Milling machinery refers to production machines that are designed for machining metal on a lathe, including various types of lathes found in different industries.
Milling machinery is applicable in many different industries. Some of the most common industries where milling machines are used are automotive industry, aerospace, toolmaking industry, mining industry, and medical industry.
Milling can be done on-site or off-site. The process of milling is very complex and requires both precision engineering, as well as heavy metalworking equipment to successfully complete the task.
What Is Milling Machinery
In milling machinery, a rotating cutter, called a milling cutter, is mounted on a milling machine, which is the cutting head.
Milling cutters are usually disks with an internal pattern of teeth. These teeth are used to remove material in the form of chips or shavings. The blades may also be referred to as broaches or drills.
Mill type mills are typically designed for use with cylindrical workpieces whose diameter equals the width dimension of the machine bed., while face mills are designed for use with square workpieces whose width equals the height dimension of the machine bed.
What are the types of milling machines?
Column Milling Machines
Often used for creating car parts, a column milling machine is one of the simplest types of milling machine. They consist of 5 key parts the worktable, head, saddle, knee, and over arm and use a vertically suspended drill.
Turret Milling Machines
A turret machine is a versatile milling machine which can be used in the creation of many parts. Also, known as a Bridgeport-type milling machine, these machines can be repositioned opening a broader range of uses.
C-Frame Milling Machines
C-frame milling machines are sturdy and powerful. They use a hydraulic motor and are best utilised in industrial settings.
Horizontal Milling Machines
Named as it is positioned horizontal to the ground, horizontal milling machines work by moving the bench the workpiece is placed on sideways whilst the cutting tool moves vertically.
Tracer Controlled Milling Machines
Designed to produce duplicate parts based on a master model, tracer controlled milling machines can be used for machining grooves and contoured surfaces.
Bed Type Milling Machines
The worktable of a bed type milling machine is placed on the bed itself, as opposed to on top as with other milling machines. On a bed type machine, the knee is omitted to allow for longitudinal movement.
Planer-Style Milling Machines
A planer-style milling machine is similar to a bed type machine. However, this type of milling machine offers more milling capabilities due to the addition of cutters and heads.
Sources: https://dtsuk.co.uk/uncategorized/milling-machines-what-are-they-and-what-do-they-do/
How many types of milling operations are there?
The milling process can take place in different ways depending on the type of machine used. Some mills have only one grinding wheel while others have more than one at different stages in the process. Each machine has its own advantages and disadvantages for the milling operations.
Milling operations are the techniques that are used to reduce the size of a solid by friction between two solid surfaces. The objective is to cut, grind, or shave away material from a surface. There are 4 types of milling operations: roughing, finishing, honing and profiling.
