Milling/surfacing method and device

1. A method for milling a planar surface, comprising:

moving a milling cutter, a rotation axis of which is perpendicular to a surface to be machined, in a direction parallel to a plane of the surface so as to machine the surface to be machined in a single machining operation to a predetermined material thickness by a single milling head including two or more of sets of cutting tips distributed around the milling head, each of the sets including a first tip having a first cutting edge, a second tip having a second cutting edge, and a third tip having a third cutting edge, the cutting edges being offset radially with respect to one another at a same axial position on the milling cutter; and

the milling cutter simultaneously carrying out, in a same axial position with respect to the surface to be machined, a rough machining operation via the first tip, at least one intermediate finish machining operation via the second tip, and a finish machining operation via the third tip, to a same material thickness.

2. A cylindrical milling tool for milling a planar surface, comprising:

a tool body; and

two or more sets of cutting tips attached to the tool body, each of the sets including a first tip having a first cutting edge, a second tip having a second cutting edge, and a third tip having a third cutting edge, the cutting edges being offset radially with respect to one another at a same axial position on the milling tool, the sets being distributed around a circumference of the milling tool to jointly machine a same material thickness when the milling tool is moved parallel to the surface to be machined.

3. The milling tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first and second cutting edges overlap in a tiered manner over their entire cutting height, in projection in a diametral plane of the milling tool.

4. The milling tool as claimed in claim 3 , wherein the first edge of the first tip of each of the sets, as seen in a direction of rotation of the milling tool, is a rough machining edge, and the second edge of the second tip of each of the sets is offset successively toward an outside in a radial direction of the milling tool, to progressively machine the same material thickness.

5. The milling tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first cutting edge of the first tip of each the sets is positioned to carry out rough machining and the second cutting edge of the second tip of each of the sets is positioned to carry out finish machining of the milling.

6. The milling tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the cutting tips are removable tips inserted into tip-holder cartridges of the tool body.

7. The milling tool as claimed in claim 6 , wherein a position of the cutting tips on the cartridges is adjustable.

8. The milling tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the third tip is positioned radially between the first tip and the second tip.

9. The milling tool as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the first cutting edge of the first tip of each the sets is positioned to carry out rough machining, the third cutting edge of the third tip of each the sets is positioned to carry out intermediate finish machining, and the second cutting edge of the second tip of each of the sets is positioned to carry out finish machining of the milling.

10. The milling tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first cutting edge, the second cutting edge, and the third cutting edge each forms a different angle with a plane parallel to the surface to be machined.

11. The milling tool as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the first cutting edge forms an angle with a plane parallel to the surface to be machined that is different than an angle formed by the second cutting edge with the surface to be machined.