In a milling setup, which components typically rotate?

• A. Spindle only
• B. Cutting tool only
• C. Cutting tool and spindle
• D. Workpiece only

Answer: (C)

In milling, the cutting action comes from the rotating cutting tool driven by the spindle. The spindle provides the rotational speed and torque, and the cutting tool is mounted in the spindle, so it rotates as well. The workpiece is typically clamped to the machine table and held stationary in rotation during standard milling; material is removed as the rotating tool advances across or into the workpiece.

That’s why the combination of the tool and the spindle is the correct choice: both rotate to enable cutting, while the workpiece usually does not rotate. There are special setups, like using a rotary table, where the workpiece can rotate, but in a typical milling operation the tool (via the spindle) does the spinning.