Climb Milling is generally the best way to machine parts today since it reduces the load from the cutting edge, leaves a better surface finish, and improves tool life. During Conventional Milling, the cutter tends to dig into the workpiece and may cause the part to be cut out of tolerance.

As machinists are always trying to find ways to increase efficiency and tool life, climb milling has gotten a lot of recent traction in the space. Less heat is generated within the tool, and friction is more easily mitigated. These two alone lead to longer tool life, allowing for more parts completed per tool, lowering a shops bottom line. Also, climb milling can lead to a better surface finish due to how the chips are formed at the cutting edge.

With more modern machines now compensating for backlash or utilize backlash eliminators, it has become a much easier strategy to adopt within shops. While we went over some reasons why climb milling is not an effective strategy above, here are some reasons why a machinist may want to explore climb milling:

• Chip width starts from maximum and decreases so heat generated will more likely transfer to the chip
• Creates cleaner shear plane which causes the tool to rub less and increases tool life
• Chips are removed behind the cutter which reduces the chance of chip recutting
• Downwards forces in horizontal milling is created that helps hold the workpiece down, less complex work holdings are need when coupled with these forces
• Horizontal milling is when the center line of the tool is parallel to the work piece