Milling and Turning are two of the most commonly used machining processes. Milling is a process in which a rotating cutter is used to remove material from a workpiece while turning is a process in which a rotating workpiece is used to remove material from a stationary cutting tool. Though both processes are used to remove metal material, there are significant differences between them.
Milling is typically used to produce flat surfaces or cylinders, whereas turning is used to create various shapes and lengths, such as threads and intricate curves. Additionally, milling machines often have a larger working area than turning machines and can be used to move work pieces in a variety of ways, such as Y- axes and Z-axes, as well as along any three linear axes simultaneously. Turning machines, on the other hand, are limited to rotating along a single z-axis. Milling machines can also typically create complex surface geometries using contours and can operate at an angular orientation and perform multi-axis motions for extended periods of time. Turning machines, however, are limited to cuts along a grid-like path.
In terms of speed, milling is generally slower than turning as it is more complex and difficult to control. Additionally, milling can cause much more material build-up than turning and thus require more frequent clean up. Turning, however, may be more efficient for smaller pieces given the fewer amount of variables in motion.
Moreover, milling requires a specific type of tooling and setup time, whereas turning uses a general-purpose tooling set that can be quickly switched among machines. This makes milling more expensive to set-up than turning.
However, in terms of accuracy, milling can often provide tighter tolerances than turning. This is because milling machines are more rigid and much more powerful than turning machines and are thus able to hold the tool in a more consistent position during the machining process.
In conclusion, milling and turning are two of the processes most commonly used in machining. While milling is often slower than turning and requires specific tooling and setup time, it can provide much tighter tolerances and can be used to create complex surface geometries. Turning, on the other hand, is much faster and more efficient for smaller pieces and can make use of general-purpose tooling that can be quickly switched between machines. Deciding which machining process is best for a given task often comes down to weighing these advantages and disadvantages.
