The Turning Page "The Turning Revolution" By Larry Greenawalt

It’s finally spring and with spring comes the itch to make new things happen or to get all those “I’ll wait until its warmer” projects launched. Ever since I can remember, I have always anticipated springtime more than any other time of the year. I’m sure much of it comes from growing up in the Midwest and becoming increasingly annoyed by winter’s stranglehold toward the end of February and March.

A universal message of spring is hope, a time of renewal and re-awakening of the earth and our own self worth. I am always re-energized this time of year and can’t wait to start planting the new seeds of success for a plentiful harvest throughout the rest of the year.

So what’s new and exciting about the turning industry this spring? Tons!

For us at Eurotech, we are very excited to introduce 2 brand new models to our line up.

The WL-25 and the TL-25

These machines will be introduced at the PMTS Show BOOTH 689 in Columbus, Ohio on April 24th, 25^th and 26^th

The WL-25 is a twin sliding headstock machine with a 25mm(1”) spindle capacity and full C rotary axis on both spindles. Two separate gang tool slides with Y axis and live tool capability give this machine the “get it done” capability for Eurotech Elite status.

With 1,574 inches per minute Z travel, you have got to see it to believe it.

This will fill a new niche for us in the small parts production category where Swiss style machines are not required or capable of meeting the reduced cycle times of the WL-25.

The TL-25 is a similar machine to the WL-25 but with one XY slide instead of 2 separate XY slides of the WL-25. This machine with the same 25mm capacity but a lower price is designed to complete in small parts front and back complete with shared tooling from a single gang slide. Up to 4 live tools can be utilized on the slide.

NO GUIDE BUSHINGS or special prepped material is our battle cry for the WL-25 and the TL-25 machines.

Also in our booth will be the 710SLL 7 axis, twin turret, twin spindle model with our unique “clear shift” spindle technology. This is a fully integrated machine ready to complete complex turned pieces in the shortest time possible. Come see what a fully equipped ready to go turning center will look like in your shop!

ZOOM , ZOOM, ZOOM or maybe VAROOM, VAROOM, VAROOM better describes the FWR (Frank Weiss Racing) motorcycle that will be displayed in our booth along with the Eurotech machines.

Frank Weiss Racing is a Eurotech user from Indianapolis, Indiana just a couple of blocks from the world’s most famous race track. Frank Weiss Racing has a Eurotech 710SLLY that produces a wide variety of parts for the automotive and motorcycle racing industries. Their commitment to quality and customer service brought them to a very well researched decision to purchase a Eurotech over other competitors. Come by and see the beauty, quality and the affirmation of perfection in this work of art they call a “bike”.

And if that isn’t enough, be sure to stop by BOOTH 689, say hello and have a freshly made Cappuccino.

Ciao!

THE TURNING PAGE “The Turning Revolution” by Larry Greenawalt

It’s finally spring and with spring comes the itch to make new things happen or to get all those “I’ll wait until its warmer” projects launched. Ever since I can remember, I have always anticipated springtime more than any other time of the year. I’m sure much of it comes from growing up in the Midwest and becoming increasingly annoyed by winter’s stranglehold toward the end of February and March.

A universal message of spring is hope, a time of renewal and re-awakening of the earth and our own self worth. I am always re-energized this time of year and can’t wait to start planting the new seeds of success for a plentiful harvest throughout the rest of the year.

So what’s new and exciting about the turning industry this spring? Tons!

For us at Eurotech, we are very excited to introduce 2 brand new models to our line up.

The WL-25 and the TL-25

These machines will be introduced at the PMTS Show BOOTH 689 in Columbus, Ohio on April 24th, 25^th and 26^th

The WL-25 is a twin sliding headstock machine with a 25mm(1”) spindle capacity and full C rotary axis on both spindles. Two separate gang tool slides with Y axis and live tool capability give this machine the “get it done” capability for Eurotech Elite status.

With 1,574 inches per minute Z travel, you have got to see it to believe it.

This will fill a new niche for us in the small parts production category where Swiss style machines are not required or capable of meeting the reduced cycle times of the WL-25.

