MILLING

At the end of this lesson you shall be able to

State the principle of milling
Classify the types of milling machines
State the application of milling machines
Specify a milling machine.
Principle of milling (cutting)
In milling, the cutter has a rotary movement, the speed of which depends upon the
cutting speed required. Driving the milling arbor at various rotational speeds makes it
possible to achieve approximately the same cutting speeds [peripheral speed] with cutters of
different diameters.
While the milling cutter (a) rotated at a high speed, and because of the multiple points, it
removes metal at a very fast rate, in comparison with other machine

Job (b) can be fed manually or automatically.

By milling we can produce flat (horizontal, vertical, angular) and formed surfaces. (Fig 2)
A Milling machine finds wide application in production ""or k as the machine can hold
one or more number of Gutters at a time, and is good in accuracy, surface finish etc.
Page No - 1

Classification
The classification according to the general design of the milling machine is:
- Column and knee type
- Fixed bed type
- Planer type
- Special type.
But out of these types the one that is used most in general workshop is the column and knee
type machine.
In the column and knee type category the following machines are covered.

Plain/horizontal milling machine

Vertical milling machine

Universal milling machine

Plain/horizontal milling machine (Fig 3)

The plain milling machines are much more rigid and
sturdy than many others and accommodate heavy work. The
milling machine table may be fed either by hand or by power
against a rotating cutter. A milling machine having a
horizontal spindle is also called horizontal spindle milling
machine. Milling cutters are mounted on the horizontal arbor.
In this machine the table may be fed in three directions namely, longitudinal, vertical and crosswise.
The feed is longitudinal when the table is moved at right
angles to the spindle axis, the feed is vertical when the table is moved in the
upward/downward directions, and the feed is crosswise when the
table is moved parallel to the spindle axis.
Vertical milling machine (Fig 4)
The vertical milling machine can be distinguished from the horizontal
milling machine by the position of the spindle, which is vertical or
perpendicular to the worktable. The spindle rotates about the vertical
axis. The spindle can be moved up and down by a spindle feed, and
on some machines it may be tilted/swivelled.

Page No - 2

The vertical milling machine is ideally suitable for boring and -for pocket milling, profile
milling, and for keyways occurring in the middle of shafts etc. The operator gets a better view
of the milling cutter in a vertical milling machine than in a horizontal milling machine.
Universal milling machine (Fig 5)
The universal milling machine is similar in construction to the plain
machine. But its table, apart from having movements in 3 directions,
can also be swivelled about the vertical axis. The maximum swivelling
is 45 both in clockwise and anticlockwise directions. (Fig 6)
This swivelling of the table permits angular feed in Because of this,
the universal milling machine is suitable for milling Helical gears,
Helical grooves etc.

This

machine

is

supported

with

different

attachments like vertical head, slotting head,

rack milling attachment, etc.

Specification of a milling machine

The milling machine is normally specified by the

Dimension of the working surface of the table

Longitudinal travel of the table

Cross travel of the table

Vertical travel of the table

Number of spindle speed

Spindle nose taper

Number of feeds

Floor space area, etc.

Page No - 3

ARBOR
An arbor is considered as an extension of the
At the end of this lesson you shall be able to

State the different types of arbors

State the uses of arbors

Name the parts of an arbor

Specify the arbor.

Types of arbors and their uses

An arbor is considered as an extension of the machine spindle on which milling cutters are
mounted. Arbors are quick-release taper shanks for proper alignment with the spindle. There
are two types of arbors, normally used for holding the cutters. They are (1) long arbor and (2)
short or stub arbor.

Long arbors are used for holding cutters in both horizontal and universal milling
machines. The milling cutter (a) is driven by a key (b) which fits into the keyway (c) on the
arbor and cutter. This prevents the cutter from turning on the arbor. The spacer (d) and
bearing bushings (e) hold the cutter in position on the arbor after the nut (f) has been
tightened.
The tapered end of the arbor (a) is held securely with the machine spindle (b) by a
draw-in bar (c) and lock nut (d). (Fig 2) The flange (e) has two notches (f) to engage with the
spindle tennon for transmitting the power.

Page No - 4

The outer end of the arbor assembly is supported by the bushing and the arbor support.
Long arbors with I.S.O. taper shanks are available in different diameters. The normal
diameters used commonly are f16, f22, f27, f32, f40 and the taper is IS040/50. The arbor is
designated by the taper number, diameter and length.
Example IS040 x f 22 x 500 mm. Stub arbor
Stub arbors are used to mount various types of cutters in the spindle of horizontal and
vertical milling machines.
The arbors are held with the machine spindle by a taper and a draw-in bar. The arbors are of
three types (A), (B) & (C) as shown in Fig 3.
Types
Type A (Fig 4) is used to mount the shell end mills and similar cutters.
The cutter is pushed on the arbor so that the arbor key (a) fits with the slot (b) on the cutter.
The cutter is tightened on the arbor using the screw (c).

Type B (Fig 5) is used to mount large face milling

cutters. It is made with a centralizing spigot (a)
to ensure that the cutter is centralized with the
cutter spindle.

Page No - 5

The cutter is held on the arbor by four screws (b). It has a slot (c) which fits over the spindle
(d) to provide the drive.
Type C (Fig 6) is a Morse taper adapter arbor
(a). It is used to hold drills, reamers, chucks (b),
etc. which have taper shanks and also Morse
taper sleeves (c) which are used to adapt a
Morse taper to a larger taper.
According to B.I.S. specifications stub arbors with Morse taper shanks are available from 13
to 27 mm in diameters. The stub arbor is designated by the taper number, diameter and
length.
PARTS OF A MILLING MACHINE
At the end of this lesson you shall be able to
state the main parts of a milling machine and
their functions.
PARTS OF A MILLING MACHINE
The principal parts of a milling machine (Fig 1) are
as follows.
Base
The'base of the machine serves as a foundation
member for all the other parts which rest upon it. It
is made of cast iron. It carries a column

Column
The column is the main supporting frame mounted vertically on the base. The column
houses all the driving mechanism for the spindle and table feed. The main motor is usually
incorporated in the column. The top of the column is finished to hold an over arm that
extends outward at the front of the machine. The lower part of the column is a sturdy box
base, which incorporates the cutting fluid tank.

Page No - 6

Knee (Fig 2)
The knee is of rigid casting that slides up and down along a
precision-machined guideway. The knee houses the speed
mechanism of the table and the different controls to operate it.
The feed motor and gearbox are usually incorporated in the
knee.

Gearbox
The gearbox for the spindle drive comprises shafts with
bearings and gears, and controls for the setting of the
spindle speed.

