(c) side milling, in which the cutter machines the side
of the workpiece;
(d) straddle milling, the same as side milling, only
cutting takes place on both sides of the work;
e) form milling, in which the milling teeth have a
special profile that determines the shape of the slot
that is cut in the work.

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In peripheral milling, the direction of cutter rotation distinguishes two forms of
milling: up milling and down milling, illustrated in Figure .

In up milling, also called conventional milling, the direction of motion of the cutter teeth is
opposite the feed direction when the teeth cut into the work. It is milling ‘‘against the feed.’’

In down milling, also called climb milling, the direction of cutter motion is the same as the feed
direction when the teeth cut the work. It is milling ‘‘with the feed.’’

Two forms of peripheral

milling operation with a
20-teeth cutter: (a) up
milling, and (b) down milling.

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The relative geometries of these two forms of milling result in differences in their cutting actions.

In up milling, the chip formed by each cutter tooth starts out very thin and increases in thickness during the
sweep of the cutter.

In down milling, each chip starts out thick and reduces in thickness throughout the cut. The length of a chip
in down milling is less than in up milling (the difference is exaggerated in our figure).
This means that the cutter is engaged in the work for less time per volume of material cut, and this tends to
increase tool life in down milling.

The cutting force direction is tangential to the periphery of the cutter for the teeth that are engaged in the
work.

In up milling, this has a tendency to lift the workpart as the cutter teeth exit the material.
In down milling, this cutter force direction is downward, tending to hold the work against the milling machine
table.

Two forms of peripheral

milling operation with a
20-teeth cutter: (a) up
milling, and (b) down milling.
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Face Milling : In face milling, the axis of the cutter is perpendicular to the surface being
milled, and machining is performed by cutting edges on both the end and outside periphery
of the cutter.
As in peripheral milling, various forms of face milling exist, several of which are shown in
Figure

(a) conventional face milling, in which the diameter of the cutter is greater than the workpart
width, so the cutter overhangs the work on both sides;

(b) Partial face milling, where the cutter overhangs the work on only one side;

(c) end milling, in which the cutter diameter is less than the work width, so a slot is cut into
the part;

Face milling: (a) conventional

face milling, (b) partial face
milling, (c) end milling,

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(d) Profile milling, a form of end milling in which the outside periphery of a flat part is cut;

(e) Pocket milling, another form of end milling used to mill shallow pockets into flat parts;
and

(f) surface contouring, in which a ball-nose cutter (rather than square-end cutter) is fed
back and forth across the work along a curvilinear path at close intervals to create a three
dimensional surface form.

Face milling:
(d) profile milling,
(e) pocket milling, and
(f) surface contouring.
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 Operation performed in Milling

Form milling: Machining of surfaces which are of irregular

Angular milling: Machining of a flat surface at an angle, shape. The teeth of the form milling cutter have a shape which
other than a right angle, to the axis of revolving cutter. corresponds to the profile of the surface to be produced

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Plain Milling Cutter Geometry
Body of cutter : The part of the cutter
left after exclusion of the teeth and the
portion to which the teeth are attached.

Cutting edge : The edge formed by the

intersection of the face and the circular
land or the surface left by the provision
of primary clearance.

Face : The portion of the gash adjacent

to the cutting edge on which the chip
impinges as it is cut from the work.

Fillet : The curved surface at the

bottom of gash which joins the face of
one tooth to the back of the tooth
immediately ahead.

Gash : The chip space between the

Land : The part of the back of tooth adjacent to the cutting edge back of
which one tooth and the face of the next
is relieved to avoid interference between the surface being tooth. 13
machined
Root diameter : The diameter of the circle
passing through bottom of the fillet.

Relief Angle: The angle in a plane

perpendicular to the axis, which is the angle
between the land of a tooth and the tangent to
the outside diameter of cutter at the cutting
edge of that tooth.

Primary clearance angle : The angle formed

by the back of the tooth with a line drawn
tangent to the periphery of the cutter at the
cutting edge.

