MILLING MACHINES

Milling machines are a group of machine tools

used mainly for the machining of the following
shapes (Fig. 155). :
✔external and internal surfaces of various
shapes,
✔form surfaces of revolution,
✔straight and helical grooves,
✔large internal and external threads,
✔Spur and helical gear cutting.
Fig. 155 Types of milling operations and milling
cutters used (t-depth of cut; B -width of cut)

(a) cylindrical spiral cutter; (b) face cutter; (e) end cutters; (f) angle
cutter;
(c) disc cutter; (d) slitting saws; (g) form cutters; (h) key-way cutter for
milling machines with intermittent vertical feed of cutter; (i) key-way
cutter for one-pass milling on vertical milling machines.
MILLING MACHINE CLASSIFICATION

Milling machines are made in a wide variety of types and

sizes. They are classified under the following headings:
❖ Knee and column type milling machine:
✔ Plain horizontal milling machine (with no rotation of the
table),
Universal horizontal milling machine (with +/- 450
rotation of the table),
Vertical milling machine,
Ram head or Omni-universal milling machine (they have
two spindles and additional degrees of freedom)
MILLING MACHINE CLASSIFICATION

Vertical bed type milling machines (Fixed

bed type machines):
▪ Simplex milling machines (one spindle),
▪ Duplex milling machines (two spindles),
▪ Triplex milling machines (three spindles),
Planner type milling machines
▪ Single column open side milling machines
▪ Double column milling machines
Continuous (revolving table) type milling
machines.
MILLING MACHINE CLASSIFICATION

Copy milling machines

▪ Two dimensional (X and Y axes),
▪ Three dimensional (X, Y and Z axes),
Engraving millers
Specialized milling machines
▪ Thread cutting
▪ Keyway cutting
▪ Spline shaft cutting, etc.
Machining Centers
 Milling Machine Types
(Contd.)
The horizontal milling machine is a versatile
machine tool that can handle a variety of
operations normally performed by other machine
tools.
It is used not only for the milling of flat and
irregular shaped surfaces but also for gear and
thread cutting, drilling, boring; reaming, and
slotting operations.
Its versatility makes it one of the most important
machine tools used in machine shop work.
 Knee-Type Milling Machines
The vertical milling machine, found in most shops, is
more widely used than the horizontal milling machine. It
is an easy machine to set up and operate.

The name "knee-type" has been adopted for this type of

milling machine, because it features a knee which
mounts the work table and travels vertically along the
guide ways of the machine's column.
Plain horizontal, universal horizontal, vertical and
ram-head machines are of this type of milling machine.
The main dimension of general-purpose milling
machines is the size of the working surface of the table.
Both horizontal and vertical knee-type milling machines
come with the following dimensions of the working
surface of the table:
125 X 500; 160 X 630; 200 X 800; 250 X 1000; 320 X
1250; 400 X 1600; and 500 X 2000 mm.
Tables with a width of 200-400 mm are also used in
universal horizontal and ram-head milling machines.
In plain horizontal machines, the axis of the spindle is
horizontal, and the table travels in three mutually
perpendicular directions.
Universal horizontal milling machines are similar in
general arrangement to the plain type of machine, the
principal difference being that the table can be swiveled
about its vertical axis through ± 45°, which makes it
possible to mill helical grooves and helical gears.
In contrast to horizontal machines, vertical knee-type
milling machines (Fig. 156) have a vertical spindle and
no overarm.
The overarm serves to hold the bearing bracket
supporting the outer end of the tool arbor in horizontal
machines (Fig. 157).
Ram-head milling machines (Fig. 158) differ from the
universal type in that they have two spindles (horizontal
and vertical), and a table which can be swung about the
three axes.
The vertical spindle can also be swiveled about both the
vertical and horizontal axes.
Fig. 156. Vertical knee-type milling machine, model
6M1311
1-column; 2-spindle head; 3-work table; 4-saddle; 5-knee.
Fig. 157. Universal Horizontal Milling Machine
Fig. 158. Ram-head knee-type milling machine,
model 6M82LL1
Ram-type vertical Milling Machine
 Backlash Eliminator
A feature on most milling machines is the addition
of a backlash eliminator. This device, when
engaged, eliminates the backlash (play) between
the nut and the table lead screw, permitting the
operation of climb (down) milling.
❑ Figure 59-6 shows a diagrammatic sketch of the
Cincinnati Milacron backlash eliminator.
 Fig. 59-6
The backlash eliminator

