As an indispensable process in mechanical processing, slotting and milling can precisely remove the workpiece material to machine grooves of various shapes on the surface or inside the workpiece, giving the parts specific functions and assembly properties.
Definition of slot milling
Slot milling refers to a milling method that uses a milling cutter to machine a groove with a specific shape, size and precision requirements on the surface or inside of a workpiece. During the processing, the workpiece is fixed on the milling machine table, and the milling cutter generates cutting force through rotation and feeds along a pre-set path to gradually remove the workpiece material to form the required groove.
Processing technology of slotting milling
Process preparation
According to the design drawings and technical requirements of the workpiece, select appropriate milling machine equipment and milling cutter. At the same time, determine the clamping method of the workpiece. Common clamping methods include flat-nose clamping, pressure plate bolt clamping, indexing head clamping, etc., to ensure that the workpiece is accurately positioned and firmly clamped during processing.
Tool setting and adjustment
After installing the milling cutter, use trial cutting or tool setting tools to set the tool to determine the relative position of the milling cutter and the workpiece, set the processing coordinate system, and ensure the processing position accuracy of the groove.
Rough processing
Use a larger cutting amount to quickly remove most of the processing allowance and form the approximate shape of the groove.
Finishing
Replace a suitable finishing milling cutter, select a smaller cutting depth and feed rate, and finely process the groove according to the design size and accuracy requirements.
Quality inspection
After processing, use measuring tools such as vernier calipers, micrometers, plug gauges, angle rulers, etc. to detect the width, depth, length, angle, surface roughness and other dimensions and shape accuracy of the groove.
Types of slot milling
Right-angle slot milling
Use an end mill or a three-face milling cutter to machine a right-angle slot with a rectangular cross section on the workpiece.
Dovetail slot milling
Use a dovetail slot milling cutter to machine a dovetail-shaped cross section. It is characterized by tight fit and good stability. It is often used in machine tool guides, fixtures and other components to achieve sliding connection and positioning between parts, such as the dovetail guide of the milling machine table.
T-slot milling
First, use an end mill or a three-face milling cutter to machine a right-angle slot, and then use a T-slot milling cutter to machine the bottom transverse slot to form a T-shaped structure.
Spiral slot milling
Through the linkage of the milling machine's indexing head and the worktable, the workpiece is rotated and linearly fed, and a spiral groove is machined using an end mill or a disc milling cutter.
Circular slot milling
Use a circular milling cutter or a CNC programming to control the motion trajectory of the milling cutter to machine a circular groove on the workpiece.
Precautions for slot milling
Tool selection and installation
Choose a milling cutter of appropriate type and specification according to the shape, size and processing requirements of the groove.
Reasonable setting of cutting parameters
Reasonably select cutting parameters such as spindle speed, feed speed and cutting depth to avoid excessive wear of the milling cutter, poor surface quality of the workpiece or vibration due to improper cutting parameters.
Solid clamping of workpiece
Ensure that the workpiece is firmly and reliably clamped to avoid displacement or vibration during processing.
Safe processing operation
During processing, strictly abide by the milling machine operating procedures and wear protective equipment such as protective glasses and protective gloves. When the milling cutter rotates, it is strictly forbidden to touch the workpiece or tool with your hands to prevent safety accidents. At the same time, clean up the chips in time to avoid chips wrapping around the tool or scratching the workpiece surface.
Tool wear and replacement
Pay close attention to the wear of the milling cutter. When the tool wears to a certain extent (such as blunt blade, chipping, etc.), the tool should be replaced in time to ensure processing accuracy and surface quality. Grind and maintain the tool regularly to extend the tool life.
Application fields of slot milling
Machinery manufacturing industry
It is widely used in the processing of parts of various mechanical equipment, such as guide grooves of machine tools, keyways of gears, mounting grooves of boxes, etc., to realize the positioning, connection and transmission functions of parts, and is the basic process to ensure the normal operation of mechanical equipment.
Mold manufacturing field
It is used to process grooves in the mold cavity, parting surface, pouring system and other parts of the mold, such as the runner groove of injection molds and the exhaust groove of die-casting molds.
Automobile industry
The processing of key parts such as automobile engines, gearboxes, chassis, etc. is inseparable from the slot milling process, such as the oil channel groove of the engine cylinder block and the spline groove of the gearbox gear, which ensures the performance and assembly accuracy of automobile parts and improves the reliability and safety of automobiles.
Aerospace field
It plays an important role in the processing of mortise and tenon grooves of aircraft engine blades and the processing of connection grooves of spacecraft structural parts.
Instrument manufacturing
It is used to process grooves of the outer shell, bracket, internal structural parts of instruments and meters, such as the mounting groove of the instrument housing and the guide groove of the precision instrument guide rail, to meet the requirements of instruments and meters for accuracy, stability and sealing.
Chongqing Xuanmin Technology Co., Ltd. has been deeply engaged in the field of slotting and milling for many years. With rich experience, advanced equipment and professional technical team, it has become a trusted partner of many customers and is committed to providing you with high-quality and high-precision slotting and milling services.
Advanced processing equipment: equipped with multiple high-precision CNC milling machines, vertical machining centers and horizontal machining centers, using internationally leading CNC systems, with strong processing capabilities and high-precision motion control performance. The positioning accuracy of the equipment can reach ±0.005mm, and the repeated positioning accuracy can reach ±0.003mm, which can meet the needs of slotting and milling processing with various complex shapes and high-precision requirements.
Professional technical team: It has a professional team composed of experienced process engineers, programming engineers and skilled technical workers. Process engineers formulate the best processing technology plan according to the material, structure and technical requirements of the workpiece; programming engineers use advanced CAD/CAM software for CNC programming to ensure the accuracy of the processing trajectory; technical workers rely on superb operating skills and rich practical experience to strictly control every link in the processing process to ensure stable and reliable product quality.
Strict quality control: We have established a complete quality management system, from raw material inspection, processing monitoring to finished product inspection, and strictly control the entire process. Equipped with advanced testing equipment, such as three-coordinate measuring machines, roughness meters, image measuring machines, etc., we conduct all-round testing on each processed part to ensure that the product's dimensional accuracy, shape accuracy and surface quality meet customer requirements. At the same time, we can provide detailed quality inspection reports to ensure that you can rest assured about product quality.
Welcome friends from all walks of life to visit our factory for inspection and discuss cooperation! Here, you will witness the advanced slotting and milling equipment and rigorous quality control process, and feel our persistent pursuit of quality.
