Metal Milling Machines: Universal and CNC

How to choose a metal milling machine

A milling machine cuts faces, slots, shoulders and contours, and drills and bores holes in prismatic and plate parts. The LUNA catalog carries German FPS machines and machines under our own LUNA brand, made in China: from the compact FPS 300M with a 600×210 mm table to the LUNA Perseus RV with tables up to 3000×6000 mm and loads up to 30 t.

Five types, from a manual machine to a machining center

The types differ in who moves the axes and changes the tool — the operator or the program.

What to compare

• Axis travel, not just the table. The table can be longer than the travel: the LUNA Perseus 850Q CNC has a 1000×500 mm table but 850 mm of X travel. Check that every surface of the part falls within the X/Y/Z travel in one setup, together with the vise or clamps.
• Spindle taper. ISO 40, SK40 and BT40 are used on the mid-size FPS machines and the Perseus Q machining centers. ISO 50 and BT50 are on the heavier LUNA Perseus U5750 and the RV series, for large face mills. The taper also decides which holders and chucks you will have to buy with the machine.
• Power and speed. From 1.4/1.8 kW on the FPS 300M to 30/36 kW on the Perseus 3060RV CNC. High speeds — up to 10,000 rpm on the Perseus Q — suit small-diameter cutters and aluminium; large cutters in steel need low speed and torque.
• Control. A digital readout, cycles on the control panel, or full CNC. On FPS CNC machines you choose the control, Siemens or Heidenhain — take the one your operators know and your CAM software has a post-processor for.
• Table load and machine weight. The Perseus 850Q table carries up to 600 kg, the U5750 up to 1800 kg, the Perseus RV 22–30 t. The machine itself weighs from about 770 kg for the FPS 300M to 6200 kg for the Perseus 1100Q CNC — allow for this in the floor, doors and unloading.

Milling machine or drilling-milling machine

If most of the work is holes and milling is occasional, a drilling machine with a cross table is enough. These MAXION models are in the drilling-milling machines section: a Morse taper spindle with a quill, drilling up to Ø35 mm, milling as a secondary operation. A milling machine is more rigid, has an ISO or BT taper and feeds on the axes — milling is its main job.

Common mistakes

• Choosing by table size without checking axis travel and the spindle-to-table distance.
• Buying CNC for simple one-off parts: a universal machine with a digital readout or cycles is easier to learn and needs no programmer.
• Budgeting for the machine only: holders, vises, clamps and cutters for the spindle taper are a separate line in the budget.

Send a drawing or a description of the part, the material, dimensions and monthly quantity — we will select the type and model, tooling, delivery and commissioning. If you are replacing a Soviet-era machine, try the AI analog finder with its model name. For holes and threads without milling, see drilling machines; for shafts and bushings, lathes.