Machine tools remained fairly constant for some time and it wasn't until the advent of CNC machining that large productions runs without human intervention became the norm, with 5 axis machining at the forefront of the next generation of machine tools.
A machine operator must make some fundamental choices about the type of machine tool to be used in any given process, as a wrong choice can mean wasted material and in some cases, damage to the machine itself. This information might seem a little too basic to an experienced and competent operator, but for those of us who don't know so much, following is a quick overview of some of the most common variations of machine tools available today, plus their uses:
Broaching tool - a toothed tool used for removal of material - can machine flat surfaces and create circular and non-circular holes - works particularly well with forgings, medium-sized castings, stampings and screw machine parts.
Pedestal, bench or pillar drill - also known as a drill press - a common machine tool which, as its name implies, drills holes in metal.
Gear shaper - this tool cuts the teeth of external and internal gears, using different shapers.
Hobber - used for making gears and sprockets - low cost yet highly accurate in comparison to other machine tools. There are different types of hobbers such as serration hobs, semi-topping gear hobs, worm wheel hobs and straight side spline hobs.
Lathe - common piece of tooling for a machine shop - designed to cut cylindrical metal stock, but can also produce screw threads, tapered work, knurled surfaces and can drill holes.
Planer - this large sized shaping tool moves the whole table under the cutter, which allows the production of very accurate flat surfaces because the machine can remove a huge amount of metal with very very high precision, and within a single pass. It can also cut slots such as keyways.
Hone - an abrasive machining process where an abrasive stone is scrubbed along a controlled path to improve the geometric surface and sometimes the surface texture - mainly used for finishing cylinders for engines, air bearing spindles and gears.
Many machine tools are made from high-speed steel alloyed with chromium, cobalt and tungsten to create a strong, hard and durable cutting edge that is also resistant to heat caused by friction. This heat is consumed with the administering of a lubricating fluid on the contact area to cool it, and it also creates a smooth surface finish.
These are just a few examples of the different types of machine tools used by industries and companies such as Precision Machining Townsville and serves to provide basic information for the curious. Most machine tools are capable of self-replication, and their primary function is to produce machine parts.
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With the advent of 5 Axis Machining, some of the older types of machine tools have been replaced, as Precision Machining Townsville company Arena Engineering use the most modern equipment available.
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