What Is a Milling Machine?
Milling machines are a type of machine tool that remove material from a workpiece with rotary cutters. They come in a variety of sizes and specifications depending on the specific application, but the design is the same. Milling machines are a necessity in modern manufacturing.
A workpiece is mounted to a bed, while the rotating cutters are suspended from a gantry above the bed. Depending on the exact kind of milling machine, either the cutting tool or the bed (and sometimes both) will move along different axes to allow a variety of cutting operations in the milling process.
Cylindrical tools are used in some milling machines to remove material. These can be drills, end mills, or similar tools. Other mills rely on rotating blades, similar to the blades of a saw.
Two Primary Types of Milling Machines
Most milling machines are sold as either vertical or horizontal mills. Both names refer to the orientation of the cutting tool itself.
Horizontal mills use a cutting blade similar to a saw or grinder, suspended horizontally above the workpiece. The bed moves along the X- and Z-axes to bring the workpiece into contact with the cutter, while the cutting tool moves horizontally along the Y-axis. This allows the operator to move the cutter back and forth across the surface of the workpiece, removing material evenly.
Horizontal mills can also be used to mill out slots across the length of a workpiece.
While they tend to be larger and more powerful than vertical mills, horizontal milling machines can be limited in the number of operations they perform.
Vertical milling machines, on the other hand, are often smaller and allow more flexibility in the number of operations that they can perform. Vertical mills mount a cylindrical cutting tool on an arm above the workpiece. Most vertical milling machines are capable of full 3-axis movement, either by the cutting head itself, the bed, or a combination of the two.
Vertical milling machines are less suited for surface milling, end milling, and cutting slots, but they are excellent at drilling and threading operations. CNC milling machines can handle almost any milling process that might be required.
What Are Milling Machines Used For?
Along with lathes, milling machines are some of the most fundamental and versatile machine tools in operation. They can be used to create parts or finished products from workpieces, or as part of a larger manufacturing process. Horizontal milling machines might be used to endmill and surface finish parts containing holes that were cut and threaded on a vertical milling machine. In some advanced cases, multiple cutting tools can be mounted to the same mill, and CNC technology used to instruct the machine when to use each.
Machine tools form a vital part of modern manufacturing. They can be found on heavy industrial manufacturing lines or in small machine shops around the country. Smaller mills, typically vertical mills, are even used by hobbyists.
Some of the top industries that rely on milling machines include the automotive and aerospace sectors.
Summit’s range of vertical and horizontal milling machines are designed to provide high-quality milling solutions for any situation. Whatever the job, we can provide the perfect milling machine to expand your productivity and enhance your business.
