Milling machines are used to machine flat, rough, and irregular surfaces by feeding a workpiece against a rotating cutting tool called a milling cutter. The main components of a milling machine include the column, base, knee, saddle, swivel table, power feed mechanism, table, spindle, overarm or overhanging arm, arbor support, and ram. The milling machine removes metal from the workpiece as it is fed past the rotating cutting tool.

2. What is Milling Machine?
It is a machine which is used to remove metals from the workpiece with the help of a
revolving cutter called milling cutter. It is used to machined the flat, rough and irregular
surfaces and this is done by feeding the workpiece against a rotating milling cutter.

3. PARTS OF MILLING MACHINE
1. Column & Base
Column including base is the main casting that supports all other parts of
milling machine.
The column contains an oil reservoir and a pump which lubricates the spindle.
The column rests on the base and base contains coolant reservoir and a pump
which is used during machining operation that requires coolant.
2. Knee
It is a casting that supports the saddle and table. All gearing mechanism is
enclosed within the knee.
It is fastened to the column by dovetail ways.
The knee is supported and adjusted by a vertical positioning screw (elevating
screw).
The elevating screw is used to adjust the knee up and down by raising or
lowering the lever either with the help of hand or power feed.

4. 3. Saddle and Swivel Table
The saddle is present on the knee and supports the table. It slides on a
horizontal dovetail on the knee and dovetail is parallel to the axis of the
spindle ( in horizontal milling m/c).
 The swivel table (in universal machines only) is attached to the
saddle that can be swiveled (revolved) horizontally in either
direction.
4. Power Feed Mechanism
It is the knee which contains the power feed mechanism. It is used to
control the longitudinal ( left and right), transverse ( in and out) and
vertical (up and down) feeds.
 To get the desired rate of feed on the machine, the feed selection
lever is positioned as indicated on the feed selection plates.
 On some universal knee and column milling machine, the feed is
obtained by turning the speed selection handle until the desired rate
of feed is indicated on the feed dial.
 Most of the milling machines have a rapid traverse lever that can be
engaged when a temporary increase in the speed of the longitudinal,
transverse or vertical feeds is required. For example this lever would
be engaged when the operator is positioning or aligning the work.

5. 5. Table
It is a rectangular casting which is present on the top of the saddle.
It is used to hold the work or work holding devices.
It contains several T-slots for holding the work and work holding devices
(i.e. jigs and fixtures).
The table can be operated by hand or by power.To move the table by
hand, engage and turn the longitudinal hand crank. To move it through
power, engage the longitudinal direction feed control lever.
6. Spindle
It is the shaft that is used to hold and drives the cutting tools of the
milling machine.
The spindle is mounted on the bearings and supported by the column.
Spindle is driven by the electric motor through gear trains. The gear
trains are present within the column.
The face of the spindle which lies near to the table has an internal taper
machined on it. The internal taper at the front face of the spindle permits
only a tapered cutter holder or arbor. It has two keys at the front face
which provides a positive drive for the cutter holder or arbor.
The drawbolt and jam nut is used to secure the holder and arbor in the
spindle.

6. 7. Over Arm / Overhanging Arm
It is a horizontal beam present at the top face of the column. It may
be a single casting which slides on the dovetail ways present on the
top face of the column.
The overarm is used to fastened arbor support. It may consist of one
or two cylindrical bars which slide through the holes in the column.
8. Arbor Support
It is a casting with bearing that supports the outer end of the arbor. It
also helps in aligning the outer end of the arbor with the spindle.
It prevents the springing of outer end of the arbor during cutting
operations.
There are generally two types of arbor supports used in the milling
machine. The first one has small diameter bearing hole, 1-inch in
maximum diameter. And the other one has large diameter bearing
hole, usually upto 23/4 inches.
The arbor support has an oil reservoir that lubricates the bearing
surfaces. It can be clamped anywhere on the overarm. The arbor
support is used only in the horizontal types of milling machine.

7. 9. Ram
The overhanging arm in the
vertical machine is called ram.
One end of the ram is mounted on
the top of the column and on the
other end milling head is
attached.
The ram can be a moved
transversally ( in and out) on the
column by a hand lever.