Spindle
The spindle is housed in the upper part of the column and receives power from the motor
and transmits it to the arbor. The front end of the spindle projects from the column face and is
provided with a tapered hole in which various cutting tools and arbors may be mounted The
accuracy in machining depends primarily on the rigidity of the spindle. The speed of the
spindle can I selected by the speed gearbox, and the feeds can I selected through the feed
gearbox.
The spindle is arranged horizontally in the horizontal milling machine and vertically in
the vertical milling machine. (Figs 4 & 5)
Page No - 7

Saddle (Fig 6)
The saddle is placed on the top of the knee which
slides on the guideway, set exactly at 90 to the
column face.
A cross-feed screw near the top of the knee
engages a nut on the bottom of the saddle to
move it horizontally for applying the cross-feed

.
Table (Fig 7)
The table rests on the guideway on the saddle and travels
longitudinally. T slots are provided on the table to mount
the work pieces directly or to mount the work-holding
devices. The longitudinal feed-stops are located on the
front of the table. These disengage the machine feed at a
set position. The table is also fitted with a hand wheel for
hand feed in the longitudinal direction, and a lever for
locking the table. There is a gutter around the edges of the
table to collect the cutting fluid.
Page No - 8

Over arm and brace

The over arm is mounted on the top of the column
above the spindle, and is intended as a support when
milling with an arbor. The arm is adjustable so that the
bearing support may be provided nearest to the cutter.
The brace provides extra stability to the machine. It
must be loosened before the table elevation setting is
altered.

Electrical equipment
The electrical equipment for the different controls of the
machine is usually grouped in the column. The equipment consists
mainly of fuses, motor breakers and contactors. Motor breakers
switch off the power in the event of an overload.

PLAIN MILLING CUTTER (SLAB MILLING CUTTERS)

MILLING Cutters
Milling cutters generally fall into
two categories, solid cutters arid
Inserted tool cutters.
These cutters are those in
which the teeth have been cut into
the body of the cutter. The teeth may
be straight parallel or helical (at an
angle) to the axis of the cutter. Solid
type cutters are generally made of high speed steel.

Page No - 9

Inserted tool cutter

These cutters are removable and replaceable teeth which are
fastened or locked into the body of the cutter. The inserted tool
construction is generally used on large cutters as the blades can be
quickly replaced when the become dull.

Plain milling cutters

Plain milling cutters are cylindrical, having teeth on periphery only. They are used to produce
flat surface by feeding the table longitudinally. The cutter teeth mi be straight or helical
according to the size of the cutter Wider plain cutters are used for slab milling which a known
as slab milling cutters.
TYPES OF PLAIN MILLING CUTTERS
Light duty plain milling cutters
These are less than 19mm wide and usually have straight teeth. (Fig.3) Those over 19mm
wide have a helix angle of about 250. (Fig.4)
Fig 3

Fig 4

This type of cutter is used only for light milling operations since it has too many teeth to
permit the chip clearance required for heavier cuts.
Heavy duty plain milling cutters (Fig 5)
These cutters have fewer teeth than the light duty ones, which provides for better chip
clearance. The helix angle varies up to 45
Page No - 10

Fig. 5
The greater helix angle on the teeth produces a smoother
surface due to shearing action and reduces chatter. Less
power is required for this cutter than what the straight tooth
and small helix angle cutters require.
Helical plain milling cutters (Fig.6)
Fig 6

These cutters are high helix cutters with the helix angles from 45 to over 60. They
are particularly suited to the milling of wide and intermittent surfaces in contour and profile
milling. These cutters are used for milling soft steel, brass, etc.
Plain milling cutters are also made in shank type. These are sometimes nicked on
their periphery on a helical pattern for chip breaking and smooth operation
Specification
The size of the plain milling cutter is specified by the outside diameter, length and the bore
size.
MILLING CUTTERS
At the end of this lesson you shall be able to classify the cutters according to the.

The construction of the milling cutters

Direction of rotation of the cutters

Method of mounting the cutters

Direction of helix of the cutters.

Page No - 11

Milling cutters are classified according to their construction, direction of rotation, method of
mounting and direction of helix of the cutter. This classification is very essential for selecting
the cutters for day-to-day work.
CONSTRUCTION OF CUTTERS
Solid cutters (Fig 1)
Fig l
The solid type of cutter is made from a single piece of steel. Normally
cutters of small sizes are made. The bigger size cutters, made from a
single piece, are very expensive'. If they break or get damaged, the
cutters cannot be used.

Inserted tooth cutters (Fig 2)

Fig 2
In large milling cutters the teeth are inserted in a body of less
expensive material. The cutting teeth are made from a material
harder and more durable than that used for the body. The teeth are
made generally from high speed steel or tungsten carbide. Because
of this construction, the cost of the cutter is less. The body of the cutter is used indefinitely,
and the teeth, if broken, can be replaced. This type is normally used for large cutters.
Brazed-on tip cutters (Fig 3)

Fig 3

These cutters are also called tipped solid cutters. In this type of cutters,
carbide tips are brazed on to a solid cutter body. Due to this the
construction cost of the cutter is reduced.
Direction of rotation of the cutters
A cutter which rotates to the right (clockwise), as viewed from the spindle or rear side, is said
to be right hand, and inversely, a left hand cutter is one that rotates to the left (anticlockwise)
when viewed from the spindle of the machine.
Page No - 12

A cutter does not always rotate in the direction as shown in figure 4. If the cutter is turned
end-for-end on the arbor, thus reversing the position of the tooth, (Fig 5) the rotation would
have to be reversed and a right hand cutter would be changed to left hand because the
'hand' is determined by the direction of rotation only.
Fig 4

Fig 5

METHODS OF MOUNTING THE CUTTERS

Arbor type cutter (Fig 6)
Fig 6
These cutters have a central bore with keyways. These are
mounted on the arbor. According to the size of the cutter bore, the
arbor size is selected

Facing type cutters (Fig 7)

These cutters are either bolted or attached directly to the spindle, or secured on the

stub

arbor.

Page No - 13

Shank type cutters (Fig 8)

Fig8
These cutters are with straight or taper shank with cutter body.
Collect chucks or adapters are used for holding this type of cutters

Direction of helix of the cutter

The teeth (cutting edge) of a cutter may be either straight or follow a helix. If the cutter axis is
held vertically and the helix is towards the right side it is called a right hand helix cutter ,and if
the helix is towards the left side, it is called a left hand helix cutter

The
force

helix

angle generates a

directed along the cutter axis during cutting and a

reaction to this force in the work piece.

When a cutter has a helix and a cut of the same hand, the force will pull the cutter away from
the spindle. (Fig 11) when the helix and cut are of opposite
hands, the force will press the cutter into the spindle. (Fig
12) As a consequence, cutters having a helix and a cut of
the same hand can only be safely used when they are
positive!' attached to the spindle. The frictional hold of a
taper is inadequate in this situation.
CUTTER
PULLS AWAY FROM SPINDLE
Fig 11 LEFT HAND HELIX - LEFT HAND CUT

Fig 12

Page No - 14

When mounting a cuter on the arbor of a milling

machine it is particularly important that the hands of
the cut and the helix are checked.

CUTTER PUSHED TOWARDS SPINDLE

Fig 12 LEFT HAND HELIX - RIGHT HAND CUT
SIDE AND FACE CUTTERS
At the end of this lesson you shall be able to
identify the different types of side and face milling cutters and their uses.
These cutters differ from plain milling cutters due to the fact that they have teeth on the
periphery and face.
These cutters are mainly used for step milling, slot milling and straddle milling. These
cutters are available from 50 to 100 mm in diameter and the width of the cutters ranges from
5 to 32 mm.
TYPES OF SIDE AND FACE MILLING CUTTERS
Half side milling cutter (Fig 1)
Cutters with teeth on one side only are called
half side milling cutters and are used for heavy
straddle milling, and for machining one side only.

