Milling Machine

A milling machine is a powered mechanical device used for the intricate shapes of metal and other solid materials. Milling machines can be operated manually or by computer numerical controls (CNC). This machine tool can perform a vast number of complex operations like slot cutting, planing, drilling, rebating and routing. It looks like a rotating cutter or endmill which rotates about the spindle axis.

There are basically two types of milling machines. One is the vertical mill and the other is the horizontal mill. The vertical mill has a vertically oriented spindle axis. The spindle can generally be extended thereby allowing plunge cuts and drilling. The horizontal mills feature a +15/-15 degree rotary table that allows milling at shallow angles. While endmills and the other types of tools available to a vertical mill may be used in a horizontal mill, their real advantage lies in arbor-mounted cutters. They have a cross section rather like a circular saw, but are generally wider and smaller in diameter.

A complex form of the milling machine is the universal milling machine. In this machine, the rotating cutter can be oriented vertically or horizontally, increasing the flexibility of the machine tool. Turret or vertical ram mills which are a sub-category of vertical mills are more commonly referred to as bridgeport-type milling machines. Most CNC milling machines are computer controlled vertical mills. They have the capability to move the spindle vertically along the Z-axis.