1Chapter-2 Milling Machine and Milling Processes - (12 marks)

Introduction:-

• Milling is a metal cutting operation in which the excess material from the work piece is
removed by the rotating multipoint cutting tool called milling cutter.

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

• One or more cutter mounted on milling machine.

• The application of milling machine include machining of flat or angular surfaces, slots,
key ways, grooves, gears, contoured surfaces, cavities, and a variety of other operations.

Principle of operation:-

 The working principle shown in figure. The work piece is rigidly clamped on the
table with the help of bolts and T-slots. While the cutter is mounted on arbor or
spindle.
 The cutter rotate at high speed and the work is fed slowly against the rotating cutter to
remove the material.

Classification of Milling Machines:-

A) Column & Knee type Horizontal milling machine

1) Plain milling machine

2) Vertical milling machine
3) Universal milling machine

B) Fixed Bed Type milling Machine:-

 In bed type machines, the worktable is mounted directly on the bed, which replaces the
knee, and can move only longitudinally.
 1. Simplex milling Machine (spindle travel only in one direction.)

2. Duplex milling Machine (spindle travels both vertical and horizontal directions.)

3. Triplex milling Machine (spindle can move in all three directions along X, Y, and Z-
axis.)

C) Planer type milling machine

D) Special purpose milling machine

1. Tracer controlled milling machine

2. Thread milling machine
3. CNC milling machine

Basic parts of Column & Knee type Horizontal milling machine

Column & Knee type Horizontal milling machine

• The main part of machine is base, Column, Knee, Saddle, Table, Overarm, Arbor Support
and Elevating Screw.
1. Base: It gives support and rigidity to the machine and also acts as a reservoir for the cutting
fluids.
2. Column: The column is the main supporting frame mounted vertically on the base. The
column is box shaped, heavily ribbed inside and houses all the driving mechanisms for the
spindle and table feed.
3. Knee: The knee is a rigid casting mounted on the front face of the column. The knee moves
vertically along the guide ways and this movement enables to adjust the distance between the
cutter and the job mounted on the table. The adjustment is obtained manually or automatically by
operating the elevating screw provided below the knee.
4. Saddle: The saddle rests on the knee and constitutes the intermediate part between the knee
and the table. The saddle moves transversely, i.e., crosswise (in or out) on guide ways provided
on the knee.
5. Table: The table rests on guide ways in the saddle and provides support to the work. The table
is made of cast iron, its top surface is accurately machined and carriers T-slots which
accommodate the clamping bolt for fixing the work. The worktable and hence the job fitted on it
is given motions in three directions:
a). Vertical (up and down) movement provided by raising or lowering the knee.
b). Cross (in or out) or transverse motion provided by moving the saddle in relation to knee.
c). Longitudinal (back and forth) motion provided by hand wheel fitted on the side of feed screw.
In addition to the above motions, the table of a universal milling machine can be swiveled 45° to
either side of the centre line and thus fed at an angle to the spindle.
6. Overarm: The Overarm is mounted at the top of the column and is guided in perfect
alignment by the machined surfaces. The Overarm is the support for the arbor.
7. Arbor support: The arbor support is fitted to the Overarm and can be clamped at any location
on the Overarm. Its function is to align and support various arbors. The arbor is a machined shaft
that holds and drives the cutters.
8. Elevating screw: The upward and downward movement to the knee and the table is given by
the elevating screw that is operated by hand or an automatic feed.

MILLING OPERATIONS
1) Plain or slab milling: Machining of a flat surface which is parallel to the axis of the
rotating cutter.
Cutter: Plain/ Slab milling cutter.
Machine: Horizontal Milling m/c.
2) Face milling: Machining of a flat surface which is at right angles to the axis of the
rotating cutter.
Cutter: Face milling cutter.
Machine: Vertical Milling Machine

3) Angular milling: Machining of a flat surface at an angle, other than a right angle, to the
axis of revolving cutter.
Cutter: Double angle cutter.
Machine: Horizontal Milling Machine
4) Straddle milling: Simultaneous machining of two parallel vertical faces of the work-
pieces by a pair of side milling cutters.
Cutter: 2 or more side & face milling cutters
Machine: Horizontal Milling Machine

5) Form milling: Machining of surfaces which are of irregular shape. The teeth of the form
milling cutter have a shape which corresponds to the profile of the surface to be
produced.
Cutter: Double angle cutter.
Machine: Horizontal Milling Machine
6) Gang milling: Simultaneous machining of a number of flat horizontal and vertical
surfaces of a work piece by using a combination of more than two cutters mounted on a
common arbor.
Cutter: Different cutters as required.
Machine: Horizontal Milling Machine

7) T- slot milling

 A T- slot is produced on the work piece by using a specially designed cutter having the
shape of inverted ‘T’.