Outside diameter: The diameter of the circle

passing through the peripheral cutting edge

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 Milling Cutter Types
The milling cutter are revolving tools having one or several cutting edges of identical form equally spaced on the circumference of
the cutter. The elements are called teeth which intermittently engages the workpiece and remove material by relative movement
of the workpiece and cutter. Milling cutters may be classified as :

1) According to the constructional features of the cutter:

(a) Solid cutter.
(b) Tipped solid cutter.
(c) Inserted teeth cutter.
2) According to the relief characteristics of the cutter teeth :
(a) Profile relieved cutter
(b) Form relieved cutter
3) According to the methods of mounting the cutter:
(a) Arbor type cutter.
(b) Shank type cutter.
(c) Facing type cutter.
4) According to the direction of rotation of the cutter:
(a) Right hand rotational cutter.
(b) Left hand rotational cutter.
5) According to the direction of helix of the cutter teeth :
(a) Parallel or straight teeth cutter.
(b) Right hand helical cutter.
(c) Left hand helical cutter.
(d) Alternate helical teeth cutter. 6) According to purpose or use of the cutter:
(a) Standard milling
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(b) Special milling cutter.
Solid cutter : A solid cutter has teeth integral with the cutter body. The cutters are of smaller diameter and
width and made of one piece material usually of high speed steel.

Tipped solid cutter : A tipped solid cutter is similar to a solid cutter, expect that the cutter teeth are made of
cemented carbide or stellite tips which are brazed on the tool shanks of an ordinary tool steel cutter body to
reduce the cost of the cutter.

Inserted teeth cutter: In large milling cutters, the teeth or blades are inserted or secured in a body of less
expensive materials. The blades are usually held in the cutter body by mechanical means. The arrangement
reduces the cost of the cutter and enables economy in maintenance, as a single tooth if broken can be
readily replaced:

Profile relieved cutter : In this category of milling cutters, a relief to the cutting edges is provided by grinding
a narrow land at the back of the cutting edges. The profile relieved cutters generate flat, curved or irregular
surfaces.

Form relieved cutter : In this category of milling cutters a curved relief is provided at the back of the cutting
edges. The cutters are sharpened by grinding the faces of the teeth. The form relieved cutters are mainly
used for generating formed or contoured surfaces.

Arbor type cutter : The arbor type cutter are provided with a central hole having a keyway for mounting
them directly on the milling machine arbor. Milling cutters having tapered or threaded holes are also
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available. They are mounted on arbors of different designs. '
Shank type cutter : The Shank type cutters are provided with straight or tapered shank integral with the cutter
body. The straight or tapered shanks are inserted into the spindle nose and are clamped to it either by friction or
by a draw bolt.

Facing type cutter : The facing type cutters are either bolted or attached directly to the spindle nose, or
secured on the face of a short arbor called stud arbor. The facing type cutters are mainly used to produced flat
surfaces.

Right hand cutter : A milling cutter is designated as a right hand cutter which rotates in a anticlockwise
direction when viewed from the end of the spindle.

Left hand cutter : A milling cutter is designated as a left hand cutter which rotates in a clockwise direction when
viewed from the end of the spindle.

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Parallel or straight teeth cutter : The parallel or straight teeth cutters have their teeth straight or
parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutter. The helix angle of parallel teeth cutters are equal to zero.

Right hand helical teeth cutter : These cutters have their teeth cut at an angle to the axis of rotation of
the cutter. The cutters may be distinguished by viewing it from one of its end faces, when the helical
groove or flute will be found to lead from left to right hand direction of the cutter body.

Left hand helical teeth cutter : These cutters have their teeth cut at an angle to the axis of rotation of
the cutter. The cutter may be distinguished by viewing it from one of its end faces, when the helical
groove or flute will be found to lead from right to left hand direction of the cutter body.

