Subject

Manufacturing Process I

Chapter 7

Milling

Prepared by: Pampa Mondal

 Learning Outcome:

After careful study of this chapter students will be able to:

 Know about the milling operation & the types of machine used for milling in general.
 Develop knowledge about different types of milling cutters and corresponding milling operations.
 Know the various types of machining operations that can be performed in milling.
 Build concept about up milling and down milling operations and their differences.
Milling:

A milling machine is a machine tool that removes metal as work piece fed against a rotating multipoint cutter.

Milling can be used for enlarging or making a hole, producing slots, removing layer of material from a surface,
making internal & external threads, gear cutting etc.

In Conventional Milling generally the tool rotates at one fixed place and the feed is provided to the work piece.

But in case of CNC Milling the tool also moves relative to the work piece that means feed motion is provided
by relative movement of work piece table and the cutting tool.

Types of Milling Machine:

 Column and knee type milling machine

 Plane type milling machine
 Fixed bed type milling machine
 Machining centre/ CNC Milling
 Special purpose milling

 Universal Milling Machine is a Type of Column & Knee type Milling Machine.

Specification (or size) of a Milling Machine:

 The dimensions of the working surface of the table,

 Maximum length of longitudinal, cross & vertical travel of the table,
 No of spindle speeds & feeds,
 Power available,
 Floor space required &
 Net weight of the machine.
Column and knee type milling machine:

Vertical Type:

Column and knee type milling machine:

Horizontal Type:
Column and knee type milling machine:

Schematic Diagram of Column & Knee type Milling Machine

Construction of basic milling machine:

The construction of a basic Milling machine consists of following parts:

 Base
 Column
 Knee
 Saddle
 Table
 Overhanging arm
 Front brace
 Spindle
 Arbor

Description of each Part:

1. Base:
 It is the foundation member for all other parts of a milling machine.
 It carries the column at one end.

2. Column:
 It is the main supporting member mounted vertically on the base.
 It is a boxed shaped column.
 It houses all the driving mechanism for the spindle and the table feed.
 The front vertical face of the column is machined very accurately & it has a dovetail guide way
to support the knee.

3. Knee:
 Knee is a large & rigid machine part, generally made up of Grey cast iron.
 Knee can move up & down along the vertical guide way provided on the column.
 It is supported by an elevating screw, which is mounted on the base & is also used to adjust the
height of the knee.
 The knee houses different controls of the feed mechanism of the table.

4. Saddle:
 It is placed on the top of the knee.
 It can slide on the guide ways set exactly at 90˚ to the column face.
 The top of the saddle provide guide way for the table.

5. Over Hanging Arm:

 It is mounted on the top of the column, which extend beyond the column face.
 It acts as a bearing support for the other end of the arbor.

6. Spindle:
 It is located in the upper part of the column.
 It receives power from the main motor through belt drive or gear drive via a clutch.
 Clutch engages and disengages the main motor with the arbor at the will of the operator.
 7. Arbor:
 It is the mechanism where the milling cutter is mounted & is allowed to rotate for metal removal.
 The arbor assembly consists of the following parts like arbor, spindle, spacing collars, bearing,
cutter, draw bolt, lock nut, key-block, set screw.

Method of Mounting Milling Cutter on the Arbor:

*please refer the figure provided above

1. First the arbor support at the end of arbor is loosened by unscrewing the nuts provided on the side of it,
2. After that machine spindle is locked,
3. After locking the machine spindle the nut provided at the end of the arbor is unscrewed,
4. Then the bushes and spacers are removed from the arbor,
5. After that the intermediate arbor support is removed,
6. Again the spacers and bushes have to be removed up to the point where the cutter have to be mounted,
7. Then the cutter is placed on the arbor and the bushes and spacers are placed after it,
8. Next the intermediate support and the end arbor support is screwed as before,
9. Arbor is a splined shaft,
10. The cutter has one key way cut on it.
Various operations performed in milling machine:

 Plain milling or Slab milling

 Face milling
 Side milling
 Angular milling
 Gang milling
 Form milling
 End milling
 Profile milling
 Saw milling
 Key way milling
 Gear cutting milling
 Helical milling
 Flute milling
 Straddle milling
 Thread milling.

Types of work piece can be developed by Milling Process:

Plain milling or Slab milling:

 It is a method of producing a plain, flat, horizontal surface parallel to the axis of rotation of the cutter.
 Depending upon the direction of cutter and work piece movement plain milling can be sub-divided into
two types i.e., Up-Milling & Down-milling (which is discussed later in this chapter in detail).
 Schematic Diagram of Plain Milling Cutter:

Face milling:
  It is a method of producing a flat surface at right angle or perpendicular to the axis of the cutter.
 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as face milling cutter.

