How a Milling Machine Works: The Core Principle Explained

Milling is a cutting operation that removes metal by feeding the work against a rotating cutter having a single and multiple cutting edges.

Working principle

The workpiece is held on a worktable of the machine. The table movement controls the feed of the workpiece against the rotating cutter. This cutter is fixed on a spindle or arbor which revolves at desired speed. the workpiece moves against the cutter and remove the metal from the surface in order to produce the desired shape.

The video below contain the working principle of an horizontal milling machine:

The working of a milling machine has some phases of cutting. These milling processes involve the following phase of cutting:

Milling cutters

Having a lot of cutting tools use for the working of milling process. these cutters named end mills are designed with a special cutting surfaces on their end surfaces so they can perform drilling. It also features an extended cutting surfaces on each side for the purpose of peripheral milling. The milling cutter have small cutters at the end corners and the material are made of high resistant materials. This help to produce less friction within the tools and the workpiece.

Read: milling machine process

Surface finish

Working with milling for better surface finish, the cutting area of the milling machine gets regular intervals. These cutters contain regular ridges on the side. The distance between the ridges depends on the feed rate, diameter of the cutter and quantity of the cutting surfaces. Which could be some significant variations in the height of the surfaces.

Gang milling

The gang milling is when more than two milling cutters are involved in a setup like the horizontal milling. All cutters are design to perform a uniform operation or to perform a distinct operation. This milling operation is often introduced to duplicate parts.

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