Alternate helical teeth cutter : In some cutters the alternate teeth are provided with right and left hand
helical angles.

Standard milling cutter : These cutters are conventional type of milling cutters whose dimensions such
as cutter diameter and width, diameter of center hole, width and depth of keyways, etc. are
standardized.

Special milling cutter : Special milling cutters are designed to perform special operations which may be
the combination of several standard operations. The cutters may have standard or non-standard
dimensions.
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 Indexing
Indexing is the operation of dividing the periphery of a
workpiece into any number of equal parts. For example if we
want to make a hexagonal bolt. Head of the bolt is given
hexagonal shape. We do indexing to divide circular workpiece
into six equal parts and then all the six parts are milled to an
identical flat surface. If we want to cut „n‟ number of teeth in a
gear blank. The circumference of gear blank is divided into „n‟
number of equal parts and teeth are made by milling operation
one by one. The main component used in indexing operation is
universal dividing head.

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 The dividing heads are of three types:
(1) Plain or simple dividing head, (2) Universal dividing head and (3) Optical dividing head

Plain or Simple Dividing Head

The plain dividing head comprises a cylindrical spindle housed on a

frame, and a base bolted to the machine table.

The index crank is connected to the tail end of the spindle directly,
and the crank and the spindle rotate as one unit.

The index plate is mounted on the spindle and rotates with it. The
spindle may be rotated through the desired angle and then clamped
by inserting the clamping lever pin into anyone of the equally
spaced holes or slots cut on the periphery of the index plate.

This type of dividing head is used for handling large number of

work-pieces, which require a very small number of divisions on the
periphery.

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Universal Dividing Head

It is most popular and common type of indexing arrangement. As

indicated by its name “universal”, it can be used to do all types of
indexing on a milling machine.

Universal dividing head can set the workpiece in vertical, horizontal, or

in inclined position relative to the worktable in addition to working
principle is explained below with the help of illustration in Figure 1.15.

The worm gear has 40 teeth and the worm has simple thread. Crank is
directly attached with the worm. If we revolve crank by 40 revolutions
the spindle attached with worm gear will revolve by only one revolution
and one complete turn of the crank will revolve the spindle only by 1/40th
revolution (turn).

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In order to turn the crank precisely a fraction of a revolution, an
indexing plate is used. An indexing plate is like a circular disc
having concentric rings of different number of equally spaced
holes.

Normally indexing plate is kept stationary by a lock pin. A

spring loaded pin is fixed to the crank which can be fixed into
any hole of indexing plate. The turning movement of the
workpiece is stably controlled by the movement of crank as
explained below.

If the pin is moved by one hole on the indexing plate in the

circle of 20 holes, the spindle will revolve by th turn of one
revolution. 1/40 * 1/20 * = 1/600 th turn of revolution.

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 There are different indexing methods in popularity. These are :
(a) Direct indexing
(b) Simple indexing
(c) Compound indexing
(d) Differential indexing

Direct Indexing
It is also named as rapid indexing. For this direct indexing plate
is used which has 24 equally spaced holes in a circle. It is
possible to divide the surface of workpiece into any number of
equal divisions out of 2, 3, 4, 56, 8, 12, 24 parts. These all
numbers are the factors of 24.

In this case fist of all worm and worm wheel is disengaged. We

find number of holes by which spring loaded pin is to be moved.
If we want to divide the surface into 6 parts than number of
holes by which pin is to be moved = 24 /N for 6 parts N = 6.

So number of holes =26/6 = 4 holes that is after completing one

pair of milling whole surface of workpiece we have to move the
pin by 4 holes before next milling operation, that is to be done
for 5 number of times for making hexagonal bolt.
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Simple Indexing
It is also named as plain indexing. It over comes the major limitation of direct
indexing that is possibility of dividing circumference of workpiece into some
fixed number of divisions.

In this case worm and worm gear is first engaged. So one complete turn of
indexing crank revolves the workpiece by 1/40 th revolution.

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

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