See more information; Milling Machine Basics Interview Questions and Answers
Up-cut or conventional milling
This is shown in Fig. You can see that the work is fed towards the cutter in the opposite direction of rotation.
• This prevents work from being drawn into the cutter if there is any play in the feed mechanism.
• Unfortunately, this technique causes the cutting edges to rub together as each tooth begins to cut, which can cause chatter and blunting of the cutting edge.
• The cutting action tends to lift the work off the machine table.
• For safety, this is the technique you should always adopt, unless your instructor advises you otherwise, because he or she knows that your machine is equipped to operate safely using the following technique.
Down or up milling
This is shown in the direction of Fig. while the cutter is rotating.
Safety: The up milling technique can only be used on machines equipped with a 'backlash eliminator' and which are designed for this technique. If it can be used safely, this technique has a number of advantages, particularly for heavy cutting operations.
• The cutter does not rub when each tooth starts to cut. This reduces the risk of vibration and extends the life of the cutter.
• Cutting forces keep the part pressed against the machine table.
• The action of the cutter helps advance the work and takes most of the load off the feed mechanism.