PowerPoint to accompany

Technology of Machine Tools

6th Edition

Krar • Gill • Smid

Special Milling Operations

Unit 63

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Permission required for reproduction or display.
 63-2

Objectives
• Set up and use the rotary table to mill a
circular slot
• Set up and mill internal and external
dovetails
• Jig bore holes on a vertical mill
 63-3

Vertical Milling Machine

• Versatility increased using specially shaped
cutters and accessories
• Rotary table accessory permits milling of
radii and circular slots
• Boring head in spindle and measuring rods on
tale allow accurate jig boring of holes
 63-4

The Rotary Table

• Circular milling attachment
• Used on plain universal vertical milling
machines and slotters
• Provide rotary motion to workpiece
• Cut radii, circular grooves and circular
sections
• Two types
– hand feed and power feed
 63-5

Rotary Table Construction

• Base bolted to milling machine table
• Rotary table fits into base
• Worm gear on bottom of rotary table
• Worm shaft mounted in base and meshes with
and drives worm gear
• Handwheel mounted on outer end of worm
shaft
– Vernier scale on collar permits setting to
within 2 minutes of a degree
 63-6

Rotary Table Construction

• T-slots cut into top surface to permit
clamping of work
• Hole in center of table accommodates
test plugs for easy centering of table
with machine spindle
• Some have indexing attachment
instead of handwheel
 63-7

Indexing Attachment
• Serves same purpose as handwheel
• Permits indexing of work with dividing head
accuracy
– Worm and wormwheel ratio not necessarily 40:1
• Other common ratios: 72:1, 80:1, 90:1, 120:1

number of teeth in wormwheel 80

Indexing    16 turns
number of divisions required 5
Example: Calculate indexing for 5 equally spaced holes
on a circular plate using a rotary table with an 80:1 ration
 63-8

Rotary Table with Powerfeed

• Worm shaft connected to milling machine
lead screw drive gear by special shaft and
end gear train
• Rate of rotation controlled by feed
mechanism of milling machine
– Operator control by automatic feed lever or
handwheel
• Suited for production work and continuous
milling of numerous small, identical parts
 63-9

To Center Rotary Table with

Vertical Mill Spindle
1. Square vertical head with machine table
2. Mount rotary table on milling machine
3. Place test plug in center hole
4. Mount indicator with grasshopper leg in
machine spindle
5. With indicator just clearing top of test
plug, rotate machine spindle by hand
align plug with spindle
 63-10

To Center Rotary Table with

Vertical Mill Spindle
6. Bring indicator into contact with diameter
of plug and rotate spindle by hand
7. Adjust machine table by longitudinal and
crossfeed handles until dial indicator
registers no movement
8. Lock machine table and saddle, recheck
alignment
9. Readjust if necessary
 63-11

Using Special Plugs to Center

• Problem: work on several identical
workpieces that have machined hole in
center - need to align
– Special plug made to fit center hold of
workpiece and hole in rotary table
– Once machine spindle aligned with table, each
succeeding piece can be aligned quickly and
accurately by placing over plug
 63-12

Method to Center Workpiece on

Rotary Table (no plug)
1. Align rotary table with vertical head
spindle
2. Lightly clamp workpiece to rotary table in
approximate center
• Do not move crossfeed or longitudinal feed
3. Disengage rotary table worm mechanism
4. Mount indicator in machine spindle or on
milling machine table
 63-13

5. Bring indicator into contact with surface to

be indicated and revolve rotary table by
hand
6. With soft metal bar, tap work until no
movement registered on indicator in
complete revolution of table
• Tap away from indicator movement
7. Clamp workpiece tightly and recheck
accuracy of setup
Note: If center-punch mark must be aligned, wiggler mounted
in milling machine spindle instead of indicator.
 63-14

Radius Milling Procedure

1. Align vertical milling machine spindle at
90º to table
2. Mount circular milling attachment
3. Center rotary table with machine spindle
• Use test plug in table and dial indicator in
spindle
4. Set longitudinal feed dials and crossfeed
dial to zero
 63-15

5. Mount work on rotary table

• Align center of radial cuts with table center
• Can use special arbor or wiggler
6. Move either crossfeed or longitudinal feed
an amount equal to radius required
7. Lock both table and saddle
8. Mount proper end mill
9. Rotate work (using handwheel) to starting
point of cut
10. Set depth of cut and machine slot to size
 63-16

Milling a T-Slot Procedure

1. Consult handbook for T-slot dimensions
2. Lay out position of T-slot
3. Square vertical milling machine spindle
with machine table
4. Mount work on milling machine
• Align vise or slot if clamped with table
 63-17

5. Mount an end mill having diameter

slightly larger than diameter of bolt body
6. Machine center slot to proper depth of T-
slot, using end mill
7. Remove end mill, mount proper T-slot
cutter
8. Set T-slot cutter depth to bottom of slot
9. Machine lower part of slot
 63-18

Milling Dovetails
• Used to permit reciprocating motion
between two elements of a machine
• Composed of external or internal part
• Adjusted by means of a gib
• Machines on vertical milling machine or
horizontal mill with vertical mill attachment
• Dovetail cutter
– Special single-angle end mill type of cutter
ground to angle of dovetail required
 63-19

Procedure for Milling an

Internal Dovetail
1. Refer to handbook for method
2. Check measurements of workpiece in
which dovetail is to be cut
• Remove all burrs
3. Lay out position of dovetail
4. Mount workpiece in vise and clamp on
rotary table (long work – bolt to table)
 63-20

