5. Positioning the cutter

5.1 General principles

As we have already seen, the start and end of the cut are important points in defining the milling operation. It is generally always important to achieve the correct relationship between feed direction, direction of rotation and chip thickness, whatever the type of milling. The position of the milling cutter in relation to the workpiece is another important factor. These factors must therefore be correctly determined, especially in face milling where there is most room for manoeuvre in this respect.

The initial contact between the cutting edge and the workpiece is a critical element, where the...