What are the operations carried out in Milling Machine?

There are 12 types of operations which can be performed on a Milling Machine. Large varieties of components are manufactured on a milling machine involving the below mentioned various types of operations. These different types of milling operations performed on a milling machine are mentioned below.

• Plain milling
• Face milling
• Side milling
• Straddle milling
• Angular milling
• Gang milling
• Form milling
• Profile milling
• Helical milling
• Cam milling
• Thread milling
• End milling
• Die Sinking

Plain Milling Operation

The plain milling is the operation of producing of a plain, flat surface parallel to axis of the milling cutter. The operation is also called slab milling. This operation is carried out with the help of plain or slab milling cutter.

Plain Milling Operation

Face Milling Operation

This operation is performed by a face-milling cutter rotated about an axis perpendicular to the work surface. The operation is carried in a plain milling machine and the cutter is mounted on a stub arbor to produce a flat surface.

Side Milling Operation

The side milling is the operation of production of a flat vertical surface on the side of a work piece by using a side-milling cutter. The depth of cut is adjusted by rotating vertical feed screw of table.

Straddle Milling Operation

The straddle milling is the operation of production of flat vertical surfaces on the both sides of a work piece by using two side milling cutters mounted on the same arbor. The distance between the two cutters is correctly adjusted by using suitable spacing collars.

Angular Milling Operation

Is the operation of production of an angular surface on a work piece other than right angles to the axis of milling machine spindle? The angular groove may be single or double angle and may be of varying included angle according to the type and shape of the angular cutter used.

Gang Milling Operation

This is the operation of machining several surfaces of a work piece simultaneously by feeding the table against a number of cutters having same or different diameters mounted on the arbor of the machine.

Form Milling Operation

The form milling is the operation of production of irregular contours by using form cutters. The irregular contour may be convex, concave or of any other shape.

Profile Milling Operation

It is a reproduction of an outline of a template or complex shape of a master die on work surface.

Helical Milling Operation

It is the operation of production of helical flutes or grooves around the periphery of a cylindrical or conical work piece. Swivelling the table to the required helix angle to performs the operation. Then by rotating and feeding the work against rotary cutting edges of a milling cutter.

Cam Milling Operation

Cam-milling is the operation of production of cams in a milling machine by the use of a universal dividing head and a vertical milling attachment. The axis of the cam blank and the end mill spindle should always remain parallel to each other when set for cam milling.

Thread Milling Operation

The thread milling is the operation of production of threads by using a single or multiple thread-milling cutters. The operation is performed in a special thread milling machines.

End Milling Operation

The end milling is the operation of production of flat surface which may be vertical, horizontal or at an angle in reference to the table surface. The cutter used is an end mill.

Die Sinking Operation

Dies for drop forging, die-casting and sheet metal forming have impression or cavity. The operation of cutting this impression or cavity in the die is called die sinking. A simple or plain type diesinker is similar in its general arrangement to a vertical-milling machine. The cutters used are such which will assist as far as possible obtaining whatever shape required for die cavity. Many devices and attachments for die sinking machine have been designed to eliminate chipping and other different hand operations. For example die-sinking machine have been equipped with a ‘cherrying head’ for milling circular impression in the dies. A die-sinking machine is known as universal type, is so designed that both cherrying and straight die sinking operations can easily be performed without special attachments or cutters.

Note - Cherrying relates to the operation of milling circular or special impression in the dies. Routing is milling a more or less irregular outline while guiding by hand.