Face Milling Cutter

Work Piece Surface

Side milling:

 It is a method of producing of a flat vertical surface on the side of a work piece, using a side
milling cutter.

Angular milling:

 It is a method of producing of a flat surface with an angle to the axis of the cutter.
 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as angular milling cutter.
 Work Piece

Gang milling:

 It is a method of milling with the help of two or more milling cutters at a time having same or different
diameters mounted on the arbor of the milling machine.
 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as gang milling cutter.

Form Milling:

 It is a method of producing a surface having an irregular geometry.

 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as form milling cutter.
End milling:

 It is method of producing slots, flat surfaces & various types of profiles.

 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as end milling cutter.

Profile Milling:

 It is method of producing an outline of a template surface or complex shape of a master die on a work
piece.
 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as profile milling cutter.
 Template Surface

Work Surface

Saw Milling:

 It is method of producing deep slots into the material surface.

 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as saw milling cutter.

Flute Milling:

 It is a method of cutting flutes on a drill bit, reamers, taps etc.

 The type of milling cutter used in this process is known as flute milling cutter.

Straddle Milling:
  It is method of milling two sides of work piece with the help of two side milling cutters at the same time.

Thread Milling:

 It is a method of milling threads on dies, screws, worms etc.

 Both internal and external threads can be produced by this method of milling.

Gear Cutting:

 It is method of producing gear with help of form milling cutter.

 Work piece is a metal disc, from which the portion of the metal between two consecutive teeth is
removed one after another.
 In gear cutting operation by milling a form type special cutter is used & the shape of the cutter depends
on the geometry of the gear.
T-Slot Milling:
 In this milling operation a T-slot can be made on the work piece surface.
 For making T-slot at first an I-slot is cut on the work piece with the help of an end mill cutter.
 After that a T-slot milling cutter is used to complete the cut of the T-slot.

Up-milling:

 The direction of rotation of cutter is opposite with respect to the work piece
 More shock loading
 Less tool life
 Poor surface finish
 Strong clamping of work piece is required
 Cutter tends to lift the work piece above the cutting table
 Chip thickness vary minimum to maximum.
Down-milling:

 The direction of rotation of cutter is same with respect to the work piece
 Less shock loading
 More tool life
 Good surface finish
 Strong clamping of work piece is not required
 Cutter tends to push the work piece towards the cutting table
 Chip thickness vary maximum to minimum.

Questions
 Subjective type Questions each of 10 Marks:
Q.1 Write down a general classification of milling machine, with description.
Q.2 How is the size of a milling machine specified? Draw the schematic diagram of a Column and Knee type
milling machine.
Q.3 Write down the differences between peripheral milling and face milling, with proper schematic diagram.
Q.4 Write down the difference between up-milling & down operation with schematic diagram.
Q.5 Compare plain milling machine with universal milling machine. draw the diagram of a plain milling cutter
and show various angles on it.
Q.6 Give a neat sketch of the arbour assembly fitted to the main spindle of the horizontal milling machine.
Explain the process of mounting the cutter on the arbor of a milling machine.
Q.7 Show the operation of cutting T-slot in a work piece with neat sketch. Which type of milling cutter is used
in this process?
Q.8 Write short note on the following topics:
 End milling operation
 Side milling operation
 Face milling
 Gang milling
 Straddle milling

 Objective type questions each of 1 mark:

1. A climb milling is that milling process where the cutter and the job move in the ________ direction.
2. When more than two cutters are involved at a time the milling process is termed as ________ milling.
3. For milling irregular shapes______ milling cutter is required.
4. A stub arbor is______ arbor.
5. The process of removing metal by a cuter which is rotated in the direction as the feed of the work piece
is called ________ milling.
6. The operation of production of flat vertical surfaces on both sides of work piece by using two side
milling cutters mounted on the same arbour is known as _______ milling.
7. The milling cutter is hold at the required position on the arbor by ________ collars.
8. Helical gears can be cut on _____ type of milling machine.
9. The overhanging arm in a milling machine is mounted on the top of the ___________.
10. In up milling the thickness of chip is _________ at the beginning of the cut.
11. Base of the milling machine is made of_____ cast iron.
12. The ______ milling is considered as combination of peripheral and face milling operation.
13. _________ is the extension of milling machine spindle on which various cutters are mounted.
14. A _________ tool is selected for machining irregular surfaces.
15. A cantilever type arbor is called __________ arbor.

Answers (in order):

Same, gang, form, short, down, straddle, spacing, universal, column, minimum, grey, end, arbor,
formed, stub