Milling machine may be defined as a machining process for removing excess material
from a work piece with a rotating cutting tool. 







Milling process involves simultaneous rotary
cutter and usually linear (sometimes) motion of the work, with the work fed against the
cutter. 


Milling process is used for producing flat, contoured or helical surfaces, for cutting
threads and toothed gears and for making helical grooves.


Milling machines were basically developed to machine flat surfaces but the present
milling machines can make the machine flat, contoured and helical surfaces, cut gears and do
other various jobs. 


Milling machine is one of the useful and necessary machine tools found in
the workshop.


Milling machine are designed to hold and rotate milling milling cutter or cutters, hold the
work piece and feed the work piece to the milling in one of several directions.


TYPES OF MILLING MACHINES


Milling machines can be divided or classified in different ways;

(a)According to the axis of the spindle of the machine we have,

(1)Horizontal milling machine with horizontal spindle.


(2)Vertical milling machine with vertical spindle.

(B)According to the purpose of the milling machine.

(1)General purpose milling machine.

(2)Production milling machine.

(3)Special purpose milling machine .


GENERAL PURPOSE MILLING MACHINE


The most common type of milling machine in this category are the column
and knee type models which are all single spindle machines .The various
Models under this category are...

(1)Plain (Horizontal spindle)

(2)Universal (Horizontal spindle with swivel table .

(3)Ominiversal (Horizontal spindle with swivel table and swivel knee).

(4) Vertical spindle


CONSTRUCTION OF MILLING CUTTERS.


The milling cutters may be solid, carbide tipped solid cutters and inserted blade cutters with

H.S.S or carbide tipped blades, the body being of constructional steel .

The advantages of carbide tipped cutters (either solid or inserted blade type) are:

1. Their high production capacity.

2. The high quality of the surfaces they produce.

3. Elimination of grinding operation in some cases, the possibility of machining hardened
steels and the reduction in machining costs that their use leads to .
 Due to these advantages, they have been successfully applied in metal cutting industry
where they have replaced many solid cutters of tool steels