Machining

Tool chatter is one of the biggest obstacles to effective machining that job nshops face. The author discusses the sources of chatter and offers nsuggestions for minimizing it.

People in the aerospace industry expect a lot from reamers. The author, an nengineer who works for a manufacturer of aerospace components, discusses nstrategies for job shops interested in developing a precision reaming nprogram.

Switching from a brazed-tip trepanning tool to an indexable-insert tool nreduced downtime for a manufacturer of cast iron cylinder heads by 45 nminutes. And, incredibly, the price-per-piece dropped so much that the ncompany could save $690,000 annually.

A rotary table allows a 3-axis vertical machining center to machine in the n4th and 5th axes. The author explains the different types of rotary tables nthat are available and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each.

As the government publishes ever-stricter regulations for metalworking fluids, more shops try dry machining. The author examines the cost benefits of machining dry and looks at the various types of tool materials designed to enhance dry-machining applications.

Creep-feed grinding is not as popular a process as it was predicted to become in the late 1980s. But a machine shop that specializes in CF grinding has found great success by using the process. The shop's owner and other CF-grinding experts contend that as workpiece tolerances become tighter and manufacturers begin using more exotic workpiece materials, CF grinding will grow in popularity.

A detailed description of a combination drill that machines six different nhole diameters. Used on a dedicated drilling machine that drills cast iron ncylinder heads, it was developed over a number of years.

Dry milling and turning grow in popularity day by day, but dry drilling is nanother matter. Because of the nature of drilling, it's more difficult to nperform this operation without coolant.

The CNCs on many lathes don't have drill-pecking cycles.

Author describes what he's learned about turning hardened steel. Discussed are the machine tools needed as well as PCBN and ceramic inserts.

Three companies that tap millions of holes annually offer advice for improving the tapping of steel and aluminum. Discussed is coolant application, equipment for tapping and determining speeds. There's also a sidebar on thread milling.

The manufacturer of the most widely used fire-hose nozzle has continually upgraded its processes and equipment to meet its customers' needs. This article outlines the market forces and changes to its nozzle design that have driven the company to maintain a state-of-the-art shop.