Today’s industrial manufacturers, who produce a variety of parts, components, and products, rely heavily on a range of mechanical machining processes to shape and form needed materials. Whether they are cutting an intricate series of parts or drilling large holes, the process is critical to the success of the product. Here are four basic, but essential concepts of mechanical machining for successful processing.
1. Cutting Materials:
The most fundamental concept of mechanical machining involves cutting. This is the process of removing material from a workpiece to create a desired shape or feature. There are a variety of methods to cut materials, such as drilling, turning, milling and grinding. Each process has its own advantages and are used depending on the part requirements.
2. Chip Formation:
For any cutting process, the removal of material leads to the formation of “chips,” which are pieces of the starting material that are removed from the workpiece in the course of the process. The shape, size, and type of chip formation depends on the cutting process, tool type, and material being cut.
3. Tool Design and Selection:
Choosing the correct tool and properly designing it is vitally important to the success of mechanical machining. Depending on the material and size of part, different tool types and cutting methods are better suited than others. Finding the right combination of tool, cutting method, and machine setup is critical.
4. Heat Management:
Mechanical machining typically generates a large amount of heat due to the constant friction caused by the cutting process. Careful management of this heat is necessary to avoid tool wear and warping of materials. Coolant systems and appropriate cutting speeds should be used to help keep heat under control.
In conclusion, these four concepts of mechanical machining are essential for successful machining processes. Understanding the principles that come into play during industrial cutting and designing the right cutting tool is paramount for any production run. Achieving the desired shape of the machined part requires skill and experience, and these four concepts should be kept in mind at all times.