ADVANCED COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND

MANAGEMENT
Kupandole, Lalitpur

REPORT TITLE: MILLING MACHINE

SUBMITTED BY: SUBMITTED TO:
NAME: PRADIP PATHAK MR.SANJIV KARKI
ROLL: ACE075BEL009
SECTION: BEL
Contents

1. Milling Introduction
2. Types of Milling Machine
 Horizontal Milling Machine
 Vertical Milling Machine
3. Milling process
 Milling Cutter
 Surface Finish
 Gang Milling
4. Industrial Applications
5. Methods of Milling
 Single Piece Milling
 String Milling
 Index Milling
 Copy Milling
 Gang Milling
 Reciprocal Milling
6. Milling Set Up
 Clean Surfaces
 Load Tool
 Load Part
 X,Y axis’s Offsetting
 Z axis Offsetting
 Cutter Radius Compensation
 Coolant or Cutting Oil
 Cycle Start
7. Advantages of Milling Machine
8. Disadvantages of Milling Machine
9. Safety
Introduction:
Milling is the process of machining using rotary cutters to remove material by
advancing a cutter into a workpiece. This may be done varying direction on one or
several axes, cutter head speed, and pressure. Milling covers a wide variety of
different operations and machines, on scales from small individual parts to large,
heavy-duty gang milling operations. It is one of the most commonly used processes
for machining custom parts to precise tolerances.
Milling can be done with a wide range of machine tools. The original class of
machine tools for milling was the milling machine (often called a mill). After the
advent of computer numerical control (CNC) in the 1960s, milling machines evolved
into machining centers: milling machines augmented by automatic tool changers,
tool magazines or carousels, CNC capability, coolant systems, and enclosures.
Milling centers are generally classified as vertical machining centers (VMCs) or
horizontal machining centers (HMCs).
The integration of milling into turning environments, and vice versa, began with live
tooling for lathes and the occasional use of mills for turning operations. This led to a
new class of machine tools, multitasking machines (MTMs), which are purpose-built
to facilitate milling and turning within the same work envelope.
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 usual
Mill consists basically of a motor driven spindle, which mounts and revolves the
milling cutter, and a reciprocating adjustable worktable, which mounts and feeds the
workpiece.

Milling machines are basically classified as vertical or horizontal. These machines

are also classified as knee-type, ram-type, manufacturing or bed type, and planer-
type. Most milling machines have self-contained electric drive motors, coolant
systems, variable spindle speeds, and power-operated table feeds.
The milling machines are also known as the multi-tasking machines (MTMs) which
are multi-purpose machines capable of milling and turning the materials as well. The
milling machine has got the cutter installed up on it which helps in removing the
material from the surface of the work piece. When the material gets cooled down
then it is removed from the milling machine.   

Fig.1: milling machine

Types of Milling Machines 

The two main configurations of the milling machining operations are the types of
milling machines. These are the vertical mill and the horizontal mill. They are further
discussed below:

Vertical Milling Machine

The vertical mill has a vertically arranged spindle axis and rotate by staying at the
same axis. The spindle can also be extended and performing functions such as
drilling and cutting. Vertical mill has got two further categories as well: turret mill and
bed mill.
The turret mill has got a table that moves perpendicularly and parallel to the spindle
axis in order to cut the material. The spindle is, however, stationary. Two cutting
methods can be performed with this by moving the knee and by lowering or raising
the quill.
The other is the bed mill in which the table moves perpendicular to the axis of the
spindle and the spindle moves parallel to its axis.
Horizontal Milling Machine
The horizontal mill is also the similar cutter but their cutters are placed on a
horizontal arbor. A lot of horizontal mills have got rotary tables that help in milling in
various angles. These tables are called the universal tables. Apart from this all the
tools that are used in a vertical mill can also be used in the horizontal mill.
Milling Process
The milling machine involves the following processes or phases of cutting:

Milling Cutters
There are a lot of cutting tools used in the milling process. The milling cutters named
end mills have special cutting surfaces on their end surfaces so that they can be
placed onto the work piece by drilling. These also have extended cutting surfaces on
each side for the purpose of peripheral milling. The milling cutters have small cutters
at the end corners. The cutters are made from highly resistant materials that are
durable and produce less friction.

Surface Finish
Any material put through the cutting area of the milling machine gets regular
intervals. The side cutters have got regular ridges on them. The distance between
the ridges depends on the feed rate, the diameter of the cutter and the quantity of
cutting surfaces. These can be the significant variations in the height of the surfaces.

Gang Milling 
This means that more than two milling cutters are involved in a setup like the
horizontal milling. All the cutters perform a uniform operation or it may also be
possible that the cutter may perform distinct operations. This is an important
operation for producing duplicate parts.
Industrial Application
1. Vertical Milling Machines Provide Precision Carving For Industrial
Metalworking Applications.
2. Mill Drills Are Used For Machining Parts To Precise Sizes And Shapes In
Industrial Metalworking Applications.
Methods of Milling

Given below are few of the most commonly used milling methods in the
manufacturing industry. This list is certainly not exhaustive but only indicative of the
wide variety of uses that a milling machine can be put to in the industry.

Single piece milling – this method is used for milling a single job work which is held
on the milling machine. It is important to note that the piece has to be worked in a
single machine cycle for it to be classified under this category of milling methods.
String milling–It is quite similar to single piece milling but the only difference being
that instead of a single piece there are several parts which is simultaneously fixed
and are worked upon.