RACK CROWN GEAR

Fig. A: Crown Gear
 The backlash eliminator
❑ The backlash eliminator works as follows.
❑ Two independent nuts are mounted on the lead
screw. These nuts engage a common crown gear
(Fig. A) through gearing arrangement. The crown
gear in turn meshes with a rack for its rotation.
❑ Axial movement of the rack is controlled by a knob for
engaging the backlash eliminating movement. The
knob is located at the front of the saddle.
❑ By turning the rack in, the crown gear is rotated and
eventually the nuts are forced to move along the lead
screw in opposite directions, removing the backlash.
❑ The nuts-gear-rack arrangement is shown in Fig. 59-6
 Milling Machine Attachments
Milling machine attachments may be
divided into three classes:
1. They are designed to hold special
attachments. Some examples are
the vertical attachments,
high-speed attachments,
Universal attachments,
rack milling attachments, and
slotting attachments.
They are attached to the spindle and
column of the machine. These
attachments are designed to
increase the versatility of the
machine.
 Milling Attachments
2. Arbors, collets, and adapters, which are
designed to hold standard cutters.
3. Those designed to hold the workpiece,
such as
vises,
rotary table, and
indexing or dividing head.
 Vertical Milling Attachment
❑ The vertical milling attachment (Fig. 59-5),
which may be mounted on the face of the
column or the over arm, enables a plain or
universal milling machine to be used as a
vertical milling machine.
❑ Angular surfaces may be machined by
swiveling the head, parallel to the face of the
column, to any angle up to 450 on either side of
the vertical position.
❑ On some models, the head may be swiveled as
much as 90° to either side.
❑ Vertical attachments enable the horizontal
milling machine to be used for such operations
as face milling, end milling, drilling, boring, and
T -slot milling.
Vertical Milling Attachment
 Slotting Attachment
❑ The slotting attachment (Fig. 59-10) converts
the rotary motion of the spindle into
reciprocating motion for cutting keyways,
splines, templates, and irregularly shaped
surfaces.
❑ The length of the stroke is controlled by an
adjustable crank.
❑ The tool slide may be swiveled to any angle in a
plane parallel to the face of the column, making
the slotting attachment especially valuable in die
work.
Slotting Attachment
 Arbors, Collets, and Adapters
Arbors, used for mounting the milling cutter, are
inserted and held in the main spindle by a draw
bolt or a special quick-change adapter (Fig.
59-11).
Shell-end mill arbors may fit into the main
spindle or the spindle of the vertical attachment.
These devices permit face milling to be done
either horizontally or vertically.
Collet adapters are used for mounting drills or
other tapered-shank tools in the main spindle of
the machine or the vertical milling attachment
A quick-change adapter, mounted in the spindle,
permits such operations as drilling, boring, and
milling without a change in the setup of the
workpiece.
FIGURE 59-11. Arbors, collets, and adapters.

SLEEVES ADAPTER
 Vises
❖ Milling machine vises are the most widely used
workholding devices for milling.
❖ They are manufactured in three styles.
❖ The plain rise (Fig. 59-12A) may he bolted to the
table so that its jaws are parallel or at right angles
to the axis of the spindle
❖ The vise is positioned quickly and accurately by
keys on the bottom of the base that fits into the
T-slots of the table.
❖ The swivel base vise (Fig. 59-12B) is similar to
the plain vise, except that it has a swivel base
that enables the vise to be swiveled through 3600
in a horizontal plane.
 Vises
❖ The universal vise (Fig. 59-12C) may be
swiveled through 3600 in a horizontal plane and
may be tilted from 0° to 900 in a vertical plane. It
is used chiefly by toolmakers, moldmakers, and
diemakers, since it permits the setting of
compound angles for milling.
Fig. 59 Vises: A - Plain Vise, B - Swivel Vise, C -
Universal Vise
A

