Double Column machining centers are normally used for larger parts and machine sizes. However, smaller sized high precision milling machines may also be designed with a double column to improve their rigidity and accuracy. (Examples here include Hwacheon’s SIRIUS UM+ / UL+ / UX / 1250 / 1350 / 1750 / 2500 and L1 / L2)

To cater to manufacturers that require the flexibility of “High Mix, Low Volume” (HMLV) or “small batch” production, CNC machining centers can be fitted with Pallet Changers or other automation solutions to form part of a Flexible Manufacturing Cell (FMC) or Flexible Manufacturing System (FMS). This allows such machines to cater to a wide variety of machining demands and needs.

What are using to set the knives? With my set-up I can zip right through a knife change. I did a 3 knife 12"  DJ30 and a 4 knife 20" planer in half an hour within .001" just the other day. Of course doing it professionally meant I perfected the technique.

Hey All, Does any one use or have an opinion on straight knives vs. spiral cutterheads? I installed a “Shelix” cutterhead in my 6″ jointer and I have been a bit disappointed in the cut quality. I think that I got better cuts from the stock knives. I spoke with the company and they think that I have a bad cutterhead and they are sending me a replacement. That’s nice, but I do this for a living and don’t relish stripping don my jointer again. Half the reason for the switch was to avoid setting knives. Now I am wondering if I would of been better off going with a “dispose- a blade” or whatever it is called. I would appreciate all opinions.

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You are right about the "railroad tracks" being associated with spiral cutters... but even with non-byrd cutters you shouldn't be able to "feel" it; something must be wrong. Everything I've heard about them is positive, both service and product. I think in the end you will be satisfied.

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The table provides a solid base to clamp the work piece directly on, and can be used to mount fixtures or vice to hold the piece in place. Most of the tables use T-slots for easy clamping of vice, fixture or part.

CNC milling machines / machining centers normally employ a process of material cutting termed milling or machining – the milling process involves securing a piece of pre-shaped material (also known as the workpiece) to a fixture attached to a platform in the milling machine. A rapidly rotating tool (or a series of interchangeable tools) is then applied to the material to remove small chips of the material until the desired shape for the part is achieved.

The machine was a dream to use. It just was so much MORE of a machine than my 6 and 8 inch models as to make them seem like toys. The cutting noise was VERY diferent from my straight knife machines. I don't know how much of the difference was due to the mass of the machine absobing noise or the spiral design. The sound was smoother, much lower in frequency than my machines. I can't really say it was lower in volume. But it was far less intrusive. The combination of the sound and the absolute mass and power of the machine made it seem like the wood was effortlessly being whisked away.

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All blades lift the grain in the direction of the grainand it is this that causes tear-out.  Helical blades cut partially across the grain not directly with the grain so the forces are less likely to cause tear-out.  Also if they do cause tear-out the blades are only about 1/4 of an inch wide so if the some tear-out does occurit is not as wide and the portion not being cut helps hold the tear-out back and reduces it.  One negative factor of them is that since they are many blades across if they are not all perfectly the same height, ( blade repalcement on a head that has been used alot) you get slight iregularities in surface altitude which are easily removed with the first sanding.

Also called CNC Machining Centers, the more advanced CNC milling machines can operate along multiple-axis. These may be fitted with automatic tool changers, advanced machine coolant systems, pallet changers, and advanced software to improve the efficiency and accuracy of machining processes.

Millingmachine

The use of automatic pallet changers helps to reduce down times while increasing productivity and efficiency. They can also be deployed as part of your factory automation process (read this article for more.)

Similarly, high capacity machining centers are designed and built to cater for extreme tough materials. Such materials include Heat Resistant Stainless Steel, Inconel or Titanium – just to name a few. (Hwacheon Horizontal Machining Centers such as H6 & H8 as well as our Vertical Machining Centers such as VESTA B-series and the larger SIRIUS line of machine are designed to handle these without problem.)

Travelling Column Machining Centers (like Hwacheon’s Hi-Rex 4000 / 5000 / 6000) are CNC milling machines where the table and work piece are stationary and do not move. All the three linear axes movements made by the travelling column which includes the spindle as well as the cutting tool. These machines are specially designed for a very long but slimmer (Y-axis direction) parts or to allow for multiple-clamping applications of the workpiece.

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Haven't any of you ever used helical routerbits? Or even simpler, have you ever pared wood with a chisel or ran a jack plane across wood at an angle to get less tearout?  That is precisely the kind of cut a helical cutter is designed to do - to shear the wood fibers in an angular, slicing cut rather than a straight - on cut like standard knives.

