Turning

New plunge-and-turn tools make it possible to perform several tasks, such as grooving, turning, back turning and face grooving, with the same tool. This article discusses the design and use of these tools as well as the types of cutoff tools currently on the market. Recommendations for tool selection, speeds and feeds are given for various work materials.

A shop supervisor and education manager recount the evolution of a job that didn't proceed exactly as planned. Because the powder-metal part was harder and its as-pressed dimensions were not as accurate as originally expected, adjustments and improvisations were needed to produce the finished parts as quickly and as cheaply as quoted.

This article compares hard turning to grinding for finishing hardened steel parts and discusses which operation would be more appropriate for various situations. The article also looks at the machine tool, insert and cutting parameters required during hard turning.

According to this article, the short-bar barfeeders that are on the market today are not plagued by the drawbacks that have become associated with barfeeding. The units load 5-foot bar stock into a lathe rather than the longer stock loaded by earlier units. This article describes how shops can use short-bar barfeeders to keep a lathe busy with a steady flow of work and still change from one bar diameter and part program to another easily and quickly.