What type of machining involves removing material from a workpiece to create flat surfaces?

Milling is a machining process specifically designed to remove material from a workpiece to create flat surfaces. In milling, a rotating cutter moves across the surface of the workpiece, allowing for precise and controlled shaping of the material. This process can produce a variety of flat features, such as slots, grooves, and flat surfaces, depending on the design of the cutter and the parameters used during the machining process.

The key aspect of milling is its capacity to create complex geometries and flat surfaces very effectively, which is essential in many manufacturing applications. Other machining processes serve different purposes, such as turning, which primarily shapes cylindrical parts, or drilling, which creates holes. Grinding, while also capable of achieving flat surfaces, is typically used for finishing processes to refine surface roughness rather than for initial material removal.