Machining is a term used to describe a variety of methods employed by manufacturing industries to shape and finish components and products. The goal of any of these processes is to produce components that have precise and uniform dimensions and surfaces. Machining can be performed on a variety of materials, including metal, composites, plastics, ceramics and more.
The most common machining processes include milling, boring, turning, drilling, reaming, tapping and grinding. These processes can be performed on a variety of tools and machines, such as lathes, milling machines, drills and grinding machines.
Milling is a machining process where a rotating cutting tool is used to remove material from a workpiece. The process commonly involves moving the cutting tool across the surface of the workpiece in a series of passes and can create a variety of shapes and contours.
Boring is the process of enlarging a hole that has already been drilled or cast. This method is accomplished with a variety of cutting tools including, but not limited to, drill bits, hand and powered reamers and boring bars.
Turning is a process where a cutting tool is used to create a cylindrical shape by removing material from a rotating part. During turning operations, the cutting tool is fed into the part in a linear motion, creating a desired shape.
Drilling is a cutting process where a shaped rotating tool is used to create a cavity in the material. The most common example of this process is the use of a hand or powered drill to create a hole.
Reaming is a finishing process used to smooth the surface of a hole and is done with a reamer. The reamer has several cutting blades and as the tool is rotated, each blade gradually cuts away the material until a desired tolerance is achieved.
Tapping is a process used to cut internal threads in a hole. A cutting tool, known as a tap, rotates while a second tool, known as a die is used to form the threads.
Grinding is a finishing process that uses an abrasive wheel to cut away material from the surface of a part. This process can be used to create very precise components and can be used to shape various materials.
In addition to the machining processes listed above, some manufacturing processes also employ abrasive blasting, honing and polishing to further refine the surface of various components.
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