Introducing the most common milling operations

Milling flexibility translates to a wide range of different machining operations that can realize almost any shape conceivable.

We can divide milling operations into five main categories according to the tool used and the machined shape:

• Face milling
• Shoulder milling
• Slot milling
• Profile milling
• Other

Let’s introduce them one by one in the simplest way possible.

Face milling

Face milling is one of the most common and most simple milling operations. Its goal is to machine a flat surface perpendicular to the tool’s rotation axis. It can be considered both a roughing operation and a finishing operation according to the tool used and its cutting parameters. The following figure shows a typical facing operation:

Figure 6.10: Face milling

As we can see, face milling tools can have complex geometries; they often have several replaceable inserts with the strangest...