Abstract The implementation and selection of cutter path strategies and orientations when milling is particularly critical in the aerospace and mould and die industries. Proper selection can lead to substantial savings in machining time, improvement of workpiece surface quality and improvement in tool life, thereby leading to overall cost reduction and higher productivity. The paper identifies and reviews three main areas of literature studies namely analytical analysis on plane milling, entrance and exit effects of the cutter motion and inclined milling effects.