Introduction
With the multitude of CNC machines on the market, there is no doubt that a horizontal mill is a primary staple that you will find in majority of machining stores. In this article we want to specifically talk about the following:
What is a Horizontal Mill?
What are the advantages of using a Horizontal Mill?
Where can you go to Purchase a Horizontal Mill?
With that being said, let’s start off by first defining and understanding what a horizontal mill is.
What is a Horizontal Mill?
A horizontal mill is simply a machining tool which has a spindle that is parallel to the worktable that is used to cut and refine workpieces. Due to the machine's orientation and capabilities, a horizontal mill is ideal for machining metal products in industrial applications and even more ideal for creating metal sheets. Horizontal mills also are better suited for industrial applications due to their inherently thicker cutting tools. These thicker tools allow horizontal mills to perform both heavier and deeper cuts and therefore, flourish when cutting grooves or slots within workpieces.
In terms of the main components, a horizontal mill consists of the following:
Table (Secures the workpiece in place in order to ensure stability and prevention of damage during machining process)
Column (Aligns and supports the machine)
Base (Aligns and supports the machine)
Saddle (Provides movement along the Y-axis)
Knee (Helps with positioning the workpiece)
Spindle (Holds the tool in the horizontal orientation. It is mounted with the cutting tool in order to facilitate accurate cuts)
What are the Advantages of Using a Horizontal Mill?
Moving on, we now take a look at some of the most notable advantages of using a horizontal milling machine in your unique CNC and manufacturing processes.
Advantage #1 - Reduced Cost Due to Ease of Use
When it comes to the machining process, it is undoubtable to deny the heavy labor costs associated with manual chip removal. As you machine a workpiece, more often than not, chips can get in the way which can severely impact the overall reliability and quality of your cuts. Fortunately, due to the orientation of horizontal mills chips fall away which allow the risk of chip accumulation to be avoided. This leads to a longer tool life, reduced labor costs, and more consistent and quality final product.
Advantage #2 - Freed Up Workspace
In addition to the reduced labor cost, horizontal mills are also better options if you are looking to maximize your workspace. Due to the horizontal nature of the machine as well as its capability to replace three vertical machines because of its more efficient production capabilities, you can expect a smaller machine footprint with the utilization of a horizontal mill. This in the long-run is ideal for saving significantly on work space and can help reduce the need for more capital intensive investments such as workplace relocation or expansion.
Advantage #3 - Horizontal Mills are Ideal for Larger Projects
Although vertical mills are also capable of completing larger projects, there is no doubt that horizontal mills are better suited for this. This is largely attributed to the following reasons:
Thicker cutting tools allows for deeper cuts
Spindle orientation allows for more versatility in how workpieces are machined and cut
Horizontal mills machine one product at a time, which allows it to be extremely efficient and effective at machining workpieces with high levels of precision.
Advantage #4 - Higher speed, capacity, durability and Precision
Another advantage of horizontal mills is that they operate at much faster speeds and are capable of performing multiple cuts simultaneously. Additionally, due to the higher speeds and efficiency of horizontal mills, this facilitates long production runs which allows for higher capacity and larger production orders to be completed. Given that horizontal mills are built for performing large projects, it also makes them built with the intention of durability kept in mind, in order to deal with heavier and larger materials. Lastly, horizontal mills offer superior precision which is largely attributed to the tight geometric tolerance and computer-enabled cuts.
Where can you go to Purchase a Horizontal Mill?
Now that you understand what a horizontal mill is and the advantages of using one,, you might be wondering where can you go about buying one? Fortunately at Gizmo Machine Tools, we currently have a variety of options for many horizontal mill tools if you are looking to buy a horizontal milling machine.
As a Canadian corporation we service internationally in buying, selling and trading of machinery. With over 18 years of experience in the manufacturing industry our company focuses on providing customers with an alternative to expensive new machinery, when tooling up for a job or replacing existing capital equipment. If you have any questions or require assistance feel free to contact us today and we would love to help!