C
 Fixturing Systems
Quick-change, self-locking systems (Fig.
59-13A) can be incorporated into a plain
vise for use in the machine shop.
Accuracy can be maintained, and valuable
reductions in setup time can be realized.
Fixturing Systems
 Horizontal Universal Knee-Type Milling
Machine, Model 6101182
– This model is intended for various milling operations
including the cutting of helical grooves, for which the table
can be swiveled about its vertical axis.
– The machine is used in single-piece and batch production.
Specifications.
– Dimensions of table working surface, 320 X 1250 mm;
– maximum table travel: longitudinal, 700 mm; cross, 240 mm
(mechanical) and 260 mm (manual); vertical, 380 mm;
– Maximum angle of table swivel, +/- 45°;
– number of spindle speeds, 18 (31.5 - 1600 rpm) ;
– number of table feeds, 18 (longitudinal 25- 1250 mm/min,
– cross traverse, 25 - 1250 mm/min,
– vertical, 8.3 400 mm/min) ;
– principal movement drive motor, N = 7 kW, n = 1440 rpm;
– feed movement drive motor, N = 1.7 kW, n = 1420 rpm;
– overall dimensions, 2260 X 1745 X 1660 mm.
 Milling Machine, Model 6101182
The principal parts of the machine (Fig. 158) are:
• base 1 ;
• column 7;
• knee 13, which travels vertically along guide ways of
the column;
• saddle 12, which travels horizontally (along Y axis)
along the guide ways of the knee;
• swivel plate 11 with graduations, which allows the
table to be swung through 45° to either side along
the circular ways of the saddle;
• work table 9, which travels along the guide ways on
the swivel plate (along X axis) ;
 Fig. 158. Universal Horizontal Milling Machine
base 1 feed gearbox 2
Speed gearbox 4 Over arm 5

spindle 6 principal motor 3

column 7
bearing brackets 8
work table 9
swivel plate 11
braces 10
saddle 12

knee 13

control
mechanism 14
 Principal parts of the machine (Contd.)
• Over arm 5 holding
• bearing brackets 8, which serve to support the end of the tool
arbor;
• principal movement drive motor 3;
• spindle 6;
• Speed gearbox 4;
• feed gearbox 2 with control mechanism 14; and
• braces 10, which link the over arm with the knee to
increase the rigidity of the machine.
 Movements in the machine.

The principal movement:

Rotation of the tool arbor spindle (Fig. 159), is effected
by a motor (N = 7 kW, n = 1440 rpm), which through the
speed gearbox imparts eighteen speeds to the spindle.
The equation for the spindle speeds of the principal
movement kinematic chain is:
nsp = 1440.27/53.(16/38 or 19/35 or 22/32).(18/46 or
27/37 or 38/26). (19/69 or 50/38)
The direction of spindle rotation is reversed by
reversing the direction of motor rotation.
Fig. 159 Kinematic Diagram of the Machine
Fig. 159’ Kinematic Diagram of the Speed
Gear Box of the Machine
 Feed movement
• The feed movement is powered by a separate motor (N
=1.7 kW, n = 1420 rpm).
• The feed gearbox allows for the mechanical movement
of the table in three directions:
– longitudinal direction (at 90° to the spindle axis),
– transverse direction (parallel to the spindle axis), and
– vertical direction.
• Special locking devices are used to prevent
simultaneous engagement of several movements.
• Eighteen different feeds are effected through the
following kinematic chain:
 Feed movement
Motor (1.7 kW), constant gear transmission:

Movement from shaft VIII to shaft IX can be

transmitted either directly through gears 40/40 or
through back gear train (13/45 . 18/40 . 40/40)
Longitudinal Feed Motion:
Movement is transmitted from shaft IX further along
the following kinematic chain:
shaft IX, gears 28/35, shaft X, gear train 18/33.
33/37. 18/16. 18/18, lead screw with a pitch of 6 mm.
Kinematic Diagram of the Feed Gear Box
 Feed movement
Transverse and Vertical Feed motions of the table are
effected similarly by means of two other lead screws
(XVI and XVIII, respectively).
Transverse Feed Motion along the following kinematic
chain:
shaft IX, gears 28/35, shaft X, gear train 18/33. 33/37.
37/33, lead screw with a pitch of 6 mm.
Vertical Feed Motion along the following kinematic
chain:
shaft IX, gears 28/35, shaft X, gear train 18/33. 22/33.
23/46, lead screw with a pitch of 6 mm.
 Rapid traverse of the table
Rapid traverse of the table in all three directions is
effected by the same motor directly through gear train
26/50. 50/67 X 67/33, friction clutch C on shaft IX, and
further along the feed kinematic chains, so bypassing the
feed gearbox.
In this case, the claw clutch on shaft IX is disengaged
and friction clutch C is engaged.
Kinematic Diagram of the Feed Gear Box