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In general, CNC milling machines have X / Y / Z as well as additional rotational axis or C / A or B (subject to configuration). These can be programmed using g-code in the CNC controller.

Well the machine comes with a "jig" that sets over the knives and against the housing; springs are used to provide "feed-back".

Thus, a CNC milling machine use a spinning tool with a stationery work piece, whereas a CNC Lathe would involve spinning the material to be worked on by a stationery cutting tool.

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When you consider the right CNC milling machine for your machining needs, it is useful to consider your specific requirements in terms of your machined part dimensions, complexity of its shape and design, need for accuracy, as well as the machine longevity and stability.

Most CNC machining centers have a coolant tank to help supply coolant to the cutting surface or the spindle with tool during machining action. This helps to lengthen the life-span of the machine and its parts. Beyond this, the coolant will also remove heat generated by the machining action, and hence keep temperatures under control.

What about the HSK System? It is lighter (good for HSC machining), shorter (good for faster tool change), and stronger than the BT system (a HSK-A63 holder is 2.5 times stronger than a BT 50 holder). The HSK System also offers excellent balancing (Class Q 2.5). Due to the strong and powerful clamping from inside to outside, the bonding between the tool holder and the spindle is ideal for heavy duty operations, heavy cuts or extremely high-speed operations at the same time.

From a simple physics point of view, helical cutterheads HAVE to cut with less tearout.  If it does tearout with little difference, then the cutterhead is out of adjustment, not as sharp as it should be, or the helical twist rate is too shallow.  Be careful of some so-called "helical" heads that simply have staggered tooth, but straight cutters.  Its got to be true helical.

CNC Milling Machines are machine operated cutting tools that are programmed and managed by Computer Numerical Control (CNC) systems to accurately remove materials from a workpiece. The end result of the machining process is a specific part or product that is created using a Computer Aided Design (CAD) software.

For example, if a machine needs to cater to a size of 2 metres in X and 1.5 m in Y dimensions with an 8,000 RPM spindle and which is good enough to reach 50-75 micron accuracy, it may cost up to USD 200,000. The same-sized machine to achieve 10-15 micron accuracy will cost USD 350,000 to USD 450,000, while a similar-sized machine that can achieve 3-5 micron in accuracy – aka a “Mother Machine” – will cost upwards of USD 1.5 million and above.

Beyond this, you should ensure that your machine has an effective lubrication and cooling system. It should also be temperature safe, and have the ability to avoid heating up – overheating will result in temperature growths and deformations during extended machining cycles.

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The advice I got from other spiral head cutter owners regarding reduction of tear out was I could expect a little improvement, but not that much to make a decision on that alone. The machine I used had an indexed head. I didn't get to test that feature but the owner told me the ability to rotate a new cutting surface into position was a big reason he uses the design. Each cutter has four sharp edges. When one edge is dull, a new one can easily be put in cutting position. This apparently saves a lot on down time for sharpening and setting knives.

These come in many different sizes, systems and for various applications. The standard sizes for tool holders are BT 30 to BT 40 and BT 50 (BT refers to the taper angle of the cone on the holder).

I tighten the end screws just a bit and push them down slowly. I usually go .005" in at each side until I get to within .005 of where I want them to be then nudge them a few thousandths at a time. I typically have them just tight enough where I can still tap them down with a block of wood and a small hammer. I also know how much they will move when I do the final tightening.  Most of the time I've got the tension judged right so it doesn't move when I tighten the screws. I use dial indicator with a special base and a 1/2" convex button tip. I have a small tripod and indicator for smaller head planers. I typically always start the knives high and bring them down. Many heads don't have adjusters so I don't bother with them even if the head has them.

In the past, milling machines were manually operated. Operators had to use a combination of machines with different tools to machine a more complex part or product. Or they had to use various settings on one machine just to complete the job.

I am very interested in any equipment that can plane and thickness woods with wild grain such as curly maple, but I really can't see how a helical head is going to be noticeably better than a conventional head. The cutting action is still going to be against the grain half the time, and that is the cause of tearout. I'm not planning to use any woods of this type until I have a decent sanding machine

In the case of a CNC Lathe (aka CNC Turning Center), however, the work piece (usually cylindrical) is mounted on a rotating chuck or on the main spindle. It is then “turned” (hence the name turning Center) or rotated along a main axis while the cutting tool located in a rotational or positioning turret would move in a parallel direction to the piece. Material is then removed using stationery cutting tools.

Also known as HSC machines, high speed machining centers can be used to achieve not only the highest surface finishes for the machined part, but to handle tools with extremely small diameters – as little as 0.030 mm in diameter or smaller.