 Initially a plain slot is produced by using an end mill and then the T- slot cutter is
introduced in the existing slot.

8) Metal slitting

 The metal slitting is also known as saw milling.

 This operation makes use of the slitting cutter to produce thin slots on the work piece or
to completely part off the work piece.
Difference between Up milling and Down milling:

Up Milling (Conventional Milling) Down Milling (Climb Milling)

In Up milling work piece moves against In Down milling work piece moves in
the direction of milling cutter. the same direction of milling cutter.

In up milling in the beginning chip In down milling in the beginning chip

thickness is minimum and it increases thickness is maximum and it reduces
as the cut finishes. as the cut finishes.

Work piece tends to move upwards Work piece tends to move downward.
from the fixture.

Poorer surface finish Surface finish is more.

Cost is more to fix (hold) the job. Less fixtures is required so less cost.

Milling Parameters:-.
 1) Cutting Speed (v):-It is the peripheral linear speed of milling cutter resulting from
rotation. It is expressed in meters per minute.
πdn
Cutting speed (v) =
1000
Where
d = Diameter of milling cutter in mm,
v = Cutting speed (linear) in meter per minute,
n = Cutter speed in revolution per minute.
2) Feed Rate:-
• It is the rate with which the work piece advances under the revolving milling
cutter.
• It is expressed as mm/rev, mm/min
3) Depth of Cut:-
• It is thickness of the material removed in one pass of the work.
• In other words, it is the perpendicular distance measured between the original and
final surface of work piece. It is measured in mm.

INDEXING:-
 Indexing is the operation of dividing the periphery of a work piece into any number of
equal parts.

 Universal Dividing Head

 It is most popular and common type of indexing arrangement. As indicated by its name
“universal”, it can be used to do all types of indexing on a milling machine.
 Universal dividing head can set the work piece in vertical, horizontal, or in inclined
position relative to the worktable in addition to working principle is explained below with
the help of illustration in Figure.
 The worm gear has 40 teeth and the worm has simple thread. Crank is directly attached
with the worm. If we revolve crank by 40 revolutions the spindle attached with worm
gear will revolve by only one revolution and one complete turn of the crank will revolve
the spindle only by 1/40th revolution (turn).
 In order to turn the crank precisely a fraction of a revolution, an indexing plate is used.
An indexing plate is like a circular disc having concentric rings of different number of
equally spaced holes. Normally indexing plate is kept stationary by a lock pin.
 A spring loaded pin is fixed to the crank which can be fixed into any hole of indexing
plate. The turning movement of the work piece is firmly controlled by the movement of
crank as explained below.
Types of Indexing Methods

(a) Direct indexing

(b) Simple indexing

(c) Compound indexing

(d) Differential indexing

(e) Angular Indexing

a) Direct Indexing
 It is also named as rapid indexing. For this direct indexing plate is used which
has 24 equally spaced holes in a circle. It is possible to divide the surface of
work piece into any number of equal divisions out of 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 parts.
These all numbers are the factors of 24.

 To divide the surface into 6 parts than numberof holes by which pin is to be
moved
=24/N =24/6=4

 4 holes that is after completing one pair ofmilling whole surface of work piece
we have to move the pin by 4 holes before next

b) Simple Indexing
 In plain indexing the dividing head spindle ismoved by turning the index
crank.
 As the shaft carrying the crank has a singlethreaded worm which meshes with
the wormgear having 40 teeth, 40 turns of the crank arenecessary to rotate the
index head spindlethough one revolution?
 To facilitate indexing to fractions of a turn, index plates are used to cover
practically allnumbers.
 Three indexing plates are used. These plates have concentric circles of holes
with their different numbers as described below :

 The formula for index crank movement is given

below:-
Index Crank Movement = 40/ N
where, N= number of divisions required.

 Example 1: Index for 5 divisions

40/N = 40/5 = 8 Turns
There are eight turns of the crank for each thatcontains one of the circles
Division.
  Example 2: Index for 30 divisions
1 1 x7 7
40/N = 40/30 = 4/3=3 =3 =3
3 3 x7 21
therefore each division rotate the crank by 3 complete turn plus 7 holes on 21
hole circle of the index plate 2.

c) Compound Indexing
 It is used to obtain such number of divisions that are beyond the range of plain
or simple indexing system.
 Two separate movements of the index crank.
 Step 1- Turning the crank through a required number of spaces in one of the
hole circle of the index plate in one direction similar to plain indexing.
 Step 2 –Turning index plate together with index crank in the same direction or
in opposite direction through the calculated number of spaces of another hole
circle.

