MILLING MACHINE

The Milling Machine

What is it?
- Milling is the process of machining flat, curved, or
irregular surfaces by feeding the workpiece against a
rotating cutter containing a number of cutting edges.
- The Milling Machine is a machine tool in which a
horizontal arbor or vertical spindle rotates a cutting tool
above a horizontal table, which is used to move the
workpiece.
- This machine can hold one or more number of cutters at
a time and rotates at high speed to remove the metal at a
faster rate. It is mostly used to make gears like Spur gears,
and also drill workpiece bore, and produce slots.
 Types of Milling Machine
- Horizontal Milling Machine
- Vertical Milling Machine
- Bed Type Milling Machine
- Planer Milling Machine
- Rotary Table Milling Machine
- Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Milling Machine
Different types of
Milling Machine
Cutters
• Plain Milling Cutter
• Helical Plain Milling Cutter
• Staggered Teeth Side Milling Cutter
• Interlocking Side Milling Cutter
• Metal Slitting Saw
• Angle Milling Cutter
• Single Angle Milling Cutter
• Double Angle Milling Cutter
• End Milling Cutter
• Taper Shank End Milling Cutter
• Straight Shank End Milling Cutter
• Shell End Milling Cutter
• T-Slot Milling Cutter
• Woodruff Key Slot Milling Cutter
• Fly Cutter
• Convex Milling Cutter
• Concave Milling Cutter
 Steps on Sharpening Milling Cutter
A guide to determine the primary cutter angles are shown below for selected materials.
Low carbon steel - 5 to 7 degrees
High carbon and allow steels - 3 to 5 degrees
Cast iron - 4 to 7 degrees
Brass - 10 to 12 degrees
Aluminum- - 10 to 12 degrees

In the machining hobby we generally machine low carbon steel, cast iron, brass and aluminum. Two flute end mills are
sharpened to cut brass and aluminum (10 to 12 degrees). Multiple flute end mills are sharpened for steel and cast iron (5
to 7 degrees). The secondary cutter angle is 10 degrees greater than the primary angle. Primary land width should be
between .015 and .030 depending on end mill size. The dish angle for all end mills should be 1 to 2 degrees.

STEPS ON SHARPENING END OF END MILL

Step 1 – A small hollow (concave) is required on the end face of the end mill. This is essential so the cutter only contacts
the workpiece at the outer ends of the cutting teeth. This feature is produced by grinding a dish angle on the end of the
cutter. Rotate the workhead horizontal swivel to the specified dish angle and lock in place.
Step 2 – Adjust workhead to horizontal position using the wheelhead vertical swivel centering gage and lock in place. The
workhead center line is now parallel to the wheelhead center line.

Step 3 – Place end mill in the collet. Hand tighten collet clamping nut.

Step 4 – Using the workhead spindle center gage, adjust the end mill cutting edges to be parallel to the table.

Step 5 – Tighten the collet clamping nut to secure the end mill for grinding.

Step 6 – Rotate workhead vertical swivel to the primary cutter angle and lock in place

Step 7 – Adjust the grinding wheel vertical location to be approximately at center line of the end mill cutting edge height.
Turn grinding wheel on and bring the grinding wheel in contact with the end mill. Make minimum contact.

Step 8 – Adjust the right longitudinal micrometer against the stop and lock in place.

Step 9 – It is helpful to color the area you will be grinding with a felt tip pen. This allows you to see and measure the area
you have ground. Mark the complete end of the end mill with a felt tip pen.

Step 10 – Grind .002 material from the end mill cutting edge using the longitudinal micrometer adjustment.

Step 11 – The workhead has an indexing ring to allow the cutter to be rotated to the proper angle to grind the additional
cutting edges on the end mill.
Rotate the workhead spindle 180 degrees using the index ring and blade (for 2 flute end mill). Lock the spindle.
Grind the second cutter edge. Continue this process at .002 increments until the primary cutter edges are
completely ground and sharp at the intersection with the outside diameter of the end mill.

Step 12 – If the width of the primary land is within the specified width, the sharpening process is complete.

Step 13 – If the primary land exceeds the specified width, a secondary angle 10 degrees greater than the primary
angle is ground on the end of the end mill to narrow the primary land to the proper requirements. Repeat steps 6
through 11 to produce the correct primary land width.

The sharping process is complete.

Grinding Wheel
The grinding wheel will generally be a 60 grit, H, I or J grade and vitified bond. The sharpest tool edge is generated
by grinding away from the tooth edge. Grinding toward the tool edge is permissible but will require stoning the burr
from the tool cutting edge. The grinding wheel must be trued and dressed to ensure proper tool sharpening. Truing
is generally done with a mounted diamond. Dressing is normally done with an abrasive stick.
Cutting Feed, Feed and Depth of Cut

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-
Different Indexing and Computation
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.
 Index Plate and Sector Arms
Index Plate
• Circular plate provided with series of equally holes into which index
crack pin engages.