Index milling–It refers to a special kind of milling operation wherein the machine is

set to perform identical operations on a work piece. Each of these identical
operations is performed one after the other by indexing the work piece into a new
position. A very good example of such a process is the gear cutting operation
wherein the gear grooves are cut in succession one after the other.

Copy milling–The technique refers to where a design or cut is difficult to make by

itself, hence it is first made in the form of a master template which is turn is used to
guide the tool path. Hence basically the template acts as an original from which the
other parts are copied just like you would photocopy a document from an original
paper in the Xerox machine.
Gang milling–It refers to the situation when a gang or group of cutters is used to
simultaneously work on the work piece in order to produce the desired shape

Reciprocal milling–It refers to the process wherein the time taken to load and
upload the job work from the fixture on the milling table is minimized by utilizing two
fixtures which are ready at the same time for milling one after the other.
There are several other types of milling methods apart from these and each of these
methods have their own unique features. The reader is advised to refer to any good
textbook of Production Technology in case he/she is interested to gain advanced
knowledge about this area of manufacturing technology.

Milling Set Up

Now come to the setting up machine, although every CNC Milling machine set-up
procedure is slightly different, but here are explained these generic steps which cnc
machinists practice on a daily basis for a 3 axis vertical CNC Milling machine.
Clean Surface: Clean all surfaces like table, vise jaws and part (work piece) with
cloth, so that no oil drops, material chips remain there.
Load Tool: Load tools required to complete part (including edge finder, vise
leveling at 0 degree).

Load Tool CNC Mill

Load Part: Load part (work piece) in vise or hold your part (work piece) with your
machine holding arrangements.
X,Y axis’s Offsetting: Set the part (work piece) offset. For this purpose you may
use edge finder or you can do it with your End Mill Cutter (if you are using end mill
cutter for tool offset, then read Tool Offset Article). First do the zero offset for the
X axis. Pick up the X0 position by using edge finder. Go to the zero offset page
and add the machine absolute X value to the value currently in the zero offset
page’s registry. Do the same for the Y axis.
Z axis Offsetting: After X,Y axis’s offsetting set the tool length offset for each tool
by loading first tool in spindle. Manually move the Z axis down until the tool’s tip is
near the Z0 position. Get a piece of 1.00 mm shim stock (always use any fix size
of shim like 1 mm, 2 mm or 5 mm ) and hold it between the part (work piece) and
the tip of the tool. Carefully lower the Z axis in 0.001 mm increments until the shim
stock can be pulled with a slight drag. Go to your tool length offset page and enter
the machine’s absolute Z value plus -1.00 mm in the tools registry. Repeat
procedure to additional tools. Note: -1.00 mm is added for the shim stock’s
thickness.
Cutter Radius Compensation: Enter each tool diameter in tool length offset
page. That will be helpful when you are using Cutter Radius Compensation in
your program.
Coolant or Cutting Oil: Adjust coolant lines because coolant can properly cool
tools and wash chips away, and most important coolant will increase the cutter
life.
 Adjust coolant lines
Cycle start: Put the machine in low feed, activate single block and then press
cycle start. Be careful and read every block programmed and watch each
movement the machine makes ready to stop the machine in case there are any
programming errors. (You could also run the program 10 mm or whatever above
the part (work piece) to make sure everything is good and use Dry Run if you feel
it necessary.)

Advantages of milling machine

Milling machines are widely used in manufacturing industries .It is now much famous
or giving quality output due to use of cnc type machines. Below are some
advantages of milling machines

1. Metal is removed at high speed and it can be controlled and rotated also.

2. It is possible to cut metal with more than one cutter.

3. It can be movable in different angles while cutting.

4. It gives wide range of applications due to its cnc involvement.

5. It is giving more accuracy results while finishing of machines.

Disadvantages of milling machine

1. Not good at cutting radial cuts.

 2. Machinery takes up a lot of space.

3 .Mills are very expensive to purchase and maintain.

4. Uses a lot of electricity.

5. The competency of the operator in reading the instructions and controlling the
levers must is compulsory.

6. Milling takes skill to use accurately.

7. The starting amount of installation and maintenance at large scale is not as much
economical as it could be.

8. The work-piece that can be dealt with the milling machine is not as larger as
should be practiced with that.

9. High cutting temperatures are generated in the milling cutters.

10. Cannot be used for hot rolled steel and castings.

Safety

1. No one should enter the machine enclosure while the machine is running. The
door should be closed and the guards in place.
2. When loading or unloading a tool, the machinist should enter the machining
area, open the door, complete the change, close the door, and exit the area
completely before powering up and restarting the machine.
3. A machine should never be run when there is only one person in the shop.
4. Everyone in the shop should be familiar with how to stop the machine in the
case of an emergency.
5. Implementing a safety contract—like this sample from HSMworks—for all
personnel to read and sign as understood will not eliminate all liability, but it will bring
home the seriousness of practicing safety on the shop floor.
6. Make sure that the piece to be worked is properly clamped and secured within
the machine. Considering the speed and force with which CNC mills operate,
improper clamping can lead to serious accidents and injuries.
7. If you are running a new piece on the machine, run it at a slower speed in
order to make sure that the tool heads and the work piece are properly positioned .