Plain side and face milling cutter (Fig 2)

Side and face milling cutters with teeth on both the
sides are known as plain side and face milling cutters
and are used for slot cutting (Fig 3) and face milling.
These cutters are also used for straddle milling. (Fig 4)

Page No - 15

Staggered teeth side milling cutter (Fig 5)

These cutters have alternate teeth
with opposite helix angles. Due to this
design, the chip space increases to a great
extent. These cutters are used for milling
deep and narrow slots or keyways.
Interlocking side milling cutter (Fig 6)
This cutter is formed out of two half
side milling cutters or two staggered teeth
side milling cutters. They are made to
interlock to form one unit. The teeth of the
two cutters may be plain or of alternate
helix. The cutters are used for milling
wider slots of accurate width. The width of
the cutter can be varied by inserting
spacers between the two halves of the
cutter.
The width of the cutter ranges from 10 to 32 mm with the diameters ranging from 50 to
200 mm. The width of the cutter may be adjusted to the max. of 4 mm. The interlocking
cutters can be adjusted to compensate for the wear, and get sharpened as well

ROUGH AND FINISH MILLING

At the end of this lesson you shall be able to

Page No - 16

 Statethe purpose of rough milling and finish milling

State the relationship of cutting speed, feed and depth of cut in rough and finish milling
State the quality of surface finish possible in milling
In most of the milling operations, there is a need to remove surplus material before
taking a finishing cut to bring the work piece to the required dimension and surface finish.
This is called 'rough milling. The amount of material left for a finishing cut is called finishing
allowance.

FINISHING
ALLOWANCE

The object of rough milling is to remove this excess material in the

shortest possible time, and it is not concerned with the quality of the
surface finish.

Feed, depth of cut, cutting speed

Rough milling is done by using heavy feed, a
depth of cut of from 3 to 6 mm and low cutting
Page No - 17

speed. (Fig 3) If the cutting speed is too high, it will be too great a strain on the teeth of the
cutter, perhaps causing them to break.

Heavy feed and depth of cut in rough milling depends on

The rigidity of the machine

The rigidity of the work piece

The strength of the cutter teeth

The power available (rating of the motor).

Finish milling
The purpose of finish milling is to bring the
work piece to the required dimension and
surface finish. (Fig 4) In order to achieve
the required accuracy and surface finish,
the smallest possible amount of material,
usually 0.5 to 1 mm material is removed.
(Fig 5)
If it is less than this amount, the cutter may
tend to slide over the surface resulting in
poor accuracy and finish. Also the cutter
may wear out quickly. .
Finish milling is carried out using a
relatively high cutting speed and fine feed
to get good surface, finish of the work piece.
The quality of accuracy and finish in milling depends on:
-

The accuracy of the machine

End Mill Cutters

At the end of this lesson you shall be able to
State the different types of end mill cutters and their uses
State the application of slot mill cutters
State the different types o1 methods of holding end mill cutters
State the influence of down milling and up milling in end mill cutters.

Page No - 18

End mill cutters

End mill cutters have the cutting teeth on the end as well* as on the periphery, and are fitted
to the spindle by a suitable adapter. The end mill is used for milling small faces, slots, for
milling profiles (Fig 2) and milling recesses. (Fig 3) Some end mills have indexable inserts
which can be replaced when worn out. (Fig 4)

End mill cutters are solid type of cutters in which the shank and the cutters are integral.
(Fig 5)
End mill cutters have straight shank (Fig 5) or taper shank (Fig 6).

End mill cutters are solid type of cutters in which

the shank and the cutters are integral (Fig5)

End mill cutters have straight shank (Fig5) or

taper

shank (Fig 6)

Page No - 19

Slot drills
The two-flute type (Fig 7) is called a slot drill. The slot drills have flutes which meet at the
cutting end, forming two cutting tips across the bottom. These tips are of different lengths,
one extending beyond the central axis of the cutter. This permits the slot drill to be used in a
milling machine for drilling a hole to start a slot that does not extend to the edge of the metal.
It is used for plunge milling like keyways etc.

Fig 7
MILLING PROCESSES
At the end of this lesson you shall be able to
state the different milling processes.
Although the majority of operations performed on a knee and column type machine are either
plain milling or side milling, several other operations or combinations of operations may be
performed too.

Plain or slab milling (Fig 1)

It is the production of a horizontal flat surface
parallel to the axis of the milling machine.
(Fig 1) The workpiece is held in a vice or
fixture, or fastened directly on to the table.

Page No - 20

Side milling (Figs 2 a & b)

It is the process of machining a vertical flat surface perpendicular to the axis of the milling machine
arbor. This'operation is performed by the combined action of the peripheral and side teeth on a side
and facing cutter.
Fig 2

Face milling
It is done to produce a flat surface perpendicular to the spindle axis of the machine. This is
done by means of a face milling cutter mounted on the vertical milling machine spindle. (Fig
3) Face milling may also be done in a horizontal milling to produce vertical flat surfaces. (Fig
4)

Fig 3

Fig 4

End milling (Fig 5)

It is an operation similar to face milling but done using much
smaller cutter. Cutting is done on the end of 1 cutter as well as
on the periphery. This operation is used
for facing small surfaces, milling slots or grooves, producing
internal recesses and for truing the edges of a workpiece.
UP-MILLING AND DOWN-MILLING
The two operating procedures are distinguished by the directions in which the teeth of the
cutter and the feed of the workpiece move.
Up-cut milling
The most commonly used method of is to bring the work against the direction of the cutter.
This is otherwise known as convention milling. This is the most commonly used method.
Page No - 21

In up-milling the removal of chip by each cutting edge starts at

the thinnest part of the chip (a) and progresses to the thickest part.
The cutting edge slides in the material before it starts to cut. This
scraping causes good deal of heat and wear on the cutter. As the
cutter teeth emerge from the material, the accumulated cutting
forces are suddenly released

The cutter and workpiece suddenly spring apart, t machine chatters, and the material
surface is flawed ripples. The spindle for the milling is tensioned in t direction of the feed. The
forces involved are taken up the flank of the thread in contact
ADVANTAGES
-

Up-cut milling is feasible on any milling machine. The hard skin of a casting is
machined off from underneath.

The cutter first penetrates the less hard layer within.

Chances of cutter breakage are less.

DISADVANTAGES
-

The workpiece tends to get lifted.

The scraping process makes tool service intervals short.

It is at a maximum force while the metal chip is being milled off.

Down-cut milling
In down milling or climb milling the feed moves in the
same direction as the rotation of the cutter.

In this method, chip removal starts at the thickest

part. The cutter cuts into the material straightway and does
not slide. As a result less heat is developed and there is
less wear on the cutter.

Page No - 22

In this method, the workpiece is pressed down on

the worktable by the cutting pressure and thus prevents
the workpiece from lifting. This is an advantage,
especially when milling long work pieces.
Because in climb-milling the cutter is pulling the
workpiece, It. should only be carried out on a machine
having a 'backlash eliminator'. ' This is because the backlash eliminator takes up any
clearance in the feed drive mechanism and prevents the work from being pulled along.

If down milling is tried on a machine without a backlash

eliminator, the workpiece will move along in a series of
jerks resulting in very poor finish and even breakage of the
cutter
ADVANTAGES
-

The service of the cutter is comparatively longer.

