Types of metal machining: a complete guide to technologies and their application
Introduction
Metalworking is a key technological process in modern industry, without which it is impossible to imagine the production of most of the objects around us. There are many methods that make it possible to give metal workpieces the desired shape, size and high surface quality. In this guide, we will look at the main types of machining, their technologies and applications.
The purpose of any such processing is to obtain finished products or parts that exactly meet the design requirements. From simple fasteners to complex housings of high—precision mechanisms, they all go through one stage or another of metalworking. Understanding the specifics of each method allows you to make the right choice for a specific task, providing the necessary characteristics. In this article, we will look at both classic and the most modern types of processing.
Understanding these technologies is a key aspect on which the final quality depends when manufacturing parts with strict tolerances is required.
What is metal turning and what parts are made for it?
Turning is one of the most common and fundamental methods of metal machining. The essence of the method is to remove an excess layer of material from a rotating workpiece using a stationary cutting tool. As a result of this processing, the part acquires the desired shape, size and surface quality. The whole process takes place on special equipment — lathes.
Operating principle and basic operations
During turning, the workpiece is fixed in the chuck of the machine and rotates at high speed around its axis. A special cutter fixed in the holder moves in the specified directions (longitudinal or transverse), cutting off the chips and forming the part according to the drawings. This method of metal processing allows you to perform many technological operations.:
- Turning: Processing the outer and inner surfaces to create cylindrical and conical shapes.
- Drilling and boring: Creating and increasing the diameter of through or blind holes.
- Threading: Forming external or internal threads on parts using special cutters, taps or dies.
- Trimming the ends: Creating flat perpendicular surfaces at the ends of the part.
- Drilling of grooves and grooves of various shapes and depths.
What parts are made by turning?
Turning is ideal for manufacturing parts shaped like bodies of rotation. Due to its versatility,