The manual vertical milling machine with a knee that raises the table, a ram and turret that swing and slide, a tilting head with a quill, and an R8 collet spindle. The brand became the generic name, so any similar mill from any maker gets called a Bridgeport. It is the workhorse of toolrooms, maintenance shops and training programs.
Throw it on the Bridgeport and drill the cross holes, it's not worth tying up the CNC for four parts.
Also heard as
- knee mill
- B-port
- turret mill
Related terms
Tram
To square a mill head or spindle to the table so the spindle axis is truly perpendicular.
Collet
A slotted, tapered sleeve that squeezes evenly around a tool shank or bar stock to grip it accurately.
Climb milling
Milling with the cutter rotating in the same direction as the feed, so each chip starts thick and ends thin.
Endmill
A rotating cutter with teeth on its end and sides, the main tool for milling slots, pockets and profiles.