The finishing operation that produces finished surfaces, with the maximum precision. Milling of platics that can be applied to flat surfaces, slots, grooves, holes and shoulders.
Milling is a finishing operation that removes excess material from the surface of an article. It is characterized by high precision. Generally, milling is carried out in two phases: in the first one, the surface to finish is subject to a gross, quick finishing, that removes the main part of the excess material; in the second one, the surface is milled with the highest precision until the requested dimensions are reached.
The milling is carried out with:
- simple units
- complex CNC units.
There are three important parameters in the milling: the milling depth, the tool speed and the advancement of the tool. These three parameters are set each time judging different factors: material to mill, shape of the surface to mill, quantity of the article to produce and price.
The heat generated by the friction of the milling tool on the surface can heat up the article and damage it, since thermoplastics generally have a low thermal conductivity. It is then fundamental to calibrate the parameters of the milling speed and of the tool advancement also to keep the article temperature low during the milling.
It is possible to mill the various surfaces that an article can have, such as flat surfaces, slots, grooves, holes and shoulders. Depending on the surface, the most suitable milling option is chosen among the following ones:
- front milling
- peripheral milling
- circumferential milling
The articles that we can mill can be produced by means of injection moulding, extrusion moulding, compression moulding, thermoforming, blow moulding, suction 2D/3D (2k) and rotational moulding.
Among the articles milled by the customized machines of GS Finishing Machines we can name suction manifolds of the engine and all articles that need a coupling/matching surface finished with high precision.