Types of Milling Machines Quiz

Types of Milling Machines

• Universal milling machines can be adapted to a wide range of milling operations and their table can be swiveled to any angle up to 45-degrees on either side.
• Omniversal milling machines have four movements of the universal milling machine and can be tilted in a vertical plane.
• Manufacturing type/fixed bed type milling machines are large, heavy, and rigid in construction, with the table mounted directly on the ways of a fixed bed.
• Simplex, duplex, and triplex milling machines have one, two, and three spindle heads respectively.
• Planer type milling machines are used for heavy-duty work and have spindle heads adjustable in the vertical and transverse direction.
• Special type milling machines have a spindle for rotating the cutter and provision for moving the tool or the work in different directions.
• Rotary table milling machines have a circular table that rotates about a vertical axis, allowing for continuous loading and unloading of workpieces.
• Drum milling machines have a workpiece supporting table that rotates in the horizontal axis.
• Profile milling machines duplicate the full size of the template attached to the machine.
• Planetary milling machines have a workpiece held stationary while the revolving cutter.
• Tracer control pentagraph milling machines allow the size of the workpiece reproduced to be smaller than, equal to or greater than the size of a template.

Milling Operations

• Plain milling produces plain, flat, horizontal surfaces (also known as slab milling).
• Face milling is the simplest milling operation performed by a face milling cutter rotated about an axis perpendicular to the work surface.
• Side milling produces a flat vertical surface on both sides of a workpiece using two side milling cutters.
• Straddle milling is used to design a square or hexagonal surface.
• Angular milling produces an angular surface on a workpiece at right angles of the axis of the spindle.
• Gang milling machines several surfaces of a workpiece simultaneously by feeding the table against a number of cutters.
• Form milling produces an irregular contour by using form cutters.
• Profile milling reproduces an outline of a template or complex shape.

Other Milling Operations

• End milling is a widely used milling operation.
• Saw milling, keyways, groove, and slot milling are other operations.
• Gear milling, helical milling, cam milling, thread milling, and other operations are also performed.

Milling Machine Components

• The base of a milling machine carries the column at its one end.
• The column is the main supporting frame.
• The knee is a fixed gray iron casting that slides up and down on the vertical ways of the column.
• The saddle is placed on top of the knee and slides on guide ways set exactly at 90 degrees to the column face.
• The table rests on guideways on the saddle and travels longitudinally.
• The spindle is located in the upper part of the column and receives power from the motor through belts, gears, and clutches.
• The overhanging arm acts as a support for the arbor.
• The front brace provides rigidly to the arbor and the knee.
• The arbor is an extension of the machine spindle on which milling cutters are securely mounted and rotated.