Mill

The mill

The milling machine is one of the most used tools in our shop. The mill has 3 axes of movement: X (left & right), Y (forward & backward), and Z (up & down) used to manipulate a tube or other piece of material (this will be called a workpiece for the rest of the article).

In order to safely use the mill it requires these steps:

Before milling

• Certification test completed.

• Proper safety ensured.

• Workpiece properly clamped onto the table. The mill has 2 heavy duty vises (a type of clamp) that hold material. The vise must be clear of debris so the workpiece can be placed level on the vices.

• CAD model pulled up. CAD is where all blueprints for finished parts will be stored. It can show the whole robot or just a certain part.

• Appropriate tool selected and installed. The mill can accept drill bits from 1/16" to nearly 2" in diameter. Drill bits must be properly installed into the chuck and firmly tightened.

• Properly zeroed machine. Zeroing is the process of creating a point of reference on a workpiece. Whenever a new workpiece with different dimensions is put on the table, it must have the drill bit calibrated to a specified location so holes are drilled in the right spot.

During milling

• Slow and methodical movement of the table and tool

• Appropriate speed bringing down the quill

• Frequent double checking of the CAD model to ensure accurate machining

After milling

• Make sure the tool has stopped rotating

• Any workpiece is taken off of the table

• The milling area is cleaned and vacuumed if there is any debris