CNC milling is a specific type of CNC machining; if you would like to find out more about CNC machining process, check out our in-depth guide. Computerised controls produce a custom-designed part or product of high quality and precise finish. It is favoured in many industries due to its accuracy, consistency, and ability to increase production and uniformity. The CNC milling process begins with a CAD drawing (computer-aided design), and it is used to control the outputs of the CNC milling machine.
CNC milling is a manufacturing process that uses a cutting tool mounted on a rotating spindle to selectively remove material from a block of raw substrate. The workpiece is rigidly mounted to a table, and this table moves or rotates on different planes so the tool can work at many angles. Sophisticated CNC milling machines can have 5 or more axes of independent motion to make more complex shapes or to avoid having to move the workpiece to a separate machine.
What are the Axes of Motion on a Typical CNC Milling Machine?
The axis of motion for a CNC milling machine are based on an X-Y-Z coordinate measuring system. All machinists refer to this when describing the basic movements of the mill, relative to an operator facing the machine. A standard CNC mill for example has three axes. The milling spindle represents the Z-axis, moving up and down. The X-axis is left-to-right, and the Y-axis is front-to-back.
Rotary tables can be added to CNC milling machines to provide additional movements, while 5-axis machines already have rotating work tables built-in.
