(History, types, etc.

By Group 8
 Milling is the most common form of machining, a material removal process,
which can create a variety of features on a part by cutting away the unwanted
material. Milling is typically used to produce parts that are not axially
symmetric and have many features, such as holes, slots, pockets, and even
three dimensional surface contours.

Parts that are fabricated completely through milling often include

components that are used in limited quantities, perhaps for prototypes, such
as custom designed fasteners or brackets.
 Another application of milling is the fabrication of tooling for other
processes. For example, three-dimensional molds are typically milled. Milling
is also commonly used as a secondary process to add or refine features on
parts that were manufactured using a different process. Due to the high
tolerances and surface finishes that milling can offer, it is ideal for adding
precision features to a part whose basic shape has already been formed.
 A milling machine is a wheel-cutting machine, dating from the
1700s and used by clockmakers, were the precursors of industrial
milling machines.

Eli Whitney is most often mentioned as the first to design and

construct a milling machine that was dependable and which served as
a prototype for later, improved cutting machines.
 In 1867, American engineer Joseph R. Brown (1805-1870) introduced
his universal milling machine at the Paris Exhibition. Brown’s machine
arose following the testing in 1861 of one designed to solve the
problem of producing spiral flutes for twist drills.

Perhaps the milling machine’s greatest distinction is that in 1954 it

became the rst machine tool to be controlled numerically, thereby
representing one of the greatest industrial advances of the twentieth
century.
 The time required to produce a given quantity of parts includes the
initial setup time and the cycle time for each part. The setup time is
composed of the time to setup the milling machine, plan the tool
movements and install the fixture device into the milling machine. The
cycle time can be divided into the following four times:
1. Load/Unload time
The time required to load the workpiece into the milling machine and secure
it to the fixture, as well as the time to unload the finished part. The load time can
depend on the size, weight, and complexity of the workpiece, as well as the type
of fixture.

2. Cut time
The time required for the cutter to make all the necessary cuts in the
workpiece for each operation. The cut time for any given operation is calculated
by dividing the total cut length for that operation by the feed rate, which is the
speed of the cutter relative to the workpiece.
3. Idle time
Also referred to as non-productive time, this is the time required for any
tasks that occur during the process cycle that do not engage the workpiece and
therefore remove material. This idle time includes the tool approaching and
retracting from the workpiece, tool movements between features, adjusting
machine settings, and changing tools.

4. Tool replacement time

The time required to replace a tool that has exceeded its lifetime and
therefore become to worn to cut effectively. This time is typically not performed
in every cycle, but rather only after the lifetime of the tool has been reached.
 In milling, the speed and motion of the cutting tool is specified through several
parameters. These parameters are selected for each operation based upon the
workpiece material, tool material, tool size, and more.
• Cutting feed
• Cutting speed
• Spindle speed
• Feed rate
• Axial depth of cut
• Radial depth of cut
 During the process cycle, a variety of operations may be performed to the
workpiece to yield the desired part shape. The following operations are each
defined by the type of cutter used and the path of that cutter to remove material
from the workpiece.
• End milling
• Chamfer milling
• Face milling
• Drilling
• Boring
 Milling machines can be found in a variety of sizes and designs, yet they still
possess the same main components that enable the workpiece to be moved in
three directions relative to the tool. These components include the following:

• Base and column

• Table

• Saddle

• Knee
KNEE-TYPE MILLING MACHINE
Knee-type milling machines are characterized by a vertically
adjustable worktable resting on a saddle which is supported by a
knee. The knee is a massive casting that rides vertically on the milling
machine column and can be clamped rigidly to the column in a
position where the milling head and milling machine spindle are
properly adjusted vertically for operation.
UNIVERSAL HORIZONTAL MILLING MACHINE
The basic difference between a universal horizontal milling
machine and a plain horizontal milling machine is the addition of a
table swivel housing between the table and the saddle of the
universal machine. This permits the table to swing up to 45° in either
direction for angular and helical milling operations. The universal
machine can be fitted with various attachments such as the indexing
fixture, rotary table, slotting and rack cutting attachments, and
various special fixtures.
RAM-TYPE MILLING MACHINE
The ram-type milling machine is characterized by a spindle
mounted to a movable housing on the column to permit positioning
the milling cutter forward or rearward in a horizontal plane. Two
popular ram-type milling machines are the universal milling
machine and the swivel cutter head ram-type milling machine.
UNIVERSAL RAM-TYPE MILLING MACHINE
The universal ram-type milling machine is similar to the
universal horizontal milling machine, the difference being, as its
name implies, the spindle is mounted on a ram or movable housing.
SWIVEL CUTTER HEAD RAM-TYPE MILLING
MACHINE
The cutter head containing the milling machine spindle is
attached to the ram. The cutter head can be swiveled from a vertical
spindle position to a horizontal spindle position or can be fixed at
any desired angular position between vertical and horizontal. The
saddle and knee are hand driven for vertical and cross feed
adjustment while the worktable can be either hand or power driven
at the operator's choice.
 The objective of turning and milling is to remove material from a
work piece to obtain a specific shape and improve surface finish.
This is done with a tool that applies a force on the material. Then
either the tool or the work piece will move and material will be
removed. Before either operation is done, several parameters need
to be determined.