Indexed Milling Procedures

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Using the Dividing Head

Topics: Indexing; Dividing head; Indexing fractions of a turn and parts of a degree; Sector arms; Selecting an index plate; Angular and differential indexing

Learning Objectives:

• Describe indexing and its uses.
• Identify the parts of a dividing head.
• List the four types of indexing you can do with a dividing head.
• Explain how to use sector arms to index fractions of a turn.
• Select the right index plate for the job.

Chapter 2: Dividing Head Setup

Topics: Dividing head center, driver, and chuck; Milling hexagons; Side and straddle milling; Setting up the dividing head; Indexing the workpiece

Learning Objectives:

• Mount a dividing head on a milling machine table.
• Mount work between a dividing head and footstock.
• Mount work in a dividing head chuck.
• Index and side mill or straddle mill a hexagonal workpiece.
• Use the dividing head to index a series of holes in a circle.

Chapter 3: Milling Spur Gears

Topics: Milling spur gear teeth; Concentricity; Aligning the workpiece; Setting up the dividing head; Indexing with a rotary table; Gear tooth calipers; Helical milling; Helix angle and pitch

Learning Objectives:

• Index spur gear teeth on a gear blank.
• Use formulas to compute gear tooth dimensions.
• Select the correct cutter for specific spur gear tooth dimensions.
• Explain how to use a rotary table.
• Use the measuring over pins technique to check the dimensions of gears.
• Define the terms helix, helix lead, helix angle, and helix pitch.

Chapter 4: Helical Milling

Topics: Using idler gears; Milling helical flutes; Indexing; Selecting and aligning the cutter; Setting depth of cut; Milling a helical gear

Learning Objectives:

• Use change gears to vary the lead of the milling machine.
• Describe the purpose of idler gears.
• Compute the lead of a helix.
• Index and mill helical teeth on a cutter.
• Index and mill helical gears

Chapter 5: Milling Cams

Topics: Cam functions; Nonpositive and positive cam systems; Uniform motion, harmonic cam systems; Incremental-cut method

Learning Objectives:

• Describe positive and nonpositive cam systems.
• Define radial cam terms such as cam lobe, uniform rise, cam rise, and cam lead.
• Mill a uniform-rise cam.
• Mill a short-lead cam.
• Mill a multilobe cam.
• Explain how to use the incremental-cut method to mill a nonuniform rise cam.

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