2+3: Greater Than 5
2+3 machining of die and mold components is more accurate and often faster than full 5-axis machining.
Operation / Process
Machining
Staying Sharp August 2008
Staying Sharp, Manager's Desk, Back to Basics, Machine Technology, Part Time, Shop Operations, Ask the Grinding Doc
Flex Time for Grinders
Multifunction grinders, which include other machining operations, enable shops to complete parts in a single setup, among other benefits.
New Grind
Grinding round HSS cutting tools can be more efficient than milling them. Being able to dress new hybrid metal/polyimide-bond wheels on the grinder adds to the efficiency.
High-speed wire act
Cutting Tool Engineering captured a brief demonstration of the FI 240 CC high-speed wire EDM machine at the GF AgieCharmille booth during the EASTEC show this spring.
Staying Sharp July 2008
Staying Sharp, Manager's Desk, Part Time, Machine Technology, Shop Operations, Get with the Program, Machinist's Corner
Striving for Consistency
Reliably drilling high-quality holes in ductile cast iron requires understanding the material's structure, avoiding problems such as core shifting, keeping machining temperatures down and other considerations.
Calculated Grinding
Parts manufacturers can calculate the optimal parameters when grinding with superabrasive wheels to achieve high material-removal rates and more consistent results.
PCD in the Fast Lane
Improving medium-grade PCD for high-speed milling, including interrupted milling of high-silicon aluminum.
Bantam Broaching
Manufacturers use broaching to make small parts for medical and aerospace applications.
Chips Happen
When single-point boring, parts manufacturers can break and control the long chips from low-carbon steels by taking into account setup, cutting parameters, nose radii and insert shape and sharpness.
Now Hear This
Grinding machine operators are able to listen to the processes via acoustic emission (AE) monitoring systems and use the information to shorten cycle times and minimize wheel loss from dressing. But, AE sensors need to be positioned to deal with interfering background noise.