The cutting rates are higher.

DISADVANTAGES.
There are restrictions on using down-cut milling.
- As a tooth starts to cut, the cutter tends to climb.
- Play in the spindle thread causes the milling table to move jerkily.
- Displacing the table leads to more material being removed than is planned.
The consequence of the above are:
-

The cutter teeth break

The workpiece is damaged

There is risk of the workpiece being wrenched or pulled free.

This method is not recommended unless the machine table is fitted with a backlash
eliminator.
AGULAR MILLING CUTTERS
These cutters have teeth on the
periphery, and the cutting edges are placed
on a conical surface. Angular cutters have
teeth

that

are

neither

parallel

nor

perpendicular to the cutting axis. Angular

Page No - 23

milling cutters are made with a hole for use in horizontal milling, or with a shank for use in
both horizontal and vertical milling.
They may be divided into two groups.
Single angle milling cutters
These cutters have teeth on the angular surface, and may or may not have teeth on
the flat side. The included angle between the flat face and the angular face designa tes the
cutters, such as 45 or 60 angular cutter. They may be of the shell or shank type.

Single angle cutters are used to dovetail guide ways etc.

Equal angle milling cutters

These cutters have two intersecting angular surfaces with
cutting teeth on both. When these cutters have equal angles on
both sides of the line at right angle to the axis (symmetrical),
they are designated as per the size of the included angle such
as 45, 60 or 90. Double angle cutters have two cutting edges.
Double unequal angle cutter
When the angles formed are not the same (unsymmetrical), the cutters are designated by
specifying the angle on both sides of the plane or line.
These cutters are generally used for milling the flutes on taps or reamers. The cutters are
marked with the type of taps or reamers for which they should be used.
Slitting saw
It is basically a thin plain milling cutter. It has a large number of teeth. In order to prevent the
sides of the saw from rubbing or binding when in use, the sides are relieved or dished.
Slitting saws are made in widths of 0.3 to 6 mm. Because of the thin
cross-section, they should be operated at approximately one quarter
to one eighth of the feed per tooth used for the other cutters. For nonPage No - 24

ferrous metals, these speeds can be increased. Unless a special driving flange is used for
slitting saws, it is not advisable to key the saw to the milling arbor.

The arbor nut should be pulled up as tightly as possible by hand only. Since slitting saws are
so easily broken, some operators find it desirable to adopt climb or down-mill method when
sawing. However to overcome the play between the lead screw and nut, a backlash elimina tor should be engaged.
A slitting saw is specified by its outside diameter, bore diameter and thickness.
FORM MILLING CUTTERS
Form milling cutters have irregular profile on the cutting edges in order to generate an
irregular outline of the work. They are normally solid but, sometimes, may have in serted
teeth. Different types of standard form cutters are described below.
Convex milling cutter
These cutters have their teeth curved outwards on the Circumferential surface to form the
contour of a semicircle. Concave semi circular surfaces are produced with this cutter. (Fig 1)
The diameter of the cutter ranges from 50 to 125 mm and the radius of the semicircle ranges
from 1.6 to 20.0 mm. (Fig 2)

Fig1

Fig 2

Concave milling cutter

These cutters have their teeth curved inwards on the circumferential
surface to form the contour of a semicircle. Convex semicircular surfaces

Page No - 25

are produced with this cutter. The diameter of the cutter ranges from 56 to 110 mm and the
radius of the semicircle ranges from 1.5 to 20.0 mm.
Corner rounding milling cutter
The corner rounding milling cutters have their teeth curved inwards on
the circumferential surface to form t contour of a quarter circle. A convex
surface is produce with this cutter. This cutter-is used for cutting a radius
the corner or edges. It may be of either the shank or arbor type. Corner
rounding cutters are available with their tee placed on one side or both the sides.
The cutters are specified by the type, diameter width, radius of the form and bore size.

T - SLOT CUTTERS
T - slot cutters
These cutters are profile-sharpened side milling cutters ' with a
straight or taper shank. (Fig 1) They have staggered teeth and are
either solid or tipped in construction. Due to the staggered teeth
the chips are cleared without clogging.
The 'T' slot cutter is used to cut T shaped slots in machine tool worktables. Before cutting
the T slot, a narrow vertical groove is machined with an end mill or
a slot-milling cutter. This cutter can also be used to mill undercuts in
wider tied channels.
MILLING CUTTERS MATERIAL
The common materials used for the manufacture of milling cutters are:

Carbon steel

High speed steel

Sintered carbide

Ceramics

Industrial diamonds.

'

Carbon steel
This is used to produce cutters, which are used for machining non-ferrous materials. These
are cheap and are also of short life. While using these cutters, a cutting fluid must be used,
and low cutting speeds and feed rates should be maintained.
High-speed steel

Page No - 26

The high-speed steel cutters are the most widely used cutters in general shop work. The
composition of high-speed steel may vary. The wear, shock resistance and hardness
characteristics of these alloys make the cutters suitable for use in high-speed milling.
Standard high-speed cutters have 18% tungsten, 4% chromium and 1 % vanadium.
Sintered carbides
Tungsten carbide, cobalt and tantalum carbide are used for producing these cutters,
which are known as sintered carbide cutters.
To maintain a wide range of hardness, toughness and wear resistance, the
composition may be varied. These tools are expensive. These are used only as cutting tips
or edges fitted to low grade steel cutter bodies.

These tips are brazed or clamped on the cutter body. These are used where a high
rate of production is desired.
Ceramics
Ceramics are produced in the form of inserts, which are fitted to the cutter body.
These cutters bear high wear resistance but are very brittle. These are used for light, high
speed finishing cuts. These cutters are made from aluminum, silicon or magnesium oxides.
Diamonds
Industrial grade diamonds are mounted in steel shanks and lapped on to the cutting
edges. These cutters have a high wear resistance. These are used for precision-finishing
cuts in boring operations.
While using these cutters light cuts are to be taken at high speeds with a fine feed rate
CUTTING SPEED, FEED AND DEPTH OF CUT
The efficiency of a milling operation depends upon the cutting speed, feed and depth of cut.
If the cutter is run too slowly valuable time will be wasted, while excessive speed results in
loss of time in replacing and regrinding cutters. Somewhere between these two extremes is
the efficient cutting speed for the material being machined.
The rate at which the work is fed into the revolving cutters is important. If the work is
fed too slowly time will be wasted and chatter may occur which shortens the tool life of the
cutter. If the work is fed too fast, the cutter teeth can be broken. Much time will be wasted if
several shallow cuts are taken instead of one deep or roughing cut. Therefore speed, feed
and depth of cut are the three i important factors in any milling operation.
Cutting speed

Page No - 27

The cutting speed for a milling cutter is the speed at which .the cutting edge or tooth cuts into
the workpiece. It is expressed in meters per minute.
The following important factors must be considered when determining the proper revolutions
per minute at which to machine a metal.
Type of work material

Cutter material
.
Diameter of the cutter
Surface finish required
Depth of cut being taken
Rigidity of the machine and work set up

Since different types of metals vary in hardness, structure and machineability different cutting
speeds must be used for each type of metal and for various cutter materials.
The cutting speeds for the more common metals for HSS milling cutters are shown in Table
1.
Table 1

TABLE FOR SELECTING CUTTING SPEEDS FOR HIGH SPEED STEEL MILLING CUTTERS

In.
Material to be
machined

BHN

Shell

hardness end mill

End

S&F

Cylind.

