A heavy, rigid machine tool designed to hold a workpiece securely while a rotating cutting tool is fed into it. They range from manual knee mills operated by handwheels to massive multi-axis CNC beds, forming the backbone of most metalworking shops.
Heard on the job
Tram the head on the manual milling machine before you start squaring up that block.
Also heard as
- mill
Related terms
Bridgeport
Shop name for any vertical turret knee mill, after the brand that made the design standard.
Machining center
An automated, computer-controlled machine tool capable of performing multiple milling and drilling operations.
Rotary table
A precision workholding device that rotates a part to exact angular positions.