In a vertical milling machine, what is the cutting head called and how is it oriented?

• A. The spindle is oriented vertically.
• B. The headstock is oriented horizontally.
• C. The table moves to form the cut.
• D. The workpiece is rotated by a drive.

Answer: (A)

In a vertical milling machine, the cutting tool is held in a spindle that runs straight up and down. That vertical alignment means the spindle axis is vertical, so the cutter rotates while pointing downward toward the work. The table then moves in the horizontal plane (left/right and forward/back) to position the work, and the spindle moves along the vertical axis to set depth of cut. The cutting head is essentially the spindle assembly, and in milling the term headstock is associated with lathes, not the milling setup. The idea that the table alone forms the cut is less precise, since the actual material removal comes from the rotating tool in the vertical orientation.