The TL-25 is a similar machine to the WL-25 but with one XY slide instead of 2 separate XY slides of the WL-25. This machine with the same 25mm capacity but a lower price is designed to complete in small parts front and back complete with shared tooling from a single gang slide. Up to 4 live tools can be utilized on the slide.

NO GUIDE BUSHINGS or special prepped material is our battle cry for the WL-25 and the TL-25 machines.

Also in our booth will be the 710SLL 7 axis, twin turret, twin spindle model with our unique “clear shift” spindle technology. This is a fully integrated machine ready to complete complex turned pieces in the shortest time possible. Come see what a fully equipped ready to go turning center will look like in your shop!

ZOOM , ZOOM, ZOOM or maybe VAROOM, VAROOM, VAROOM better describes the FWR (Frank Weiss Racing) motorcycle that will be displayed in our booth along with the Eurotech machines.

Frank Weiss Racing is a Eurotech user from Indianapolis, Indiana just a couple of blocks from the world’s most famous race track. Frank Weiss Racing has a Eurotech 710SLLY that produces a wide variety of parts for the automotive and motorcycle racing industries. Their commitment to quality and customer service brought them to a very well researched decision to purchase a Eurotech over other competitors. Come by and see the beauty, quality and the affirmation of perfection in this work of art they call a “bike”.

And if that isn’t enough, be sure to stop by BOOTH 689, say hello and have a freshly made Cappuccino.

Ciao!

The Turning Page

Broaching On A CNC Lathe

One operation seen on many turned parts today is broaching. Traditionally

broaching has been regarded as a secondary operation that was typically performed

on a broaching machine with special broaching tools. Depending on the industry,

much of this type of broaching is still being done in this manner. For instance, in the

automotive sector, almost all broaching is done by large expensive automatic

broaching machines with specially designed broaching tools that can produce the

broaching at very high speed and short cycles.

Of course the fact that they are doing over a million parts per year has much to do

with their method of manufacturing the parts. But today, even in the automotive

sector, the need for JIS and reduced inventory, can justify doing parts complete on a

single piece of equipment such as the multi-axis turn/mill center. With this

equipment, a new job can be easily modified and reconfigured for revision and

design changes. This is where flexibility wins out over speed.

Types Of Broaching:

There are a few different types of broaching that can be performed on the

CNC lathe.

#1. Single slot broaching on the inside or outside diameter of a part.

#2. Multiple shapes such as hexagons or squares.

#3. Timed broaching or broached slots that require an angular position to

another feature on the part.

#4. Free position broaching that does not require an angular position to

another feature n the part.

#5. Rotary Broaching

#6. Reciprocating Broaching

The type of broaching you need to do, will determine your tooling choice and

method.

ROTARY BROACHING

One of the easiest and fastest ways to produce a broached feature is Rotary

or Wobble broaching. Rotary broaching has been around for years in the screw

machine industry and is very effective, inexpensive and fast. It is used widely in the

manufacturing of plumbing parts such as valves and fittings and in the aerospace

and medical industries. When your parts require a single broached polygon that is

not related to another angular orientation or feature on the part such as a milled

flat or drilled hole, this is often a first choice.

A leading US company in the manufacture of Rotary broaching tools and

accessories is Slater Tool Company from Clinton Township, Michigan. They can be

found on the web at www.slatertools.com where they list a full complement of rotary

tool holders, tool bits, and detailed application documentation.

A simple example of this type of rotary broaching is the producing of an I.D.

hex on the end of a part. Let’s say it is a 5/8 hex in 12L14 steel. First thing is to

determine the max hole to drill, and then the size chamfer needed to make a good

acceptable hex. This can be determined by multiplying the hex size by 1.035 to

determine the largest pilot hole to be drilled.

Hex size .625 x 1.035 = .646 Pilot Drill = .625 to .646 diameter.

To determine an acceptable chamfering size, multiply the hex size by 1.1547

Hex size .625 x 1.1547 = .721

Next is necessary to determine the feed for the type of material and broaching tool.