To keep your spindle in good condition over the long-term, various forms of lubrication are used. They may include Grease Lubrications (not suitable for long durations of high speed operations), Air-Oil Lubrications (sufficient for longer cycle runs at higher speeds) or the Hwacheon Oil-Jet-Lubrication (ideal for all conditions – even extreme, long and high speed applications).

The price of a CNC milling machine or machining center varies significantly. They can be below USD 50,000 to several millions for one unit, depending on the different components and complexity that goes into the unit.

I have used a Grizzly 12" jointer with the Grizzly indexed cutter head. This is my only direct experience with such a machine, but I asked the same question you have of several owners of other spiral head machines.

Ultimately, in choosing the right CNC milling machine for your factory, you need to lend the utmost importance to the overall machine’s mechanical design. The spindle needs to be only be powerful but provide high torque and sufficient RPM for your machining needs.

Yes, it is the Byrd cutter head. It seems to be a very nicely machined product, but again, the results were less than spectacular. Hopefully the new head will solve the problem. On the up side, Byrd has been VERY responsive. No questions, no send us the old one back first, jusy we'll send you a new one. Not bad for a $350.00+ item, unless the problem is so common that they are used to it by now. We'll see. The fellow who posted about the "Woodmaster", I like em too, but they are pricey. Woodmaster is offering a spiral head now although I don't know what the upcharge is.

I have been working on a production of custom maple picture frames and have been very interested in eliminating tear out which has been a persistent problem.

The columns of the CNC machining center can be single (eg travelling column HiRex 4000 or also C-Frame like HiT 400 / 360; VESTA line including “B”; SIRIUS-650 / 850 / 1050) or double (SIRIUS 1250 / 2500 / L1 / L2). This depends on the level of complexity needed in the machining task.

An important part of the frame is the machine headstock where the main spindle is mounted on. The headstock, while important, is often overlooked. If the headstock is not rigid and fails to provide stability and support to the spindle, you could get vibrations and chattering during the machining operation. This could result in machining errors and a shorter lifespan to your cutting tool.

Vertical Machining Centers (VMCs) can normally take the shape of a C-Frame, which is a traditional design for a VMC. These are limited to a certain machine size – beyond this, the overhang of the spindle and overall machine floor space required may become too big.

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The BBT version is an up-graded version of the standard BT system providing double contact points between the tool holder and spindle. As such, it connects and bonds more strongly, provides significantly less vibrations as the tool holders are balanced to class Q 2.5. This improves not only the machining capabilities and results of your machine tool, but provides better surfaces to your part / mould, extends your tool life and lastly saves spindle replacements in the long run as bearings will last longer.

I know this is a lower end unit; no where near the quality of my SCM planer w. tersa head... but when it is set, it does what a jointer is supposed to do.

Difference betweenCNC lathe and CNC milling

I don't know about the new heads, but I read with interest the posts on them so far. I have a 15" planer with a regular head, and have the problem with tearout on figured wood. I had a job a while back that called for curly maple. I called around and found someone with a thickness sander to help me out on the rough lumber, but he also had a Woodmaster. He took the infeed speed to just creeping, and the maple ran through with NO tearout. Came out as smooth as the proverbial baby's butt. So, that is the machine on the top of my wish list.

These are either mounted at the column or separately mounted to the machine. The latter is preferred if larger tool changers are needed with 40 up to 300 different tools. Doing so not only helps to save time and effort – it also helps your operators to avoid unnecessary vibrations during operation.

Most CNC milling machines come in the standard 3-axis up to 5-axis for machining very complex shapes (ie mold & die) or complex parts which need to be positioned in various angles. With multiple axis, the machining on up to five faces are provided in a single setting.

You raise an interesting question. Helical cutterheads are now an option on many jointers down to 6 inch, and on 15 inch and up planers. Some of the ads are claiming much reduced tear-out with these heads. The heads are expensive, running from $400 up to $1200 for small shop equipment. As I am now about to buy a new jointer and planer, and am seriously considering equipping both with these cutterheads, I would like to see some posts from those that are using them. The essential question is " Do they reduce tear-out in figured wood beyond that obtainable with 4-knife heads?". The cost of equipping a 15" planer with a shelix design head is within $200 of the initial cost of the planer. I do not want to find after purchase, that the surface finish improvement is not there, or is actually worse. Curley maple and birdseye are tough to finish free of tearout on a 3 knife cutterhead, even after back beveling the blades, and wetting the board slightly before planing a light (1/32) pass. I would expect the 4 knife heads are somewhat better, and the ads would have me believing the helical heads are better still. It would be nice to hear from those with experience with these, either good or bad. Thanks.

