According to CustomPart.net, “Milling is the most common form of machining, a material removal process, which can create a variety of features on a part by cutting away the unwanted material. The milling process requires a milling machine, workpiece, fixture, and cutter.”

Milling machines can do many different things, like cutting slots, routing,  planing and drilling. You can use a milling machine to develop flat surfaces, cutting key ways and cutting gears.

CustomPart.net also writes that:

Milling is typically used to produce parts that are not axially symmetric and have many features, such as holes, slots, pockets, and even three dimensional surface contours. Parts that are fabricated completely through milling often include components that are used in limited quantities, perhaps for prototypes, such as custom designed fasteners or brackets. Another application of milling is the fabrication of tooling for other processes. For example, three-dimensional molds are typically milled. Milling is also commonly used as a secondary process to add or refine features on parts that were manufactured using a different process. Due to the high tolerances and surface finishes that milling can offer, it is ideal for adding precision features to a part whose basic shape has already been formed.

By the way, milling machines may be manually operated, mechanically automated or digitally automated via CNC (computer numerical control), according to Wikipedia.

Milling/turning machines are equipped with a variety of production enhancing attachments. They can also used in cells in order improve flexibility and productivity.

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