For the 12L14 steel, according to Slater Tool’s web site, we should broach this at

1200 RPM with a feed of .006 i.p.r.

Here is a simple program example using the rotary broach tool programmed for a

Eurotech 735SLY.

O2007(ROTARY BROACH EX)

G0G40G80

N1G54T0101M64(.633 DRILL)

G0G99G97S3620X0Z.1M3M8

M58(LOAD MONITOR ON)

G1Z-.75F.016

M59(LOAD MONITOR OFF)

G0Z1.

M1

N2G54T0202M64(3.4 90 DEG. SPOT)

G0G99G97S635X0Z.1M3M8

G1Z-.3F.03

Z-.3605F.003

G4P100(DWELL)

G0Z3.

M1

N3G54T0303M64(5/8 ROTARY BROACH)

G0G99G97S1200X0Z.1M3M8

G1Z-.65F.006

G0Z.1

G28U0M5

M30

TOTAL PER TOOL

DRILL = 4.5 SEC. CHAMFER = 5 SEC. BROACH = 8.5 SEC.

TOTAL CYCLE TIME = 18 SEC.

NOTES AND TIPS FOR ROTARY BROACHING:

Special attention should be made to how well the tool is aligned in accordance with

the Rotary broach supplier. Miss-aligned tools will result in poor tool life and

surface finish.

This application is not suited for parts where other features such as milled flats,

slots or drilled hole patterns are related to the fixed position of the polygon

produced by the Rotary broach.

Coolants or oils are required to clear chips and reduce friction for better tool life

and surface finish.

SINGLE SLOT BROACHING

When single or multiple broach slots are required they can be done on the

CNC lathe using a single broaching tool either carbide or HSS. This type of

broaching requires the CNC to have C axis for spindle positioning and a spindle

brake to hold the spindle steady and firm while broaching. Multiple passes are

required and can be programmed easiest by using sub programming and/or macro

programming. Next we will examine both styles of programming to help determine

what best suits the programmer and the part.

Note that most broached slots should have a groove broach relief or go all the

way through the part. It is not recommended to use this broaching technique into a

blind hole or one without a groove relief. Another important item is to retract the

broaching tool completely from the broached slot before feeding or rapid traversing

back to the Z start position.

EXAMPLE: .250 broached slot through .500 deep from face.

Programmed for a Eurotech 735SLY.

Sub Program.

O1444(SUB FOR .25 WIDE BROACHED SLOT)

G0X[#103](#103= .002 RADIAL DEPTH OF A PASS)

G4P100(SMALL DWELL)

G1G98Z-.5F200.(FEED BACK .5 AT 200 INCH/MIN.)

G0X.6(CLEAR THE HOLE DIAMETER)

Z.2(RETURN TO STARTING Z)

#103=[#103+#102](UPDATE #103 TO EQUAL NEXT X VALUE FOR A PASS)

M99(REWIND)

Main Program

O1234(MAIN)

XXXX

XXXX

XXXX

(SET COMMON VARIABLES FOR BROACHING)

#101=.624(BORE DIA. LESS .001 TO MAKE EVEN # OF PASSES)

#102=.004(X DEPTH OF A SINGLE PASS)

#103=#101+#102(BORE .624 + .004 = X VALUE FOR A PASS)

N5G54T0505M64M5(.250 wide broach)

M10(C AXIS ON)

G0X.624Z.2C0.M8

M70(SPINDLE BRAKE ON)

M98P331444(CALLS SUB PROGRAM 1444 TO REPEAT 33 TIMES)

M71(BRAKE OFF)

M11(C AXIS OFF)

G0X4.Z2.

M1

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

XXXXXXX

M30

NOTES AND TIPS FOR SINGLE BROACHING:

The 1st. pass is X.628 (.624+.004)

The 2nd pass is X.632 (.628+.004)

Etc.

Etc.

The 33rd pass is X.756 (.752+.004)

X.624 Start from X.756 End = .132

.132/.004=33 passes

Often a G4 (Dwell) or a greater Z start value is used before the beginning of each

pass to minimize any taper caused by Servo Lag.

