Milling

CNC milling is a machining process used to remove material subtractively. Material is removed by rotating the milling tool around its axis at high speed. We use portal milling machines to mill molded parts from sheets and to manufacture tools. During milling, a drilling head is moved along the X-Y-Z axes to machine the workpiece. In particular, this method can be used to produce straight surfaces, 3D bodies and drill holes. To create a milling program, we use CAM programs for numerical control. This enables us to achieve a high level of precision and to produce automatically and reliably. Automatic tool changers enable various machining steps to be carried out quickly.
Illustration eines Fräskopfes

Special Properties of Plastic, Fleece and Wood

Unlike many other companies, we generally do not process metals, but plastics, nonwovens and wood. This differs in the type of milling machines we use, but also in the milling heads and the required material knowledge.

  • 4-Axis Milling

    Milling with 4 axes and 5 axes differs mainly in the complexity of the movements and the flexibility in the machining of components. With 4-axis milling, the workpiece is usually moved in three linear axes (X, Y, Z) and one of the rotating axes (usually the B or A axis). It is ideal for simple to medium machining operations, such as milling straight surfaces, grooves or holes. The movements along the X, Y and Z axes are sufficient here.

  • 5-Axis Milling

    With 5-axis milling, the workpiece is moved in three linear axes (X, Y, Z) and two rotating axes (e.g. A and B). This enables fully flexible machining, in which the workpiece can be positioned at almost any angle to the milling machine. 5-axis milling offers far greater flexibility and precision when machining complex geometries, as workpieces can be machined at multiple angles. It is particularly suitable for complex contours, underhangs or overhangs that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with a 4-axis machine.

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Ein Fräskopf fährt über Plattenmaterial und fräst Teile aus.

Technical Details

Working Size

4-Axis Milling: 2050 x 3050 x 270 mm

5-Axis Milling: 2205 x 3100 x 378 mm

Optimizing Milling

The basis for the best milling results is to fix the part or the board to be milled, for example using a multi-zone vacuum table. This way we can create warp-free workpieces. A milling head used for plastic is very sharp and moves extremely quickly. There are special spindles specially designed for plastics. Consistent cooling of tools and workpieces via minimum lubrication or spray cooling is necessary for plastic milling, since these can melt even at low temperatures. This requires a precise adaptation of the milling head to the material. Since plastics are very different, it is often necessary to test here to find the optimal combination of moving speed and rotation.

How Milling Works

Precise Coordination and Programming

Every project and every material is individual and we also map this process with us. To do this, we combine CAM-controlled programming with test trials in order to find the optimal processing.

  • CAM-Programming

    We program in 2D and 3D depending on the geometry of the part to be manufactured.

  • Prototype Tests

    After the first programming, we create prototypes to identify problem areas that modeling on the computer does not show. We only go into production with an error-free program.

  • Milling in Series

    With the knowledge from the first two steps, we then create the final program and save it permanently to ensure repetition security - this ensures repeatability for future runs.

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