You have the machine I think that I should of gotten. The problem I am having is that I am getting "railroad tracks" down the length of the peice after jointing. They are not real pronounced, but they are there just the same. Byrd said that this not uncommon and that look is to be expected with a spiral, but I can feel them and they said that is NOT normal and will send me a new head. At this point, I am pretty sceptical of the whole spiral thing. With the stock knives on the PM, I barely had to sand, right now I DEFINITELY have to sand. I don't consider that an improvement. So, if that is the case I'd rather find out on a $350.00 6" head than a $1500.00 20" head. Do you use the "Dispoz-a-Blade" or stock knives?

So what are the different parts of a CNC Milling Machine or Machining Center? The diagram below provides a breakdown of its main components.

Depending on the material used for the part, as well as the complexity of the machined part, varying axes, cutting head speeds, and feed rates may be applied.

Focused on milling – the process of machining using rotating tools to gradually remove material from a workpiece – CNC milling machines are a mainstay for factories around the world. These machine tools make use of a variety of cutting tools along one or more axes to remove material from a workpiece through mechanical means.

(In Europe, the term used is SK 30, SK 40 or SK 50, which has the same angle as BT holder but with an additional orientation groove at the flange. Together with a key-stone mounted at spindle nose, SK holders can be orientated in a specific position. Eg.: boring bridges, boring bars, angular milling heads etc.)­­­

For a CNC milling machine (aka CNC machining center), the work piece is fixed or mounted in position using a vice or fixture while the cutting tool is manoeuvred on top of or around the piece. Material is then gradually removed using cutting tools or drills which rotate at high speed with varying feed rates along two or more axes.

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These machine tools are normally equipped with a main spindle and three-linear-axes to position or move the part to be machined. More advanced versions may have a 4th or 5th rotational axis to allow for more precise shapes of varying dimensions and sizes to be machined.

The general principle for a CNC milling machine or CNC machining center is that the part to be machined is clamped on top of the machine table. It could be clamped directly on the table itself, or held in place by a vice or fixture.

CNC milling machines are often used in a variety of manufacturing industries: from industries like aerospace, shipping, automobiles, and oil drilling / pumping and refining, to medical, FMC manufacturing, and precision engineering sectors.

Carbide lasts a long time but HSS yields a sharper edge initially. Carbide is usually used by shops that deal with woods like teak or epoxy glue-ups.  As far as is it worth it...that's up to you to crunch the numbers.  I get good cuts on wild grain with my straight knives and can change them in a few minutes so I'm not gonna spend the money.

In general, CNC milling machines can deploy a wide range of cutting and shaping tools. These tools help to remove material by virtue of how they move within the machine or directly from the cutter’s shape.

I've got the 8" G0500 Grizzly with 4 knives. Does a nice job; tolerances are okay; I back beveled to handle some wild grain. Although it worked well, jointing was a lot more effort; and made the machine work harder. I recently resharpened the blades and spent way too long tweaking them; getting them set within .002". By the time I was done, I was ready to spend the money to get the Byrd head.

Often equipped with Pallet Changers, vertical or horizontal double or multi-spindle machining centers are top-end CNC milling machines. These are made to achieve optimal yields in productivity and are designed for the mass production of complex parts.

There are many different variations and types of CNC Milling Machines – from simple two to three axes machines to multi-axis CNC machining centers. Generally speaking, the main variations are either Vertical or Horizontal machining centers.

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Oliver and I think Powermatic have a HSS shear cut head which is pretty new and innovative... http://www.olivermachinery.net/Products/4270-16Jointer.html

edit:  Been to google and learned some things.  Now understand that "Byrd" = true helical = SHELIX.  Understand the concept.  Now the $$ question.  For a guy that does hobby WW and almost always hand scrapes whatever comes off the jointer and planer, is the helical head worth the investment?

What is a CNC Milling Machine and how does it work? How do CNC milling machines compare to CNC Lathes? When do you need such a CNC machine tool?

This is the main “nervous system” of the machine tool. It contains the electronics that helps to control the different cutting actions through programming functions. The control panel has a CNC monitor and programming buttons where data and codes can be punched in. It usually also offers a manual function. For ease of machine operation, the control panel should be easily accessible and within easy reach.

On Horizontal CNC milling machines, pallets are also available with Tap-holes. These allow greater flexibility in moving different work pieces to be machined. Increasingly, magnets are also being used for easy, fast and secured clamping. These should preferably be built into the machines table to avoid the loss of Z-axis height.

