Wednesday, January 25, 2017

What To Know About Machining In Chicago IL

By Carl Cole


Machining is a manufacturing process that employs power tools to cut and shape raw materials into specific sizes. A controlled material-removal process is used for the cutting. Machining is one of the methods classified under subtractive manufacturing. Machining in Chicago IL is a well-developed industry with many experts and service companies operating within it. Companies and individuals hire the services of service companies when they need them at a fee.

The process of machining is also defined as a form of subtractive manufacturing in which a collection of material-working processes use power-driven machine tools to attain desired geometry in materials. The removal is done physically and some of the power tools used include drill presses, milling machines, lathes, and saws. Usually, these tools are used in combination with sharp cutting tools.

CNC is employed in many machining applications today. CNC stands for Computer Numeric Control. With CNC machines, the machines are fed with commands by the programmer so that tools are chosen automatically and parts are machined to the required shapes and sizes. Integrated into the process are CAD and CAM. The accuracy and efficiency of the process have been improved a lot by the incorporation of CAM and CAD.

Initially, machining was a process only used for the production of metal products. That has however changed due to technological advancements. Today, various materials can be machined including ceramic, plastic, glass, and wood. Similarly, composite materials can also be machined in the same manner as metals. Shapes and sizes of the end-products vary depending on the application. Common shapes are square, oval, round, hexagon, and rectangular.

It is possible to machine plates to varying thicknesses using CNC machines, including molded parts, forgings, coils, billet, and sheets. The parts produced can vary a lot in their thickness, sometimes being 0.003 inches in thickness or smaller. Most machines are designed in a way that the thickness of the parts they produce can be adjusted accordingly. Which tool is used usually depends on the kind of material being worked on.

Harder materials usually need carbide tipped tools to cut through them. The tools must be sharpened properly to ensure that accurate results are achieved. In materials that have poor thermal conductivity, good heat flow must be ensured to avoid deformation. This is more applicable to plastics and other softer materials. In most cases, chips are used to dissipate the heat that is generated from the process.

Machining is done through various types of methods. Common ones include turning, milling, thread cutting, drilling, and sawing. Because end-milling is more economical, it is often preferred over peripheral milling. If the work involves high quality requirements, then turning is the method of choice. Machining situations vary and the cutting edge must have its geometry designed to match various situations.

Drilling is used in the form of twist drills. The twist drills need to be positioned at an angle of 12 to 16 degrees. To achieve the best swarf removal, the spiral grooves must be very smooth. When drilling larger holes, it is important to drill a pilot hole first. An alternative to a pilot hole is trepanning or the use of hollow drills.




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