On a manual

milling machine Milling is the process of machining using rotary cutters to remove material by advancing a cutter into a workpiece. This may be done by varying directions on one or several axes, cutter head speed, and pressure. Milling covers a wide variety of ...

, the micrometer adjustment nut limits the depth to which the

cutting tool Cutting is the separation or opening of a physical object, into two or more portions, through the application of an acutely directed force. Implements commonly used for cutting are the knife and saw, or in medicine and science the scalpel an ...

may plunge into the workpiece. The nut is located on a

threaded rod A threaded rod, also known as a stud, is a relatively long rod that is screw thread, threaded on both ends; the thread may extend along the complete length of the rod. They are designed to be used in tension (physics), tension. Threaded rod in ba ...

on the mill head. The machine operator moves it up or down by rotating it clockwise (to move it down) or counter-clockwise (to move it up). Moving the nut down increases the depth to which the cutting tool may plunge into the

workpiece A workpiece is a piece, often made of a single material, that is being processed into another desired shape (such as building blocks). The workpiece is usually a piece of relatively rigid material such as wood, metal, plastic, or stone. After a ...

. Moving the nut up reduces the depth to which the cutting tool may plunge into the workpiece.

References

{{reflist Machine tools