Hafr-Al-Batin Community College

MET 276: MACHINING

King Fahd University of Petroleum a nd Minerals

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Hand out # 9
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INTRODUCTION:
In addition to producing various external or internal round profiles, cutting operations
can produce many other parts with more complex shapes (Fig. 23.1)

MILLING:
The most versatile processes: milling, in which a rotating, multitooth cutter removes
material while traveling along various axes with respect to the workpiece.
Milling includes a number of highly versatile machining operations capable of
producing a variety of configuration (Fig. 23.2) with the use of a milling cutter, a
multitooth tool that produces a number of chips in one revolution.

Slab Milling:
In slab milling, also called peripheral milling, the axis of cutter rotation is parallel to the
workpiece surface to be machined. The cutter, generally made of high-speed steel, has a
number of teeth along its circumference, each tooth acting like a single point cutting tool
called a plain mill.
Cutters for slab milling may have a straight or helical teeth resulting in, respectively,
orthogonal or oblique cutting action. The helical teeth on the cutter are preferred over
straight teeth because the load on the tooth is lower, resulting in a smoother operation
and reducing tool forces and chatter.

Conventional Milling and Climb Milling:

In CONVENTIONAL MILLING, also called UP MILLING, the maximum chip thickness
is at the end of the cut (Fig. 23.4a and b). The advantages are the tooth engagement is not
a function of workpiece surface characteristics, and contamination or scale on the surface
does not affect tool life. This is the common method of milling; the cutting process is
smooth, provided that the cutter teeth are sharp.
There may be tendency for the tool to chatter and the workpiece has a tendency to
pulled upward, necessitating proper clamping.

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Prepared by: Syed Sajid Hussain

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Hafr-Al-Batin Community College

MET 276: MACHINING

King Fahd University of Petroleum a nd Minerals

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Hand out # 9
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ __

In CLIMB MILLING, also called DOWN MILLING, cutting starts at the surface of the
workpiece where the chip is at its thickest. The advantage is that the downward
component of the cutting forces holds the workpiece in place, particularly for slender
parts. Because of the resulting high-impact forces when the teeth engage the workpiece,
however, this operation must have a rigid setup.
Climb milling is not suitable for the machining of workpieces having surface scale, such
as hot-worked metals, forging, and castings, the scale is hard and abrasive and causes
excessive wear and damage to the cutter teeth, shortening tool life.

Face Milling:
In FACE MILLING, the cutter is mounted on a spindle having an axis of rotation
perpendicular to the workpiece surface (Fig.23.2b). It removes material in the manner
shown in Fig. 23.5a. The cutter rotates at a rotational speed N and the workpiece moves
along a straight path at a linear speed v. when the cutter rotates as shown in Fig.23.5b,
the operation is climb milling; when it rotates in the opposite direction (fig.23.5c), the
operation is conventional milling.
Because of the relative motion between the cutting teeth and the workpiece, a face
milling cutter leaves feed marks on the machined surface similar to those left by turning
operations.

End Milling:
Flat surfaces as well as various profiles can be produced by end milling. The cutter in
end milling (end mill) is shown in Fig. 23.2c; it has either straight or tapered shanks for
smaller and larger cutter sizes, respectively. The cutter usually rotates on an axis
perpendicular to the workpiece, although it can be tilted to machine-tapered surface.
End mills are also available with hemispherical ends (ball nose) for the production of
curved surfaces, such as dies and molds. Hollow end mills have internal cutting teeth
and are used to machine the cylindrical surface of solid round workpieces. End mills are
made of high-speed steels or have carbide inserts.

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Hafr-Al-Batin Community College

MET 276: MACHINING

King Fahd University of Petroleum a nd Minerals

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Hand out # 9
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ __

Other Milling Operations and Milling Cutters:

Straddle milling, two or more cutters are mounted on an arbor and are used to machine
two parallel surfaces on the workpiece (Fig. 23.11a).
Form milling, which produces curved profiles, uses cutters that have specially shaped
teeth (fig. 23.11b); such cutters are also used for cutting gear teeth.
Circular cutters for slotting and slitting are shown in Fig. 23.11c and d, respectively. The
teeth may be staggered slightly. Like those in a saw blade, to provide clearance for the
cutter when making deep slots. Slitting saws are relatively thin, usually less than 5 mm.
T-slot cutters are used to mill T-slots (Fig.23.12a), such as those found in machine-tool
work tables for clamping workpieces. A slot is first milled with an end mill. The cutter
then cuts the complete profile of the slot in one pass.
Key seat cutters are used to make the semi cylindrical key seats (Woodruff) for shafts.
Angle milling cutter (single-angle or double-angle) are used to produce tapered
surfaces with various angles.
Shell mills (Fig.23.12b) are hollow inside and are mounted on a shank; this allows the
same shank to be used for different-sized cutters. The use of shell mills is similar to that
of end mills.