Macro Variables #100 - #199 are not held in Macro Offsets when the machine is

powered off. If you want the macro values retained in the offsets when the machine

is powered off, use #500-#999

Estimated Time to complete this single broach = 12 sec.

If you need to make more of the same broach at different angular positions, your

main program would look like this……

O1234(MAIN)

XXXX

XXXX

XXXX

(SET COMMON VARIABLES FOR BROACHING)

#101=.624(BORE DIA. LESS .001 TO MAKE EVEN # OF PASSES)

#102=.004(X DEPTH OF A SINGLE PASS)

#103=#101+#102(BORE .624 + .004 = X VALUE FOR A PASS)

N5G54T0505M64M5(.250 wide broach)

M10(C AXIS ON)

G0X.624Z.2C0.M8(INDEX TO 0 DEGREES)

M70(SPINDLE BRAKE ON)

M98P331444(CALLS SUB PROGRAM 1444 TO REPEAT 33 TIMES)

M71(BRAKE OFF)

G0C90.(INDEX T0 90 DEGREES)

M70(BRAKE ON)

M98P331444(CALLS SUB PROGRAM 1444 TO REPEAT 33 TIMES)

M71(BRAKE OFF)

G0C180.(INDEX TO 180 DEGREES)

M70(SPINDLE BRAKE ON)

M98P331444(CALLS SUB PROGRAM 1444 TO REPEAT 33 TIMES)

M71(BRAKE OFF)

G0C270.(INDEX T0 270 DEGREES)

M70(BRAKE ON)

M98P331444(CALLS SUB PROGRAM 1444 TO REPEAT 33 TIMES)

M71(BRAKE OFF)

M11(C AXIS OFF)

G0X4.Z2.

M1

XXXX

XXXX

XXXX

M30

BROACHING MACRO

Another alternative is to create a Macro program for your broaching requirements.

The advantage to creating a complete Macro program is you can use the one basic format

for most of your broaching needs. Below is one example of a broach Macro program used

for the same broached part from our previous sample.

Macro Variables –

#100 = Diameter of Bore to be Broached

#101 = End of Broach Slot Diameter

#102 = Broach Feed Rate

#103 = Starting Z

#104 = Ending Z

#105 = Amount of Dwell Before Cut

#106 = Depth of Cut Per Pass

#107 = Diameter to Clear Broach Slot

PROGRAM – 735SLY

N8 G54 T0808 M64 M5 (.250 WIDE BROACH)

#100=.624

#101=.756

#102= .200

#103= .200

#104= -.500

#105= .1

#106=.004

#107=.600

M10 (C AXIS ON)

G0 X#107 Z.5 C0 M8

M70 (BRAKE ON)

G0 Z=#103 (MOVE TO Z START)

WHILE[#101GT#100]DO1

G1G98X[#100+#106]F#102 (X VALUE FOR A PASS)

G4U#105 (DWELL)

Z#104 (ENDING Z)

G0 X#107 (CLEAR BROACH SLOT)

Z#103 (RETURN TO Z START)

#100=[#100+#106]

END1

#100=.624 (RESET VALUE)

G0Z.5 M71 (BRAKE OFF)

M11(C AXIS OFF)

X4. Z2.

M1(OPTIONAL STOP)

NOTES AND TIPS FOR BROACHING MACRO:

The WHILE and DO statements for this Macro program are recommended over the

use of a IF and GOTO statement. An IF statement requires a GOTO that searches

for the specific BLOCK number directed by the GOTO. Because of this block

search, the processing time is greater and would add to your broaching cycle time.

Example:

Instead of the WHILE and DO, we could have used the IF and GOTO.

IF[#101GT#100]GOTO555

This statement would send the machine to BLOCK N555 and repeat again until

#101 is equal to or less than #100.

The Macro program would need to be re-written with the IF statement located at

the completion of 1 broach pass.

