Selecting The Right Milling Machine

15 February 2018
 Categories: , Blog

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Metal is a common material used in manufacturing today. Components for end products are often made from metal, and raw metal must undergo a milling process in order to be transformed into usable parts. Having the right milling machine available will ensure that your manufacturing processes run as smoothly as possible.

Asking yourself these three questions will help you better determine which type of mechanical milling machine should be installed in your manufacturing plant.

1. How much space is available?

One of the first things that you should consider as you begin the process of selecting a milling machine for your plant is the amount of available space on your production floor. Some milling machines can be quite large and need a lot of room, while others are more compact and can fit into a smaller space.

If you don't have a lot of free space available, consider a compact turret milling machine. These machines have a stationary vertical spindle, allowing you to take advantage of the vertical space in your manufacturing plant.

2. Which raw metal faces need to be milled?

Another important factor to take into consideration before investing in a milling machine is the material faces you will be milling most often. Different types of milling machines are designed to work specifically with different faces of a piece of metal.

If your manufacturing process requires you to mill the front face, end face, or side face of a piece of metal, then you will need access to a horizontal milling machine. If you only plan to mill the front face of your raw metal materials, then either a horizontal or a vertical milling machine will suffice.

3. What are the projected run times?

Run times can have a dramatic impact on the overall profitability of your manufacturing activities. If you invest in a milling machine with a slow cutting speed or feed speed, you may find that it takes you longer to mill each piece of raw metal produced in your plant.

This increase in run time could hurt your overall productivity, resulting in the milling of fewer pieces over an extended period of time. Be sure that the specifications on your milling machine match your projected run times to ensure maximum performance within a minimum amount of time.

Being able to select the right milling machine will help you improve your manufacturing processes and produce finished metal pieces that are durable and aesthetically pleasing.