MACHINING 2

[Milling, Shaping and EDM]

Milling
In milling, a rotating tool removes the material while rotating with its axis either
parallel or perpendicular to the workpiece. The tool is known as a multi-tooth milling
cutter. The figure below shows some of the basic types of milling cutters and milling
operations. They are mainly: slab milling in which the axis of cutter rotation is
parallel to the workpiece; face milling in which the axis of the cutter rotation is
perpendicular to the workpiece surface and end milling in which the cutter axis of
rotation is also perpendicular to the workpiece surface but the cutter shape is different
and has different applications from face milling.

Figure (1)
Basic Milling Operations (Kalpakjian, 2001)
Conventional milling (up milling) and climb milling (down milling) are two types of
slab milling. As shown Figure 2 (a) below, in up milling cutting, cutting starts at the
machined surface so the maximum chip thickness is at the end of the cut. This is the
common method of milling. On the other hand, down milling starts at the surface of
the workpiece. Each method has its own advantages and applications. Figure 2 (b)
shows the depth of cut, d, the feed per tooth, f, the chip depth of cut, tc , and
workpiece speed, v.

Figure (2)
a) Conventional (climb) milling. b) Slab milling showing depth of cut, d, the feed per
tooth, f, the chip depth of cut, tc , and workpiece speed, v. (Kalpakjian,2001)

Milling is used for machining parts which are not axially symmetric. There is a wide
range of different milling machines, ranging from manual light-duty to huge CNC
machines for milling parts hundreds of meters long. Two types of milling machines
horizontal spindle and vertical spindleare shown in the Figure 3. The horizontal one
is for slab milling and the vertical one for face and end milling.

Figure (3)
Horizontal spindle and vertical spindle column and knee type milling machines
(ref. Kalpakjian, 2001)
Required:
1. Make a neat free hand sketch of the main parts of the milling machine.
2. Describe the various milling operations performed in the lab using their proper
names as explained above.
3. Explain the purpose of the divider head.
Shaping
In shaping, the tool travels along a straight path producing flat and shaped surfaces.
The process is simple and is used to produce various cross sections with grooves and
notches along the length of the workpiece. The cutting tool is attached to a tool head
which is mounted on the ram. The ram has a reciprocating motion and cutting takes
place during either the forward or return strokes. Shapers have quick-return
mechanisms to save time on the return stroke when the tool is not engaged in cutting.
A process very similar to shaping is known as planing which is done on a machine
known as a planar. The only difference in shaping is for small parts whereas planning
is for larger parts.
Required:
1. Make a neat, free hand sketch of the main parts of the shaping machine.
2. Explain the method of operation of the crank slider mechanism.

Electrical Discharge Machining [EDM]

(Also known as: electrodischarge machining or spark erosion machining)
The process depends upon generating an electrical spark between a shaped tool and
the work piece in a dielectric (nonconductive) fluid. Metal is removed by the intense
heat of the electric sparks.
The dielectric fluid acts as an insulator until the potential reaches a discharge value
(large number of electrons are generated). It also functions as a flushing medium that
carries away the debris in the gap and cools the discharge zone. The most commonly
used dielectric fluids are: mineral oils and sometimes kerosene and distilled deionized
water.
The EDM process can be used with conductive material. The melting point and latent
heat of the work piece must be taken into consideration; as these properties increase,
the rate of material removal decreases. Material removal rate can be estimated from
the empirical equation:
MMR = 4* 104 ITw-1.23
Where:
MMR: mm3/min
I
: current in amperes
Tw : melting point of the workpiece in C
EDM electrodes are made usually of graphite; they can also be made of copper, brass
or copper tungsten alloy. Tool wear must be noticed since it affects the accuracy of the
work piece; it can be minimized by reversing the polarity of the electrodes (work
piece and tool).
The process is insensitive to the hardness of the material and therefore has wide
applications in making hardened steel dies.
RAM EDM:
Complex cavities are formed by the controlled penetration of a shaped electrode into
the workpiece. CNC control gives the workpiece controlled lateral motion.
Wire EDM:
This is similar to the electric saw, only the teeth of the saw are replaced by electric
discharges. It consists of a sliding wire which works as the electrode. The electrode is
a brass, copper, tungsten or molybdenum wire of 0.08 0.3 mm diameter. The wire
moves through the work while generating a spark between itself and the work piece.
This process can machine thickness up to 300mm; its used to manufacture dies and
machine hard materials.