With the advancement of technology such a CNC controls and Automatic Tool Changers (ATCs), greater efficiency, flexibility and speed can be achieved – even for more convoluted parts. The provision of digital readouts and measuring systems has also improved the accuracy of CNC machining processes.

To hold a sufficient amount of coolant for cutting operations, the rule here is “the more, the better.” More coolant helps machine operators to avoid the warming up of coolant.

The owner said the machine was a "no brainer" and at less than $3500 had paid for itself immediately. It is marvelously productive. I watched his employee flatten 4/4 and 8/4, 13 footers, 6 to 10 inches wide. Boards that I couldn't even comfortably move around. Of course, that had nothing to do with the spiral cutterhead.

edit again:  Grizzly has "spiral" cutter head, which I now realize is way different (in theory at least) than the helical or SHELIX as marketing by Byrd.  From reading the posts on this thread I get the idea that the spiral offers minor improvement over the straight knives and the helical offers a big improvement over the spiral as it really skews the cutting edge to the surface.  Again, any insights you might offer would be welcome.  Thanks!

I'll try a google for "Byrd Cutter Head" and see what comes up but your insights would be appreciated.  I am going to purchase an 8" jointer and am considering the "head" options.

Milling is normally used to machine parts that are not symmetrical from an axial perspective. These parts may have unique curvatures or surface contours, which may require a combination of drilling & tapping, grooves, slots, recesses, pockets and holes to work on them. They may also form parts of the tooling for other manufacturing processes – for example in the fabrication of 3D moulds.

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The frame is the main structure that supports the milling machine and helps to give it stability and rigidity. It usually comes with a base and detachable column/s.

There are many companies that deal in CNC milling machines and machining centers. As South Korea’s leading machine tool manufacturer, Hwacheon Machine Tools offers a wide range of CNC milling machines and 5-axis machining centers that are available in different sizes and configurations to meet your needs.

The spindle can be considered as the “heart” of a CNC milling machine. It normally comprises a rotating assembly, and a tapered section where tool holders may be positioned. The shaft of the spindle is normally where the tool is attached to, usually via a tool holder.

Both the BBT and HSK versions offer far stiffer and more rigid bonding between the tool holder and spindle as these systems come with double contact clamping (i.e. between the caper / cone and front spindle nose surface).

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Machines that are made for milling simple parts with lower accuracy standards are normally much lower in price (and features) compared to those used for mold & die applications which require the highest accuracy and production standards.

Depending on your factory’s need, machining centers with different guide ways may be needed. CNC milling machines with Box Guide Ways can normally provide greater stability and damping – these help to minimize any vibration or movement. If faster and more dynamic movements are required, the use of large dimensioned Linear Roller Guide Ways can be considered.

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Attention needs to be given if tools with larger coolant hole diameters are used. Such machining needs may require a High Pressure – High Flow Rate Pump to be used.

But I don't believe you will find a significant difference regarding tear out and other problems associated with a rotary cutterhead and problem grain. The spiral cutter will cut down on noise, mainly because knives are always in the wood and the loud component of the noise caused by the entire width of a straight blade hitting the tissue is reduced. I believe the tear out improvement is wishful thinking or mostly hype from the manufacturers. But some spiral heads may be better than others.

The spindle (moving section) including the cutting tool is then either vertically or horizontally positioned. In that configuration, the tool can reach various X-Y-Z positions on the work piece and commence cutting and shaping actions. As it does so, the work piece or part may either be fixed, mounted, or moved/positioned by the table in a linear direction to the spindle with the cutting tool. This allows material to be removed according to the desired shape needed for the machined part.

Generally, the CTS system or Coolant Through Spindle is recommended for deeper drilling operations (deeper than 4 x diameter) or when one is machining deeper cavities in mould & die applications. The standard should be 30bar with options of up to 70bar in coolant pressure. Only very specific applications would require even higher coolant pressures.

I cut as much hard maple as I was able in about 15-20 minutes. Truth be told, the tear-out seemed no different than I am getting on my straight blade equipment.

Thanks for the feed back. Your setup tools are better than mine. I have a Starrett magnetic base with dial indicator and a couple of other dial indicators but i need to get a better tip; but my problem is not the tip; but obviously my technique. The way you describe it, is about the way i ended up doing things. I'm done with it for several weeks; i'll do a better job next time... but the shelix byrd head may still be the way to go.

I don't have any problem getting them set to tolerances... but when i tighten up the gib bolts, i'm no longer within tolerances... very frustrating... so i use the jack screws and "anticipate" the amount of movement the tightening will cause. If i didn't have to do that, yes, i could be done in 30 minutes, rather than 2 hours.