Survival of the fastest
Tool and cutter grinder software continually evolves to expedite production of advanced cutting tools by toolmakers and machine shops.
Topic
Design & Engineering
Turbocharging your toolpath
Get With The Program column in October 2009 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.
A milling tools overview
An array of milling tools is available, including endmills, facemills and plain mills. Typical milling applications include facing, filleting or edge cutting, profiling, slotting, pocketing and blind slotting.
Wear and peace
Understanding tool wear is the first step to extending tool life—which can be further enhanced with new coating technology.
Match the process to the part
There's more than one way to machine a part. The trick is to match the part's complexity and volume requirements with an optimal production process.
Post-processing should not work
The creation of a part program for a CNC machine tool usually starts with a part drawing or model that contains the part material, geometry and tolerances.
Reaching the apex
Combination tooling, custom fixtures and creative solutions help Apex Precision thrive.
Laws of attraction
U.S. companies that adopt electromagnetic workholders heartily endorse the technology.
Parts of the milling machine
Unlike lathes, which have been around for thousands of years, milling machines are less than 200 years old. Because they require much more power than hand-driven lathes, the introduction of milling machines had to wait for the invention of industrial water and steam power.
Mills Made-to-Order
Applying "off-the-shelf," standard milling tools to get the job done provides several benefits: the tools are readily available and usually from numerous suppliers, their prices are competitive and the results are predictable. Nonetheless, even with a multitude of standard tools available for nearly every milling application, parts manufacturers often require specials engineered for a specific application.
Tip-Top Productivity
Drilling, milling, EDMing, laser cutting, trepanning, punching; there are almost as many ways to make holes as there are holes to be made. Drilling, the most common holemaking method, itself includes many tool material and configuration options.
Holding firm
Part Time column for June 2009 issue.