MILLING MACHINE AND IT'S TYPE

Milling machines are an important industrial tool for machining solid materials like wood and metal.They are usually used to machine flat surfaces, but can also produce irregular surfaces. They can also be used to drill, bore, cut gears, and produce slots. The type of milling machine most commonly found in student shops is a vertical spindle machine with a swiveling head.

Milling machines can be outfitted with a number of tool heads to accomplish different machining needs. Some of these tool heads include cutters, rounding mills, fluted mills and ball end mills. Some milling machines have rotating tool ends that can change depending on the needed task—computer programming communicates with the machine when to change its tooling. 

Types of Milling Machines:-

Milling machines are categorized by their orientation to their workpiece and their degree of motion. 

Knee-Type:-

Knee-Type milling machinesemploy a vertical workspace supported by a knee, which is an adjustable vertical casting. The knee supports a saddle and can be adjusted to allow for a customizable workspace. 

Plain Vertical and Horizontal:-

Milling machines with a standard work surface can either be oriented vertically or horizontally. The tooling assembly is generally affixed on a turret and swivel, typically positioned parallel to the workspace. The turret and swivel allow the tool to move freely around the workpiece to enforce tight tolerances. 

Universal Horizontal Milling Machine:-

A universal horizontal milling machine differs from the plain horizontal type because it has a table swivel housing, which allows the table to move out 45 degrees from the standard horizontal position. This workpiece movement allows for easier angular or helical milling operations. 

Ram-Type and Universal Ram-Type Milling Machines:-

A ram-type machine is used to allow the tooling to position itself on a greater range of space with regards to the workpiece. The ram-type machine has a spindle on a movable housing, which can move within a set horizontal plane. The universal ram-type milling machine includes a swivel housing that increases the range of cutting movements.

Swivel Cutter Head Ram-Type Milling Machine:-

With a swivel cutter, a milling machine can rotate from a completely vertical to a completely horizontal position. The worktable also moves, providing the user with a very liberal degree of motion and orientation. Many swivel cutters include both automatic or hand driven settings, increasing operation options.