Slot

Form

tooth

mill

cutter

Cutter

cutter

cutter

face
mill

Mild steel

150

20-30

20-30

15-25

15-25

15-25

30-45

20-30

Medium carbon steel

200

15-25

15-20

15-20

20-30

15-20

Page No
- 28
15-25
15-25

High carbon steel

300

10-15

10-15

10-15

12-20

10-15

13-20

13-20

Stainless steel

200

22-30

22-30

15-25

15-25

20-30

15-25

20-30

Malleable iron

160

15-22

15-22

15-20

15-20

20-30

15-20

18-25

Soft cast iron

180 max 15-20

15-25

,15-20

15-20

20-30

15-20

18-25

Hard cast iron

Over 180 13-17

10-15

10-15

10-15

10-25

10-15

13-17

40-60 " 40-60

30-45

30-45

70-90

30-45

50-60

Hard brass & hard

bronze
Soft brass & soft

40-60

40-60

25-35

25-35

70-90

25-35

40-50

Copper

30-45

30-45

30-45

30-45

70-90

25-35

50-60

Aluminum alloy

200-

200-

150-

200-

150-

300

300

300

300

250

bronze

150-300

200-40

WORK HOLDING DEVICES

It is necessary that the work should be put and securely held on the milling machine table
for effective machining operations The following are the usual methods of holding the work
on the tableT-bolts and clamps : Bulky work pieces of irregular shapes are clamped directly on the
milling machine table by using T-bolts and clamps. Different designs of , clamps are used for
different pattern of work.
Angle plates : When the work surfaces areas milled at right angles to another face. angles plates are used for support the work. The angle plate is bolted on the table and the work
piece is supports face by bolts and clamps. A tilting type angle; plate-in which one face can
adjusted relative to the other for milling at a required angle is also some times. A tilting type is
shown in Figure below.

Page No - 29

Tilting type angle 1, Degree graduation 2. Tightening bolt

V-blocks : The V-blocks are used for holding shafts on milling machine table in which
keyways, slots and flats are to be milled. The blocks are clamped on the machine table by
straps and bolts. V-blocks are provided with a tongue at its base which fits into the T-slot of
the table and prevents the block from any sideway movements.
Vises : Vises are the most common appliances for holding the work on milling machine table
due to its quick loading and unloading arrangement. There are mainly three types of vises
commonly used in milling machines. They are plain vise, swivel vise, and tool makers
universal vise.

Plain vise
1. Base 2. Fixed jaw 3,4. Jaw plates 5. Movable jaw
6. Screw 7. Square shank 8. Guides 9. Rib

Swivel vise

Universal vise

Swivel vise 1. Circular base 2. Fixed Jaw 3,4 Jaw plates 5. Movable jaw 6. Screw 7.Square
shank 8. Guides 9. Gib
Universal vise 1. Base 2...Fixed jaw 3, 4 Jaw plates 5. Movable jaw 6. Screw 7. Square
shank 8. Guides 9. Gib 10. Handle
Plain vise: The plain vise bolted directly on the milling machine table is the most common
type of machine vise used for plain milling operations. The vise may be

Page No - 30

fastened to the table with 'the jaws set either parallel or at right angles to the table T-slots.
Work is clamped between the fixed and movable jaw and for holding work pieces of irregular
shape special jaws are sometimes used.
Swivel vise : The swivel vise is used to mill an angular surface in relation to a straight
surface without removing the work from the vise. In construction, it may be considered as a
plain vise which is mounted on a circular base graduated in degrees. The base is clamped
on the table by means of T-bolts.
Tool makers universal vise : The universal vise can be swiveled in a horizontal plane
similar to a swivel vise and can also be tilted in any vertical position for angular cuts. The
vise not being rigid in construction is used mainly for too! room work.
Special fixtures : The fixtures are special devices designed o hold work for specific
operations more efficiently than standard work holding devices. Fixtures are specially useful
when large numbers of identical parts are being produced. By using fixtures loading,
clamping and unloading time is greatly minimised.

CALCULATION
DN
Cutting Speed V =

m/min
1000
V X 1000

N (r.p.m) =
3.1416 X D
Since only a few machines are equipped with a variable speed drive which allows them to be
set to the exe calculated speed, a simplified formula can be used calculate the revolution per
minute.
Then (3.1416) on the bottom line of the formula will divide the 1000 of the top line
approximately 320.times. This results in a simplified formula which is close enough' most
milling operations.
V (m) x 320
N (r.p.m.) =
D(mm)

Page No - 31

Where 'D' is the diameter of the cutter.

Example
Calculate the revolutions per minute required for 75mm high speed steel cutter when
cutting machine steel (V = 30 m/min.)
30 x 320
r.p.m. =

9600
=

75

= 128
75

Milling feeds and depth of cut

The two other factors which affect the efficiency of a milling operation are the milling FEED or
the rate at which the work is fed into the milling cutter and the DEPTH of CUT taken at each
pass.
Feed
Feed is the rate at which the work moves into revolving cutter. It is measured in millimeters
per mil (mm/min.)
The feed is expressed in milling machines by following three different methods.

Feed per tooth

Feed per tooth is defined by the 'distance the work
advances in the time between engagement by two
successive teeth. It is expressed in mm/tooth of the
cutter. (Fig 2)
Feed per cutter revolution
Feed per cutter revolution is the distance the work advances in the time when the cutter runs
through one complete revolution. It is expressed in mm/revolution of the cutter.
Feed per minute
Feed per minute is defined by the distance the work advances in one minute. It is expressed
in mm/ minute.
The rate of feed has an effect on the life of the cutter. An increase in feed, using the same
cutting speed and depth of cut will reduce the amount of wear of the cutter.
In general-we can say that the:

Cutting speed should be reduced when feed is increased (Fig 3)

Page No - 32

Cutting speed should be increased when feed is reduced. (Fig 4)

The feed rate on a milling machine depends on a variety of factors such as:
o Width and depth of cut
o Type of cutter
o Sharpness of the cutter
o Work piece material
o Strength and uniformity of the work piece
o Type of finish and accuracy required
o Power and rigidity of the machine

CALCULATION
The formula used to find the work feed is
Feed mm/min (S) = N x Cpt x r.p.m.
Where N = number of teeth in milling cutter
Cpt = chip per tooth for a particular cutter
r.p.m. = Revolution per minute of the milling cutter.
Example 1
Calculate the feed in mm/min. for a 75, six-teeth helical carbide milling cutter when
machining a cast iron workpiece (V = 60 and Cpt = 0.18).
First calculate the r.p.m. of the cutter
60 x 320
r / min.=

= 256.
75

Feed (mm/min) = N x C.p.t x r.p.m. = 6x0.18x256 = 276.4 = 276

mm/min.
Depth of cut

Page No - 33

The depth of cut is the depth to which the cutter penetrates the workpiece surface during a
given cut. It is the perpendicular distance measured between the original and the final
surface of the workpiece
Where a smooth and accurate finish is needed, it is a good
practice to take roughing and finishing cuts. Roughing cuts
should be deep with a feed as heavy as the work and machine
will permit with low cutting speed Heavier cuts may be taken
with helical cutters having fewer teeth than with those having
many teeth Cutters with fewer teeth are stronger and have great
chip clearance than cutters with more teeth.
Finishing cuts should be light with a fewer and fin feed
than is used in roughing cuts. The depth of cut should be at
least 0.4 mm. Light cuts and extremely fine feeds are not
advisable, since the chip taken by each tooth will be thin and the
cutter will often rub the surface of the work.

