Sources and scope for this page: Industry convention — no single governing standard (conventional usage, definitions vary between sources), covering the definition of climb vs conventional milling. No independent source check is recorded for this page: the content rests on the sources listed and on the working shown on the page. How sources, methods and updates are recorded.
Definition
In climb milling the cutter tooth moves in the same direction as the feed where it enters the work, so it starts with a thick chip and thins out. In conventional milling it starts thin and thickens.
Climb milling gives better finish, less work hardening and longer tool life, and it is the default on machines with backlash compensation. Conventional milling remains useful on manual machines with significant backlash and for rough scaly surfaces where the cutter would otherwise dig in.
Common misuse
Using climb milling on a manual machine with backlash. The table can be pulled into the cutter, breaking it.