RECIPRICATING BROACHING

High speed reciprocating broaching is becoming more and more popular and

is the first choice for anyone doing a large amount of production broaching on their

CNC equipment. Today’s high speed broaching units are mounted onto the turret

and use the live tool drive system to send the tool forward and back at faster stroke

speeds than can be achieved by the machine’s rapid traversing.

The primary benefits to this type of broaching are ….

• Speed (reduced cycle times)

•  Increased Tool Life

•  Less machine wear or Slide Working

At stroke speeds of up to 700 strokes per minute, these units can produce

broached slots in a third of the normal single stroke fixed broach with better tool

life. Since the live tool drive system is driving the tool to reciprocate, the machine

slide stays fixed, providing added rigidity and less wear and tear on the machine as

a whole.

Bar Feed Machines

A company always choose the best for their machines. Choosing the best bar machine was one of the considerations.They choose their machines maybe because they were simply contented to follow the recommendation of the distributor who sold it the lathe. Or it may own a battery of bar machines equipped with a certain type of bar feeder and just be following suit. Or the company may make the decision only after a thorough analysis of bar-loading time, setup time and other factors that affect productivity.

The best bar feeder is the one that best meets the needs of the user for his or her particular circumstances, and those circumstances are probably as varied as the number of shops that specialize in turning. To prove the point, we have assembled several examples of shops that operate bar feeders. For the purpose of covering the major types of bar feeders, we focused tightly on a particular type of bar feeder at each shop instead of trying to catalog all of the shop's bar feeders or to go into detail about the principal operations of the shop.

You may have purchased a new CNC single-spindle lathe, screw machine or some other bar machine recently, or perhaps you are looking to make your next bar machine acquisition. It is hoped that some of the considerations this article raises about bar feeder selection will answer some of your questions and help you to choose the best bar feeder for that new machine.

The hydrodynamic bar feeders, with their cannon-like appearance, seem out of place given the rectangular look of the shop's other bar feeders. But appearances can be deceiving and, in fact, the hydrodynamic bar feeders are considered more efficient for the jobs they are being used for than any other type of bar feeder in the shop.

Sometime we use CNC lathes primarily for jobs consisting of relatively small quantities of parts with fairly long cycle times, and those lathes are equipped with hydrodynamic bar feeders. One bar may last for 1 or 2 hours, and the job may require only two or three bars. It takes only one or two minutes to load a fresh bar, so the brief interval that the lathe stands idle while a fresh bar is loaded into the bar feeder does not have much of an impact on the efficiency of the operation.

Adding to its suitability for short-run operation, the hydrodynamic bar feeder changes over for the next job relatively quickly. You simply decide which of the six tubes most closely matches the bar size to be run, rotate the drum to that tube, insert an appropriately sized liner in the lathe spindle, load the first bar, feed it into the spindle, and you're ready to run. That's about as quick as it gets. Setup time on the magazine-style bar feeder can be considerably longer: there are more adjustments to make, more settings to change.

Machining Center for Boring Bars(with the U axis)

In machining center we all recognize the 3 major axis which are the x,y and z respectively. Then if the machine is equipped with additional axes the rotary axis is added in the situation which are the A,B and C. An additional linear axis that provides some very unique application possibilities is commonly called the U axis. The U axis allows a cutting tool (commonly a boring-bar-type tool) to move in a direction perpendicular to the spindle centerline. This allows the diameter being machined by the tool to change during operation.

During a machining operation, there are two primary applications with the ability to change the diameter of the machine being machined. The first is related to holding size when boring holes. As you know, traditional boring bars must be manually adjusted. During setup, the setup person will commonly set the boring bar undersized, try machining a hole, measure the hole and re-adjust the boring bar based upon the measurement. This trial machining of the hole may have to be repeated several times before the hole is on size. During the production run, as the boring bar shows signs of wear, the hole will get smaller and manual adjustments to the boring bar will have to be made. Then when the boring bar eventually dulls and is replaced, the whole process must be repeated. Conventional boring bars almost eliminate the possibility of attaining fully unattended operation.