When a fine finish

required, the feed should be reduced rather than the cutter speed;
more cutters are dulled by high speed than by high feeds.

GANG MILLING
Milling is done in different types of milling machines by a combination or gang of two or more
cutters mounted on one arbor. This is known as gang milling. It is not only a rapid method,
but also one conducive to uniformity when milting duplicate parts. Gang milling is applied in
various ways and to many different shapes of work. Figure 1 shows milling of 8 equally
spaced slots in rectangular strips. The gang of 8 cutters on the arbor not only mills slots
simultaneously, but also very accurately.

Fig 2
Gang milling is usually employed when duplicate pieces are milled in large quantities, and
Page No - 34
the application of this "method is unlimited.

Cutters
The form of a gang cutter and the number of cutters used depend altogether upon the shape
of the part to be milled.
Gang cutters are sometimes made by combining cylindrical and formed cutters for
producing irregular or intricate profile. When more than one helical type of cylindrical cutter is
mounted on one arbor for forming a gang mill, cutters having both right and left hand helical
teeth should be used, that is the teeth of one cutter should be used for cutting with right hand
helix and the teeth of the other with the left hand helix. (Fig 2) The reason why cutters of
opposite hands are used is to equalize the end thrust, the axial pressure caused by the
angular position of the teeth of one cutter being counteracted by a pressure in the opposite
direction from the other cutter.
Cutter diameter in gang milling
In selecting the cutters for a gang milling operation, it is advisable to use fairly large
cutters, if possible, in order to reduce the disproportion of the diameters.
For instance, when a 75 mm milling cutter is working in the same gang with a 150
mm cutter, the peripheral Speed has to be kept within the maximum speed capacity of the
larger cutter.

This means that the 75 mm size cutter is running much below the maximum peripheral
speed On the other hand, the feed is limited to the capacity of the 75 mm cutter
consequently, one cutter may be working one-half its maximum peripheral cutting speed,
where as the other is operating at one-half its feed capacity.
Now, if the diameter of the small cutters is 150 mm and that of the large one is 300
mm, the same form would I produced, because the difference between the radii the two
cutters is the same and the output would also I greatly increased.
The same principle applies in the use of dovetail cutters when the width of the dovetail
affords plenty of room a cutter of a large diameter
MILLING CUTTERS ELEMENTS
Milling cutters are multiple point cutting tools. They are made from cylindrical blanks
with the teeth formed by milling the chip space. (Fig 1) The number of teeth
Page so
No milled
- 35
depends on the diameter of the cutter as well as on the type of operation, namely roughing

and finishing. A roughing cutter will have less number of teeth as compared to a finishing
cutter of the same diameter.

Angle of a milling cutter

A milling cutter tooth is more or less identical to
that of a single point tool. (Fig 2)

The rake angle (a) of a milling cutter is the inclination of the tooth face F, and it is
measured from a line joining the centre of the cutter '0' and the tip of the tooth T. (Fig 3)
The clearance angle of a milling cutter is the relief given to the portion AB of the
cutter. (Fig 1) This clearance relief is given to form the cutting edge, and it avoids rubbing the
work piece while machining. It is given in' two stages. First it is ground to a small angle 9.
(Fig 3) and this angle Is called relief angle. This angle should be very small; (about 6) as
any increase in this angle would reduces the strength of the tooth. The portion TP of the
tooth up to which the relief angle extends is called the land
After the land, the tooth is further relieved to an angle 61 (Fig 3) and this angle is
called the primary clearance angle, which is about 15. The angle 92 (Fig 3) is called the
secondary clearance angle and this defines the shape of the chip space, which is also
called gash. The tooth of the chip space is radiused to help curling of the chips. (Fig 4) This
round portion of the chip space is called fillet.
It may be noted that the relief angle 6, primary clearance. angle 91 and secondary
Page No - 36
clearance 92 are all measured from a-tangent drawn at the tool tip T. (Fig 3)

Positive, zero and negative rake

The rake angle may be positive, zero

or

negative as shown in Fig 5.

The positive rake is used for general purpose, and is used specially for milling
materials which produce continuous chips. In the positive rake, the weakest point is
presented to cut first. (Fig 6a) The reaction forces tend to pull the cutter into the work (Fig 6b)
and the cutter forces tend to lift the workpiece. (Fig 6c) The positive rake cutting edges peal
the chip away from the work, and hence, there is a likelihood of breakage of cast iron parts,
especially those having thin and fragile sections.
A negative rake makes the tooth stronger and is suitable for roughing cuts. In the
negative rake, the strong area is presented to cut first. (Fig 7a) The reaction forces tend to
push the cutter away from the work (Fig 7b), and the cutter forces tend to push the work
against the fixture. (Fig 7c)

Page No - 37

The zero rake is ideal for milling material like cast iron, brass etc. which produce broken
chips
MILLING CUTTERS
Many types and sizes of cutters are available. The selection of an appropriate cutter for a
particular type of operation is very important.
Woodruff key cutters
These are similar in appearance to T slot
cutters. These cutters have cutting edges
on the periphery only. There are no side
teeth. (Fig 1)

They are used for milling semi-cylindrical keyways in shafts for woodruff key seats (Fig .2)

This cutter is provided with a shank which may be parallel or with Morse taper. These cutters
are either solid or tapered in construction. They can either be of the arbor or shank type.
Page No - 38
This cutter may have straight or staggered teeth.

Thread milling cutter

For milling the threads of specific form and size, thread milling cutters are used. Generally
acme and worm-threads are produced on the work piece by thread milling cutters.
Both parallel shank and taper shank thread milling cutters are available. (Fig 3)

Gear Cutter
These cutters are used to machine gear teeth by, milling.
These cutters having formed cutting edges reproduce the
shape of the cutter teeth on the gear blank. According to the
gear teeth profile the shape of the cutter teeth may be involute
or cycloid. These cutters are available in a very wide range of
sizes covering the various sizes of gear tooth

Sprocket cutters
These cutters are designed to cut the teeth of sprocket wheels, which are used in chain
drives, such as those found on bicycles and on machinery in general.

Spline cutters
These cutters are used to cut splines. They are marked with the type
and size of the spline that they should be used for.

Tap and reamer cutter

These cutters are used for producing grooves or flutes in
taps and reamers. These are the special type of double

Page No - 39

angle cutters. The point end of the tool is rounded and the tooth profile corresponds to the
type of groove that it is to produce.
Fly cutters
Fly cutters are single point tools having only one cutting edge. These tools
are held in various types of holders. These cutters are used to machine
shapes, which cannot be produced using standard milling cutters. These
are also used to mill flat surfaces, which are truly flat to a very high
standard of accuracy. This cutter is used in tool room and in emergency
when standard cutters are not available
Bolted cutters
The face milling cutters having no shank but one of a larger
diameter and they are bolted directly on to the nose of the spindle.
This cutter is used for face milling on large areas of the workpiece.
For utmost rigidity, this system is used. The cutter has a body with
slots and fixing devices for the cutting teeth which are fixed into the
body. The cutting teeth, which may be made of high speed steel or
carbide, can easily be replaced when worn out.