 Compound Indexing steps

1. Factories the number of division required
2. Factories the standard number 40
3. Select for trial any two circles on the same plate
4. Factories the difference
5. Factories the number of holes in one circle
6. Factories the number of holes of the other circle. After obtaining the factors
place them as one by one.

40 n 1 n2
Index Crank Movement= = ±
N N1 N2

N = number of division required

N1 = hole circle plate used by crank pin
N2 = hole circle plate used by lock pin
n1 = hole moved by crank pin in N1 hole circle plate
n2 = hole moved by together index plate and crank pin in N2 hole circle plate

Example:-
Q- Apply Compound indexing method for indexing 69 divisions.
Solution-
1. Factories the number of division required
69=23x3
2. Factories the standard number 40
40=2x2x2x5
3. Select for trial any two circles on the same plate
Index circle 23 & 33 are chosen
4. Factories the hole circle
23= 23x1
33=11x3
5. Factories Difference: 33-23=10=2x5
6. So calculate the value of (n) & to check our selected hole circle are correct or not
we use following expression

23 x 3 x 2 x 5
The First Expression=
2 x 2 x 2 x 5 x 23 x 1 x 11 x 3
So all the above factors are cancelled which shows that our choice 23 &33 hole
circles are correct for indexing.

N1=23 & N2=33

Multiplying the remaining factors from below the line, we get
n= 2x2x1x11=44
Substituting the values we get

40 n 1 n2
Index Crank Movement = = ±
N N1 N2

40 44 44
Index Crank Movement = = ±
69 23 33

40 21 11
Index Crank Movement = =1 ± 1
69 23 33

Cancelling common terms

40 21 11
Index Crank Movement = = ±
69 23 33

40 21 11
Index Crank Movement = = −
69 23 33

The negative sign determined by equating LHS=RHS

Thus, for indexing 69 divisions, the index crank should be moved by 21 holes in 23
hole circle in forward direction & then the index plate & the crank together is
moved by 11 holes in 33 hole circle in the backward direction every time for 69
times.
d) Differential Indexing:-
 The differential method is used in indexing for the beyond the range of simple
indexing.
 It is similar to the compound indexing only the difference is that the index
plate is rotated by gear train automatically.
 As index plate connected to gear train it receives motion from worm gear
spindle.
 In this method the required divisions are obtained by the combination of two
movements.
1) The movement of index crank similar to simple indexing.
2) The simultaneous movement of index plate when crank is rotated.

 In differential indexing only crank is rotated in forward or reverse direction

according to index crank movement calculation and the index plate receive the
motion from worm gear spindle automatically.
 The universal dividing heads are supplied with change gear having
24,28,32,40,44,48,56,64,72,86 and 100 teeth.

Differential indexing:-

Example- Index 97 divisions

1) Choose nearest possible division =A=100

40 40 2 2x 4 8
Index crank movement = A = 100 = 5 = 5 x 4 = 20
(From the standard index plate)
 The actual indexing decided is 8 holes in a 20 hole circle.

As this is for assumes number 100 teeth so for actual complete indexing we need to
find gear ratio

40( A−N ) 40(100−97) 120 6

2) Gear ratio= = = 100 = 5
A 100

This 6 & 5 change gear is not available

So from the available change gear we to multiply the factor –

Driver 6 6 x8 48
Change gear set is used is Gear ratio= Driven = 5 = 5 x 8 = 40

So driver gear = 48 and driven gear 40

3) The index crank will have to moved by 8 holes in 20 hole circle for 97
times.
As (A-N) is positive the index plate must rotate in same direction as the
crank and gear ratio is single gear train, one idler gear is used.

e) Angular indexing:-
 Angular indexing is the process of dividing the periphery of work
in angular measurement and not by number of division.
 The index movement is similar to the simple indexing.
 When the index crank move by 40 number of revolution the
spindle rotates through one complete rotation or by 360 ° .
 Thus, one complete turn of crank will cause the work to rotate
through

= 360°/40 = 9 degrees
Angular Displacement of work ∈degree
 Index Crank Movement =
9
 Example- Calculate a gear tooth for 45 °
Index Crank movement = 45 /9=5
Hence to index 45 °, the crank is rotated through 5 turns