Milling is a basic machining process in which the surface is generated by the progressive formation and removal of chips of material from the workpiece as it is fed to a rotating cutter in a direction perpendicular to the axis of the cutter. In some cases the workpiece is stationary and the cutter is fed to the work. In most instances a multiple-tooth cutter is used so that the metal removal rate is high, and frequently the desired surface is obtained in a single pass of the work.

The tool used in milling is known as a milling cutter. It usually consists of a cylindrical body which rotates on its axis and contains equally spaced peripheral teeth that intermittently engage and cut the workpiece. 1 In some cases the teeth extend part way across one or both Ends of the cylinder.

Because the milling principle provides rapid metal removal and can produce good surface finish, it is particularly well-suited for mass-production work, and excellent milling machines have been developed for this purpose. However, very accurate and versatile milling Machines of a general-purpose nature also have been developed that are widely used in jobshop and tool and die work. A shop that is equipped with a milling machine and an engine lathe can machine almost any type of product of suitable size.

Types of Milling Operations. Milling operations can be classified into two broad categories, each of which has several variations:

1. In peripheral milling a surface is generated by teeth located in the periphery of the cutter body; the surface is parallel with the axis of rotation of the cutter. Both flat and formed surfaces can be produced by this method. The cross section of the resulting surface corresponds to the axial contour of the cutter. This procedure often is called slab milling.

2. In face milling the generated flat surface is at right angles to the cutter axis and is the combined result of the actions of the portions of the teeth located on both the periphery and the face of the cutter. 2 The major portion of the cutting is done by the peripheral portions of the teeth with the face portions providing a finishing action.

The basic concepts of peripheral and face milling are illustrated in Fig. 16-1. Peripheral milling operations usually are performed on machines having horizontal spindles, whereas face milling is done on both horizontal- and vertical-spindle machines.

Surface Generation in Mimng. Surfaces can be generated in milling by two distinctly different methods depicted in Fig. 16-2. Note that in up milling the cutter rotates againsi the direction of feed the workpiece, whereas in down milling the rotation is in the same direction as the feed. As shown in Fig. 16-2, the method of chip formation is quite different in the two cases. In up milling the c hip is very thin at the beginning, where the tooth first contacts the work, and increases in thickness, becoming a maximum where the tooth leaves the work. The cutter tends to

  push the work along and lift it upward from Tool-work relationshios in peripheral and face milling the table. This action tends to eliminate any effect of looseness in the feed screw and nut of the milling machine table and results in a smooth cut. However, the action also tends to loosen the work from the clamping device so that greater clamping forcers must be employed. In addition, the smoothness of the generated surface depends greatly on the sharpness of the cutting edges.

In down milling, maximum chip thickness cecum close to the point at which the tooth contacts the work. Because the relative motion tends to pull the workpiece into the cutter, all possibility of looseness in the table feed screw must be eliminated if down milling is to be used. It should never be attempted on machines that are not designed for this type of milling. Inasmush as the material yields in approximately a tangential direction at the end of the tooth engagement, there is much less tendency for the machined surface to show tooth marks than when up milling is used. Another considerable advantage of down milling is that the cutting force tends to hold the work against the machine table, permitting lower clamping force to be employed. 3 This is particularly advantageous when milling thin workpiece or when taking heavy cuts.

Sometimes a disadvantage of down milling is that the cutter teeth strike against the surface of the work at the beginning of each chip. When the workpiece has a hard surface, such as castings do, this may cause the teeth to dull rapidly.

Milling Cutters. Milling cutters can be classified several ways. One method is to group them into two broad classes, based on tooth relief, as follows:

1. Profile-cutters have relief provided on each tooth by grinding a small land back of the cutting edge. The cutting edge may be straight or curved.

2. In form or cam-reheved cutters the cross section of each tooth is an eccentric curve behind the cutting edge, thus providing relief. All sections of the eccentric relief, parallel with the cutting edge, must have the same contour as the cutting edge. Cutters of this type are sharpened by grinding only the face of the teeth, with the contour of the cutting edge thus remaining unchanged.

Another useful method of classification is according to the method of mounting the cutter. Arbor cutters are those that have a center hole so they can be mounted on an arbor. Shank cutters have either tapered or straight integral shank. Those with tapered shanks can be mounted directly in the milling machine spindle, whereas straight-shank cutters are held in a chuck. Facing cutters usually are bolted to the end of a stub arbor.

The common types of milling cutters, classified by this system are as follows:

Types of Milling Cutters. Hain milling cutters are cylindrical or disk-shaped, having straight or helical teeth on the periphery. They are used for milling flat surfaces. This type of operation is called plain or slab milling. Each tooth in a helical cutter engages the work gradually, and usually more than one tooth cuts at a given time. This reduces shock and chattering tendencies and promotes a smoother surface. Consequently, this type of cutter usually is preferred over one with straight teeth.

Side milling cutters are similar to plain milling cutters except that the teeth extend radially part way across one or both ends of the cylinder toward the :center. The teeth may be either straight or helical. Frequently these cutters are relatively narrow, being disklike in shape. Two or more side milling cutters often are spaced on an arbor to make simultaneous, parallel cuts, in an operation called straddle milling.

Interlocking slotting cutters consist of two cutters similar to side mills, but made to operate as a unit for milling slots. The two cutters are adjusted to the desired width by inserting shims between them.

Staggered-tooth milling cutters are narrow cylindrical cutters having staggered teeth, and with alternate teeth having opposite helix angles. They are ground to cut only on the periphery, but each tooth also has chip clearance ground on the protruding side. These cutters have a free cutting action that makes them particnlarly effective in milling deep slots.

Metal-slitting saws are thin, plain milling cutters, usually from 1/32 to 3/16 inch thick, which have their sides slightly "dished" to provide clearance and prevent binding. They usually have more teeth per inch of diameter than ordinary plain milling cutters and are used for milling deep, narrow slots and for cutting-off operations.