5 Basic Facts about the Vertical Mill

You should know a few basic facts if you own or plan to own a vertical mill. The first mechanical milling machine was invented by Eli Whitney. Vertical mills accurately shape metal which can decrease the production time of manufacturing components.

On solid and hard stuff, a ‘milling tool’ is  required, for milling. Milling machines can be mainly categorized in two ways, depending on the orientation of the machine's main spindle. Some are horizontal in design while others are vertical. The spindle is a key component in both machines; thus, it is important to perform proper spindle repair in the event that it breaks down. The name of vertical milling machines comes from the way the spindle and cutting component operate in an up and down direction. The cutting tool and spindle of horizontal milling machines move horizontally. Where is what you need to know if you're going to buy a vertical mill.

Eli Whitney was the inventor of the first milling machine which mass-produced cotton

Metals and other hard materials were filed by hand before milling machines were used. This manual process was time consuming and tedious. Noone made a machine to motorize the process until the early eighteen hundreds, that could provide like results. Eli Whitney bags the credit for inventing the first milling machine. Also, in the 1800s, James Nasmyth developed a milling machine that had a 6-way indexing fixture.

Vertical mills are used to accurately shape metal

A vertical milling machine is mainly used to process metal workpieces into variously shaped articles, which can be as simple as ball bearings or as complex as airplane components. Vertical mills are a staple in professional machine shops, but there are also people who use them in their own garage. Vertical mills typically operate within a tight tolerance or there is very minimal margin of error involved.

Vertical mills are considered to be large pieces of machinery

Vertical milling machines, which can weigh from 1,500 lbs to in excess of 6,000 lbs are classified as large machinery. Because of their large size, big vertical mills are usually transported to their destination by partially assembling it  and the remaining procedures of the assembling process is done after  reaching the spot. Smaller vertical mills can stand about 5 feet 5 inches and can have a footprint of at least 20 feet square.

Vertically aligned to the machine's bed is the mill's spindle

We can identify a vertical milling machines by seeing the alignment of the spindle, which is vertical relative to the machine’s bed. The component used for cutting is therefore placed vertically to  convert the shape of solid materials like metal to the desired shape. While the vertical mill moves in operation, the component will stay stationary. Vertical mills' movements can be mechanically controlled or by using a computer program.

A verfitcal mill can significantly decrease the processing time for producing components

The main benefit of making use of a vertical mill is that it can greatly improve one’s efficiency. Components are produced much more quickly. The process of making parts by hand-milling takes very long. The output you get from hand-milling in several days can be produced by a vertical mill in a span of a few minutes. Automated milling machines also reduce the labor intensive nature of machinist work.

Precise maintenance of vertical mills is very important to large industries.