Tool Holders:
Milling cutters are classified as either arbor cutters or shank cutters. Arbor cutters are
mounted on an arbor (Fig. 23.13), for operations such as slab, face, straddle, and form
milling.
In shank-type cutters, the cutter and the shank are one piece. The most common
examples of shank cutters are end mills. Though small end mills have straight shanks,
larger end mills have tapered shanks for better clamping to resist the higher forces and
torque involved.
Cutters with straight shanks are mounted in collet chucks or special end mill holders; those with
tapered shanks are mounted in tapered tool holders. In addition to mechanical ones, hydraulic tool
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Hafr-Al-Batin Community College

MET 276: MACHINING

King Fahd University of Petroleum a nd Minerals

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Hand out # 9
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ __

holders and arbors are also available. The stiffness of cutters and tool holders is important for
surface quality and to reduce vibration and chatter during milling operations.

Milling Machines:
Milling machines are among the most versatile and useful machine tools. A wide
selection of milling machines with numerous features is now available.

Column-and-Knee Type Machines:

These are the most common milling machines. The spindle in which the milling cutter is
mounted may be horizontal (Fig. 23.15) for slab milling, or vertical for face and end
milling, boring, and drilling operations (Fig. 23.16). The basic components of these
machines are as follows.

A WORK TABLE, on which the workpiece is clamped using T-slots. The table
moves longitudinally relative to the saddle.

A SADDLE, which supports the table and can move in the transverse direction.

A KNEE, which supports the saddle, gives the table vertical movement so that
the depth of cut can be adjusted.

An OVERARM in horizontal machines, which is adjustable to accommodate

different arbor lengths.

A HEAD, which contains the spindle and cutter holders. In vertical machines, the
head may be fixed or it can be vertically adjustable, and it can be swiveled in a
vertical plane on the column for cutting tapered surfaces.

Plan milling machines have three axes of movement, which are usually imparted
manually or by power. In universal column-and-knee milling machines, the table can be
swiveled on a horizontal plane. In this way, complex shapes can be machines to produce
such as parts as gears, drills, taps, and cutters.

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Prepared by: Syed Sajid Hussain

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Hafr-Al-Batin Community College

MET 276: MACHINING

King Fahd University of Petroleum a nd Minerals

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Hand out # 9
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ __

Bed-Type Machines and Other Types of Milling Machines:

Book (article # 23.3.2 and 23.3.3) pages 662

Workholding Devices and Accessories:

The workpiece to be milled must be clamped securely to the work table to resist cutting
forces and prevent slippage during milling. Various fixtures and vises are generally
used for this purpose. They are mounted and clamped to the work table using the Tslots.
Vises are used for small production work and small parts. Fixtures are used for higher
production work and can be automated by various mechanical and hydraulic means.
The accessory that has been used most commonly in the past is the universal dividing
head, manually operated, this fixture rotates (indexes) the workpiece to specified angles
between individual machining steps. Dividing heads are now used only for low-volume,
job shop quantities; they have been replaced by CNC controls and machining centers.

PLANING and SHAPING:

Planning is a relatively simple cutting operation by which flat surfaces, as well as
various cross sections with grooves and notches, are produced along the length of the
workpiece (Fig. 23.20).
Planning is usually done on large workpieces-as large as 25mx15m.
In a PLANER, the workpiece is mounted on a table that travels along a straight path. A
horizontal cross-trail, which can be moved vertically along the ways in the column, is
equipped with one or more tool heads. The cutting tools are attached to the heads, and
machining is done along a straight path. Because of the reciprocating motion of the
workpiece, elapsed non-cutting time during the return stroke is significant.
Consequently, these operations are neither efficient nor economical, except for low
quantity production. In order to prevent tool cutting edges from chipping when they
rub along a workpiece during the return stroke, tools are either tilted away or lifted
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Hafr-Al-Batin Community College

MET 276: MACHINING

King Fahd University of Petroleum a nd Minerals

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Hand out # 9
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ __

manually or hydraulically. Because of the length of the workpiece, it is essential to equip

cutting tools with chip breakers.
Shaping is used to machine parts; it is much like planning, except that the parts are
smaller. Cutting by shaping is basically the same as by planning. In a horizontal shaper,
the tool travels along a straight path, and the workpiece is stationary. The cutting tool is
attached to the tool head, which is mounted on the ram.
The ram has a reciprocating motion, and in most machines, cutting is done during the
return stroke of the ram (draw cut). Vertical shapers (slotters) are used to machine
notches, keyways, and dies. Because of low production rates, only special-purpose
shapers, such as gear shapers are in common use today

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