Recommended cutting fluids for various

metals
Material

Drilling

Reaming

Threading

Aluminium

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

Kerosene

Kerosene

Kerosene

Kerosene

Mineral oil

Lard oil

Turning

Milling

Soluble oil

Dry Soluble
oil
Lard oil

and

Mineral oil

Lard oil
Brass

Dry Soluble
oil

Dry ' Soluble

Soluble oil

oil

Lard oil

Soluble oil

Dry Soluble
oil

Kerosene &
lard oil

Page No - 40

Bronze

Dry Soluble
oil
Mineral oil
Lard oil

Cast iron

Copper

Soluble oil
Dry Soluble oil

Lard oil

Soluble oil

Dry Soluble
oil

Mineral oil

Mineral oil

Lard oil

Lard oil
Dry

Dry Air jet

Dry Soluble oil

Soluble oil

Mineral lard oil

Dry Soluble

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

oil

Lard oil

Lard oil

Dry Soda

Lard oil Soda

water

water
Lard oil

Sulphurized oil
Mineral lard oil

Dry Soluble

Dry Soluble

oil

oil

Soluble oil

Dry Soluble
oil

Mineral oil
Lard oil
Kerosene

Malleable
iron

Dry Soda water

Monel

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

metal

Lard oil

Lard oil

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

Steel
alloys

Steel
(machine)

Sulphurized oil Sulphurized oil

Mineral lard oil Mineral lard oil
Soluble oil
Sulphurised oil
Lard oil

Soluble oil

Sulphurized oil
Lard oil

Soluble oil

Mineral lard oil Mineral lard oil

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

(tool)

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

Soluble oil

Mineral lard
oil
Soluble pil

Soluble oil

Mineral lard
oil
Page No - 41

Soluble oil

Sulphurized oil Sulphurized oil

Mineral lard oil

water

Soluble oil

Mineral lard oil

Steel

Dry Soda

Lard oil

Sulphurized oil
Lard oil

Soluble oil

Soluble oil
Lard oil

Chemical cutting fluids can be used successfully for most of the above cutting operations.
When using chemical cutting fluids, it is advisable to follow the manufacturer's
recommendations for use and mixture.

MACHINING TIME FOR MILLING

Importance of machining time
Time means money. Any engineering product should be manufactured at the shortest
time possible to the required accuracy and quality. Machining time is one of the main factors
for cost estimation of a product. It is always good to plan how much time is needed for a
particular milling operation. This will also enable you to plan for the appropriate machine the
right type of cutters, selection of speed, feed etc. in order to save time and increase
productivity.
The total machining time depends on:
The length of the workpiece to be machined
The method of milling employed i.e. rough or finish milling
The size of the cutter.
Selection of a milling cutter should be such that the width of the job is covered by the cutter
in one pass. If the width of the workpiece is more than the width of the cutter, machining has
to be done by more than one pass. The total time therefore depends on the number of
passes also. The total time required to mill a surface for any milling operation is calculated
from the formula
Total travel of the cutter (L)
Total time for milling (th) =
Feed per revolution (S)
The total travel of the cutter 'L' is equal to l + la + lx
Where l = length of workpiece to be milled
la = run up travel of the cutter from start of cut to go to the full given depth
Ix = run over the minimum distance the cutter has to move away from the work after
Page No - 42

the
cut is taken.

Calculation of la (Fig 1)
By Pythagoras Theorem,
We have
where
d = cutter diameter
a = cutting depth

Calculation of 'U' (Fig 2)

Feed per tooth = Sz in mm
Feed for revolution S = Sz X Z mm
Feed for n revolutions u = Sz X Z X n
mm/min
Where
'U' = total feed per minute
Z = number of teeth of cutter
n = r.p.m. of the cutter.

Calculation of 'th'
CD == DEPTH = 'a'
OB = RADIUS OF CUTTER = d/2
BC = AD = la

Page No - 43

To determine the milling time, the total travel of the cutter L is calculated and it is
equal to l + la + lx where I is the length of work, la is the run up to be calculated as
equal to a (d - a) and Ix will be the known value.
Example.
A milling cutter of 80 mm diameter has nine teeth. It is to mill a 240 mm long workpiece. The
run over is 4 mm and the depth of cut is 5 mm. A cutting speed of 12 metres / min. and feed
per tooth of 0.15 mm have been selected. Determine the milling time.

Page No - 44

INDEXING
What is indexing?
It is an operation of dividing the circumference^ of a workpiece
into equally spaced divisions for milling gears, splines, squares,
cutting of flutes in reamers, etc.
The indexing head is also used to rotate the workpiece at a
predetermined ratio to the table feed rate to produce cams, helical
grooves etc.,
This operation is performed on a milling machine by means of an indexing attachment
which is called as indexing head or the dividing head.
TYPES OF INDEXING HEADS
The most common types of indexing heads are
Direct indexing head
Simple indexing head
Universal indexing head.

DIRECT INDEXING
Purpose of direct indexing

Page No - 45

Direct indexing is a rapid method of indexing. It is used where a large number of identical
pieces are indexed by very small number of divisions. Usually, this type of indexing can be
performed on a direct indexing head.
Principle of direct indexing
Direct indexing may be employed whenever the number of divisions required can be divisible
without remainder into the number of holes or slots in the direct index plate.

Direct indexing mechanism

It consists of a housing, a spindle with a driving
lug and an indexing crank. The rear of the
housing is fitted with a flat index plate which
has a number of holes spaced around the
circumference of the circles of different radii.
The number of holes varies from circle to
circle. The index plate usually has three circles
of holes with 24,30, 36 holes respectively
Another type of index plate (Fig 6), which is having
a number of slots (ie.24 or 30 or 36 slots) on the
periphery of the index plate, is fitted to the front
end of the spindle nose. The spindle is rotated by
hand and locked by a pin.
The handle of the indexing crank, which
can be moved radially, is fitted with a spring-loaded index pin. The index pin engages with
the holes in the indexing plate,
While indexing, the pin is taken
out from the index plate hole. The
spindle is rotated by the crank and
after the required position is reached,
it is again locked by the pin. The work
piece can be set up in a chuck on the
indexing head spindle or between

Page No - 46
centres using the indexing head and a matching tailstock. For centre work, any suitable

carrier may be used to engage the work pieces with the driving lug on the indexing head
spindle. (Fig 7)
Formula
The formula for indexing is given below.
No. of holes in the index plate
Index crank movement =
No. of divisions required

Example
If six slots are to be machined and the 30 circles located
No. of index crank movement
No. of holes in the index plate

30
=

No. of divisions required

= 5
6

The pin is inserted in every fifth hole of the 30 hole circle.