In this first application category for the U axis, the user is simply gaining the ability to achieve unattended operation for the critical boring operations (and/or making it easier to adjust hole size with attended operation). Since the diameter of the hole being machined is now programmable, hole size can be easily (and automatically) adjusted. The same kind of automatic sizing currently being done for other tools now can be done for boring bars.

The second application for the U axis is more complex and requires much greater U axis travel. A hole contour must be machined in the machining center, though this may look more like a turning center application. This kind of hole is conventionally machined with special form tooling.

In essence, the U axis for this application gives a machining center the ability to machine contours that would normally be machined in turning centers. Several special features are included, like threading.

Spindles For High Speed Machining

A high speed spindle is the most fundamental component of a high speed machining process. The CNC tool machining center and other process components are all optimized around the goal of using the higher spindle speed productively. In more basic cases, just retrofitting a faster spindle to a conventional machining center can allow a shop to begin realizing some of high speed machining benefits.
Then the Four Spindle chucks comes out on it's way.Four-spindle chuckers can minimize part-loading delay. Spindles may be oriented horizontally or vertically.

Picture a High Speed Machining Center with pallet-changing capability. Workpieces can be machined on one pallet while another pallet located outside the machine is prepped for the next machining job. Essentially, the only machining delay occurs when the pallets shuttle to reverse their positions.

Now envision a lathe that has four spindles positioned in a square formation on an indexing carrier drum. The carrier drum functions in much the same way as an machine's pallet changer. It locates two of the four spindles within the lathe’s enclosed machining environment to allow turning of two workpieces. Meanwhile, the two spindles positioned outside the machining zone can be loaded manually or via gantry. When turning operations are completed on one pair of spindles, the carrier drum indexes the other two spindles loaded with fresh workpieces into the machining zone. As long as the cycle time for the turning operations is longer than the loading time, the only delay is the seconds it takes to index the spindle carrier drum.

For the right applications, four-spindle CNC chucks offer practically zero delay for part loading. That’s because two spindles can be loaded while the other two are making chips.




Each of the two spindles in the machining zone is served by its own turret or gang tools. Gang tooling is typically used for very high work volumes. The standard turret has 8 stations, while 10-station turrets allow as many as 5 positions to have live tooling. The decision to use live tooling should be based upon the amount of cycle time required for drilling, tapping and other such operations. If that time is a significant portion of the total cycle time, it may make more sense to perform non-turning operations on a mill.

Carbide For Metal Cutting

A carbide is a compound developed by the combination of carbon with usually tungsten, titanium, or tantalum that is used in metal cutting tools for its hardness and wear resistance.

It is a common cutting tool material that is used to make both indexable inserts and solid cutting tools.

Common types of Carbide:

• tantalum carbide -A more recent material used in carbide cutting tools that offers improved hot hardness and reduced thermal deformation.
• titanium carbide (TiC) -A material used to make carbide cutting tools that offers improved chemical stability and crater resistance.
  
• tungsten carbide-The original carbide tool material. Tungsten carbide offers excellent hardness. However, it is somewhat expensive and tends to crater when machining steel.

Solid
Spiral
Carbides

Machining with carbide can be difficult, as carbide is more brittle than other tool materials, making it susceptible to chipping and breaking. To offset this, many manufacturers sell carbide inserts and matching insert holders. With this setup, the small carbide insert is held in place by a larger tool made of a less brittle material (usually steel). This gives the benefit of using carbide without the high cost of making the entire tool out of carbide. Most modern face mills use carbide inserts, as well as some lathe tools and endmills.

How To Mill Effectively

Solid carbide end mills are rapidly replacing high speed steel end mills because production costs can be reduced as a result of the extreme metal removal rates which can be achieved with solid carbide end mills. When combined with the appropriate coating and the correct set up, optimal performance may be achieved.

Swiss CNC Lathe Machines

The CNC Swiss type machine is quite similar to a typical CNC turning center. It is use to create small,complex cylindrical parts for machining.

The modern Swiss-type lathe
has additional machine components that allow it to perform a wider range of machining operations and maintain excellent precision.

Here are some
of the products
that a particular CNC
machine can do.