Sector Arms
• Fit on front of a plate and may be set to any portion of a complete
turn.
 Simple Indexing
• In simple indexing , an index plate selected for the particular application, is fitted on
the worm shaft and lock through a locking.

• To index the work though any required angle, the index crank pin is withdrawn from
the hole of the index plate that 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

Computation
• Calculating the indexing or number of turns of crank for most divisions, simply divide
40 by number of divisions to be cut

INDEXING = 40/N

• Where N is the number of divisions or indexing needed on the work.

• 40 is the number of teeth on the worm wheel attached to the indexing plate
• 40 turns of the index crank will turn the spindle to one full turn.
 Direct Indexing
• 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 divisions which is a factor of 24 can be indexed quickly and
conveniently by the direct indexing method.

Computation
 Angular Indexing
• Set for simple indexing may be used

• Must calculate indexing with angular

distance between divisions instead
number of divisions

• One complete turn of index crank

turns work 1/40 of a turn

• 1/40 of 360 degrees is equals 9

degrees.

Indexing in degrees = number of

degrees required/9
 Differential
Indexing
• Used when 40/N cannot be reduced to a
factor of one of the available hole circles.
• Index plate must be revolved either
forward or backwark part of a turn while
index crank turned to attain proper spacing
(indexing)
• Change of rotation effected by idler gear
or gears in gear train
TYPES OF GEARS
 Spurs Gear
- Spur gears belong to the parallel shaft gear group and are
cylindrical gears with a toot line which is straight and parallel to
the shaft.
- Spur gears are the most widely used gears that can achieve high
accuracy with relatively easy production processes.
- They have the characteristic of having no load in the axial
direction (thrust load). The larger of the meshing pair is called the
gear and smaller is called the pinion.

Helical Gear
- Helical gears are used with parallel shafts similar to spur gears
and are cylindrical gears with winding tooth lines.
- They have better teeth meshing than spur gears and have
superior quietness and can transmit higher loads, making them
suitable for high speed application.
- Helical gears can create thrust force in the axial direction,
necessitating the use of thrust bears. Helical come with right hand
and left hand twist requiring opposite hand gears for a meshing
pair
Gear Rack
- A gear rack is a cylindrical gear with the radius of the pitch
cylinder being infinite. By meshing with cylindrical gear
pinion, it converts rotational motion into linear motion.

Bevel Gear
- Bevel gears have a cone shaped appearance and are used
to transmit force between two shafts which intersect at one
point.
- A bevel gear has a cone as its pitch surface and its teeth
are cut along the cone.
- Kinds of bevel gear includes straight bevel gears, miter
gears, angular bevel gears, crown gears, zero bevel gears
and hypoid gears
Spiral Bevel Gear
- Spiral bevel gears are bevel gears with curved tooth lines. Due
to higher tooth contact ratio, they are superior to straight bevel
gears in efficiency, strength, vibration and noise. On the other
hand, they are more difficult to produce.
- Also because the teeth are curved, they cause thrust forces in
the axial direction.
- Within the spiral bevel gears, the one with the zero twisting
angle is called zerolbevel gear.

Screw Gear
- Screw gears are pair of same hand helical gears with the
twist angle of 45 degree on non-parallel, non-intersecting
shafts.
 Miter Gear
- Miter gears are bevel gears with a speed ratio
of 1. They are used to change the direction of
power transmission without changing speed.

Worm Gear
- A screw shape cut on shaft is the worm, the
mating gear is the worm wheel, and together on
non-intersecting shafts is called a worm gear.
Internal Gear
- Internal gears have teeth cut on the inside of cylinders
or cones and are paired with external gears.
- The main use of internal gears are for planetary gear
drives and gear type shaft coupling.
SAFETY AND PRECAUTIONS ON USING MILLING MACHINE
• Do not make contact with the revolving cutter.

• Place a wooden pad or suitable cover over the table surface to proctect it from possible damage.

• Use the buddy system when moving heavy attachments.

• Do not attempt to lighten arbor nuts using machine power.

• When installing or removing milling cutter, always hold them with a rag to prevent cutting your hands.

• While setting up work, install the cutter last to avoid being cut.

• Never adjust the workpiece or work mounting devices when the machine is operating.

• Chips should be removed from the workpiece with an appropriate rake and a brush.

• Shut the machine off before making any adjustment or measurements.

• When using cutting oil, prevent splashing by using appropriate splash guards. Cutting oil on the floor can cause a
slippery condition that could result in operator injury.
References:
- https://www.mech4study.com/2016/05/milling-machine-parts-and-working.html

- http://uhv.cheme.cmu.edu/procedures/machining/ch8.pdf