All divisions that are exactly divisible by 360

can also be obtained -180, 120, 90, 60, 45, 30
and 15. This indexing can also be performed by
simple indexing head by disengaging the worm from
the worm wheel. (Fig 8)

PLAIN OR SIMPLE INDEXING

Purpose of simple indexing
Simple indexing is used to obtain a greater number of divisions that cannot be
obtained by direct indexing. This operation may be performed in both simple and universal
dividing heads.
Principle of simple indexing
It is carried out using 40:1 ratio of the worm and worm-wheel mechanism. One
rotation of the worm, rotates the worm-wheel spindle 1 /
Page No - 47

40 of a complete turn. A fractional part of 1/40 of the revolution of the worm wheel can be
pefformed by using the index plate.
Simple Indexing Mechanisum
The simple indexing mechanism consists of a 40 tooth worm wheel fastened to the
spindle, a single start worm, a crank for turning the work shaft and an index plate and sector.

The worm wheel is keyed to the spindle shaft, and meshes with the worm shaft.
When the worm is given one complete tu rn, the worm wheel advances one tooth or, as it
has 40 teeth it will revolve 1/40 of a revolution. In other words, 40 turns of the index crank
will make the spindle revolve one complete revolution.
To facilitate indexing to fraction of a turn, index plates are used to cover practically all
the numbers.

Index Plate
The index plate is mounted behind the index crank. It is a circular plate provided with a
circle of holes representing different divisions of the circle. The object of these plates is to
allow the worm to be moved a fractional part of a turn.
The two systems in common use are the Brown and
Sharpe index system and the Cincinnati index plate system.
Brown and Sharpe index plate system

Index Plates
The Brown and Sharpe system has three index plates and each plate has six circles of holes.
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
With the three index plates, simple indexing can be used for all divisions up to 50, even
numbers up to 100, except 96.
Cincinnati index plate system
The Cincinnati system uses one index plate with eleven circles of holes on each
Pageside.
No - The
48
plate is reversible and . this gives twenty two circle of holes.

FIRST SIDE PLAIN

24,25,28,30,34,37,38,39,41, 42, 43
SECOND SIDE PLAIN
46,47,49,51.53,54,57,58,59,62, 66

Index crank (Fig 3)

The index crank is fitted to the end of the worm-shaft. The
crank carries a spring-loaded index pin to engage the hole
in the plate.
The crank is rotated by withdrawing the knob,
turning the crank around a selected circle of holes and
releasing the knob to engage the pin in the required hole.
Fig 3
Sector arms (Fig 4)
There are two sector arms which fit on the face of th<
index plate. The arms can be set apart to covera requirec
number of holes between them.
Adjustment is made by slackening the lock screws
moving the arms to the desired setting and re-tightening the
screws to lock the arm in position.The arms eliminate the need
for counting the number of holes each time the crank has to be turned by

a set

number of divisions.
Formula for simple indexing
40

Index crank movement =

N
'N' is the number of divisions required.

Example
Find the number of turns of the crank required to index 12 divisions.

Page No - 49

complete

turns

and 1/3 of a turn for each division.

To index the fractional part of a turn, select an index plate which has a circle of holes
exactly divisible by the denominator of the fraction. In this case 3-Assuming that a plate is
chosen having a circle of holes equal to 24, then the number of holes that the index pin
would have to move for 1/3 of a turn would be

Each-

division would require three complete turns of the

index crank and 8 holes on the 24 hole circle.

Example
Find the number of turns of the index crank for indexing 43 holes.

In this case a partial turn of the crank for each division is only required. A circle having
43 holes is available, so that for each division, the index crank is turned 40 holes in the 43hole circle.
ANGULAR INDEXING
It is often necessary to index for a certain number of degrees as when machining,
keyways, grooves, flats or other features located at angles to each other. (Fig 1)
Angular indexing can be carried out using a simple indexing head equipment.

Examples Of Angular Indexing

Principle
Most indexing heads require 40 turns of the crank to rotate the spindle once.
One revolution of the spindle =360 degrees or 40 turns of the crank.
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If the crank is turned once, the spindle rotates 1/40 of a turn and 1/40 of 360 is 360/40 = 9
degrees. (Fig 2)

It follows that 1/9 turn of the crank will give a spindle movement of 1 degree.

That is 13 complete turns and 5/9 of a turn. This is obtained by setting an index plate
with a circle of holes divisible by 9 and setting the sector arms of 5/9 of a turn.
If a, 18 hole circle is used

Then T = 13 turns +10 holes of the 18 holes in the circle. (Fig 3)

Indexing in minutes
One revolution of the crank gives a spindle movement of 9 and to convert the
degrees into minutes multiply by 60. 9 = 9 x 60 = 540 minutes.
The number of turns of crank
is

found by dividing the angle to

be

indexed in minutes
byNo
540.
Page
- 51

3 complete turns plus 28 spaces in the 27-hole circle will give an index angle of 34 40'.

LINEAR INDEXING
What is indexing?
The operation of producing accurate spaces on a piece of flat stock or that of linear
graduating is easily accomplished on the horizontal milling machine.
Process of linear indexing
In this process the work may be clamped to the table or held in a vice, depending on the
shape and size of the part. Care must be taken to align the workpiece parallel with the table
travel.
To produce an accurate longitudinal movement of the table, the dividing head spindle
is geared to the lead screw of the milling machine.
If the dividing head spindle and the lead screw on the milling machine were connected
with gears with equal number of teeth and the index crank tuned one revolution, the spindle
and lead screw on a metric milling machine would revolve 1/5th(one fifth) of a revolution.
If the lead screw of a metric milling machine had a pitch of 5 mm, one turn of the index
crank would move the table one-fortieth of 5 mm or 0.125 mm. Therefore it would require
four complete turns on the index crank to move the table 0.5 mm.

Page No - 52

The formula for calculating the indexing for linear graduations in millimeters is
N/0.125.
For a small movement of the table, such as 0.025 mm, apply the formula 0.025/0.125 =1/5
turn or 5 holes on a 25 hole circle.
Other suitable movements may be obtained by using the appropriate hole circle
and/or different change gears.

The point of the tool bit used for graduating is generally ground to "V shape, although
other special forms may be desired. The tool is mounted vertically in a suitable arbor, which
is of sufficient length to extend the tool bit over the workpiece.
The uniformity of the length of the lines is controlled by the accurate movement of the
cross-feed hand wheel or by stops suitably mounted on the ways of the knee
When graduating is done, the starting point on the workpiece is positioned under the
point of the stationary, vertical tool bit. The work is moved clear of the tool by the cross-feed
hand wheel and the proper depth is set by means of the vertical feed crank. The table is then
locked in place. For a uniform width of lines to be maintained, the work must be held
absolutely flat and the table height must never be adjusted.
For inch graduations such as 1/64", 1/32", 1/16", 1/8" divisions methods of finding out
the indexing movement is:
If the pitch of the Lead screw = 5 mm the division to be graduated = 1/64"
Therefore table movement for one revolution = 1/40 x 5/25.4 = 1/203.2.
Therefore indexing movement
= 1/64/1/203.2
7
= 1/64 x 2032/10 = 127/40 = 3
40
40)7(0
0
7)40(5
35
5)7(1
5
2)5(2
4
1)2(2
2
0

1 0

0 1

17 40-

2< 2
Page No - 53

Therefore Indexing movement = 3 full turn, 3 holes in 17 hole circle.

Page No - 54