19 November 2018
Despite the label, CNC Turning tools don’t spin when there’s cutting work to be done. In reality, metal workpieces are mounted and set spinning. Like a clay turning table, the metal part receives its shape. Only, it’s a cutting tool, not a sculptor’s hands, that imparts the encircling cut profiles. To apply that shape, the
9 November 2018
As any competent engineering student can guess, this is an incredibly dense subject. CNC Milling and Machining, which recruits computer control systems, has entire libraries dedicated to its study. To better understand the discipline and all of its machine-associated, software dominated elements, let’s start at the beginning. Then, after defining the machining doctrines, albeit in
24 October 2018
An armoury-worth of surface grinding services, each aimed at the precise processing of all sorts of metal objects, sits waiting inside an engineering shop. The abrasive buzz travels the length of the shop floor, and a trail of sparks can be seen arcing high into the air. Masters of all things grinding-related, this hypothetical metal
11 October 2018
There’s something about tool steel grades, especially when they’re used in punches and dies. The metals feel incredibly dense. Way back at the milling plant, a suitable steel alloy has been selected. It’s a coarse-grained material with a ready to adapt microcrystalline structure. Beyond the fabrication process, the tool grade steel is heat treated and
26 September 2018
Hardened carbide steels, all extensively heat treated, last for thousands of punching operations. Even equipped with dense material backbones, however, punch breakage is an unavoidable problem. To some extent, operator error is a known causative factor. The shut height is incorrectly set, the wrong strip-starting procedure is utilized, or some other operator-generated blunder is ongoing.
13 September 2018
Production facilities rarely rely on single-stage machine operations. For example, progressive stamping dies sequentially form large batches of raw materials, which flow as blank strips through various tooling stations. It’s a high-volume process, in other words, one that incorporates punching, coining, and bending operations into a single line. Hence, the “progressive” descriptor. Peeking deep inside
27 August 2018
Even the finest punches, those made from ultra-hard tool steel, age. Time is a tool’s enemy here, and there’s no way to put time on pause. However, there are operational factors in motion, which can be regulated. For instance, just by incorporating a planned maintenance program, punches extend their lifespans. Meanwhile, behind the controls, there’s
14 August 2018
Tool steels are hardened alloys. They’re shaped into sharp-edged cutting and forming profiles. However, in order to retain those rigid geometrical outlines, tool alloys need heat treatment work. With the post-manufacturing work, the super-hardened metals gain additional mechanical strength and material durability. They won’t succumb to abrasive wear, nor will they experience metal fatigue when
26 July 2018
It’s back to basics day. What is sheet metal punching? A person who’s unfamiliar with the process infers a few facts. There are plates of metal, and they’re being held by a clamping mechanism. Suspended above that workpiece, a tool is descending rapidly and with great force. It strikes, a mark is produced, and then
11 July 2018
It’s true, punch quality and features are important. However, even if the tools exceed all expectations, they’re not doing the job right if the punch tip isn’t accurately hitting its mark. To make sure that’s the case every single time, alignment issues need to be addressed. In a nutshell, we need to determine the dimensional