5. Indicate side of workpiece or slot layout to

see that it is parallel to line of table travel
6. Mount end mill of a diameter narrower
than center section of dovetail
7. Start end mill and touch up to side of
work, after checking cutter rotation
8. Set crossfeed dial to zero
9. Move work over until end mill in center of
dovetail
• Distance from side of workpiece to center of
dovetail plus half diameter of cutter
 63-21

10. Lock saddle in position and set crossfeed

dial to zero
11. Touch edge of cutter to top of work
12. Move work clear of cutter and set depth
of cut
1. Lock knee in position
2. Depth of slot should be .030 to 0.50 in.
deeper than bottom of dovetail
13. Mill channel to width of cutter
 63-22

14. Move work over amount equal to half

difference between machined slot size and
size of dovetail at top
15. Take finish cut along one side of work
16. Check width of slot
17. Move work over to finished width of top
of dovetail (Check for backlash)
18. Cut second side and check width of slot
19. Return saddle to zero
 63-23

20. Mount dovetail cutter

21. Set depth for roughing cut
1. Should be about .005 to .010 in. less than
finish depth
22. Calculate width of dovetail at bottom
23. Move work over .010 in. less than
finished size of this side
1. Note readings on crossfeed dial
24. Rough out angle on first side
 63-24

25. Move work over to other side the same

amount from centerline and rough-cut
other side
26. Set cutter to proper depth
27. Machine bottom surface (both sides) of
dovetail to finished depth
28. Using two rods, measure dovetail for size
 63-25

29. Move table over half the difference

between rough dovetail and finished size
• Check for backlash
30. Take finish cut on one side
31. Move table over required amount, and
finish other side
32. Check finish size of dovetail
Note: If work mounted centrally on rotary table, possible to
rotate work a half-turn (180º) after 18 and take same cuts on
each side of block for each successive step.
 63-26

Procedure to Mill an
External Dovetail
1. Center cutter over dovetail position
2. Remove as much material as possible
from each side of external dovetail
• Cut to largest size of dovetail
3. Mount dovetail cutter, and center it with
workpiece
4. Move work over ½ width of dovetail plus
half diameter of cutter
• Allow 0.010 in. for finish cut
 63-27

5. Take roughing cut

6. Move work over equal amount to other
side of centerline, taking up backlash
7. Rough-cut second side
8. Adjust work over, and take finish cut on
one side
9. Measure dovetail using two rods
10. Adjust for finish cut on second side and
take this cut
11. Measure width of finished dovetail
 63-28

Jig Boring on a
Vertical Milling Machine
• Vertical milling machine does not have
same lead screw accuracy as jig borer
– Must have some external measuring system
– Measuring rods and dial indicators, vernier
scale, optical measure devices
• Measuring rods come in sets
– Both inch precision and metric precision
 63-29

Measuring Rod Sets

• Inch precision end-measuring rods
– Supplied in sets of 11 rods hardened
– Two micrometer heads capable of measuring 4-5
in to accuracy of .0001 in.
• One for longitudinal settings and other for transverse
– Lengths of rods: 1, 2, 6 and 12 in rods
• Metric precision end-measuring rods
– Same set up as inch rods only in mm
– Accuracy of 0.002 mm
 63-30

To Position Milling Machine Table

Using Measuring Rods
1. Set spindle to edge of work
2. Clean trough and ends of stop rods and
indicator rods
3. Check indicator for free operation
4. Place required number of rods in trough to
take up space between stop rod and
indicator rod
 63-31

5. Adjust micrometer until extended enough

to cause indicator needle to move half-turn
6. Lock table
7. Set indicator bezel to zero
8. Increase rod and micrometer buildup by
length of measurement between side of
workpiece and hole location
9. Move table along more than this required
distance
 63-32

10. Insert rods and micrometer head

11. Move table back until needle moves half-
turn and registers zero
12. Lock table
13. Recheck setting and adjust if necessary
 63-33

Digital Readout Boxes

• Electronically controlled measuring devices
– Mounted on table and saddle
– Indicate table travel to accuracy of .005 or .
0001 in.
• Digital readout display
– Indicates distance traveled through series of
numbers visible
• Permits quick and accurate setting of
machine table in both X and Y axes
 63-34

Vernier Scale
• May be used with milling machine
• Mounted adjacent to feed screw collars
• Permits reading in .0001 in or 0.002 mm.
• Setting must be made in one direction only
in order to remove backlash
Note: Can position holes without scales by using the
graduated feed collars. This method not as accurate.
 63-35

Vertical Milling
Machine Attachments
• Rack milling attachment
– Permits machining of racks and broaches on
vertical mill
• Slotting attachment
– Fitted to back end of overarm (180º rotation)
– Operates independently of machine drive
– Transmits reciprocating motion to single-
pointed tool by means of motor-driven eccentric
– Used for cutting keyways and slotting out small
blanking dies
 63-36

Die Sinking
• One important application of vertical milling
machine
• Dies used in drop forging and die casting have
impressions or cavities cut into them by die
sinking
• Generally done by hand control of machine
• Followed by considerable filing and polishing
• Machine equipped with tracer head
 63-37

Tracer-Controlled Machine
• Form of master transferred to workpiece by
hydraulic tracer unit actuated by stylus
– Contacts master and moves cutter up or down
with vertical or side travel of stylus
• Work and master fastened to table and
travel at same rate
• Some machines equipped with ratio devices