One of the most sophisticated and most efficient machines in the shops today is the Swiss type CNC machines. Its Swiss-type design and CNC capabilities make it ideal for machining small precision parts in any batch size, such as the parts of watches and small gears. Because the CNC Swiss-type lathe can be easily set up between batches, no batch size is too small.

The workpiece is always supported near the point of cutting tool contact that's why rigidity is high. And that makes a CNC Swiss-type lathe more productive than other machines. It produces parts faster than an ordinary machine with higher effectiveness rate.

By supporting the workpiece near the point of cutting tool contact, it allows the cutting tool to cut to greater depths, which speeds up the part creation process. This design also allows for holding tighter tolerance and producing finer surface finishes. A fixed bushing is an instrumental component in providing rigidity.

Another reason the CNC Swiss-type lathe is more productive is that it allows for reduced part handling. Since every cut needed to produce a part can be performed on the Swiss-type lathe, there is no need to remove partially completed parts to another machine for additional operations. Reduced part handling saves time and reduces potential error as well. Whenever a part is moved between machines, there is a chance for part damage or, in the case of some of the more sophisticated parts, part loss.

Swiss CNC Lathe Machines

The CNC Swiss-type lathe is a unique machine tool that is especially suited for making small, complex, cylindrical parts. These machines are similar to the typical CNC turning center.


However, the modern Swiss-type lathe also has additional machine components that allow it to perform a wider range of machining operations and maintain excellent precision.

Here are some
of the products
that a particular CNC
machine can do.




One of the most sophisticated and efficient machines in the shop today is the CNC Swiss-type lathe. Its Swiss-type design and CNC capabilities make it ideal for machining small precision parts in any batch size, such as the part. Because the CNC Swiss-type lathe can be easily set up between batches, no batch size is too small.

The CNC Swiss-type lathe is more productive than other machines because its design allows for faster metal removal. Since the workpiece is always supported near the point of cutting tool contact, rigidity is high. This allows the cutting tool to cut to greater depths, which speeds up the part creation process. This design also allows for holding tighter tolerances and producing finer surface finishes. A fixed bushing is an instrumental component in providing rigidity.

Another reason the CNC Swiss-type lathe is more productive is that it allows for reduced part handling. Since every cut needed to produce a part can be performed on the Swiss-type lathe, there is no need to remove partially completed parts to another machine for additional operations. Reduced part handling saves time and reduces potential error as well. Whenever a part is moved between machines, there is a chance for part damage or, in the case of some of the more sophisticated parts, part loss.

All about Deburring

Deburring is, to put it simply, a finishing method used in industrial settings and manufacturing environments. Metal is frequently machined using many processes in order to create pieces of specific shape and size. For example, metal may be welded, molded, cast, trimmed, slit or sheared. These procedures often create ragged edges or protrusions. The raised particles and shavings that appear when metal blanks are machined are referred to as burrs, and the process by which they are removed is known as deburring.

Deburring may be accomplished by one of several methods. Abrasive substances may be applied, or abrasive cloths may be used to rub the metal in order to remove thin shavings and small notches, as well as to polish the piece. In other cases, sanding may be necessary, whether this means a small amount of sanding by hand or rigorous sanding with a machine for more troublesome deformities.

Industry is slowly recognizing that deburring is essential to manufacturing of high-grade components. In determining the best way to do this, the manufacturer must not only look for the best technique, but also the one that is most easily automated and contributes the least to environmental pollution.

Machining processes create burrs when the material around a tool lip's outlet edges yields and deforms plastically. This, in turn, is a function of machining conditions and the work material's ductility. The spectrum of workpieces needing deburring range from highly accurate small parts to complex components with many machining surfaces.

The optimal deburring process removes the burr completely, including the root, and can be a manual or automatic process. The results of manual deburring depend on operator skill and are, therefore, subject to significant quality fluctuations. Deburring is a monotonous job, yet requires close attention and perseverance to achieve high quality. Moreover, noise, dirt, and vibration make the job more difficult. Automating the deburring process, therefore, is the preferred method.

To create better overall production conditions, deburring machines should have a short cycle and high degree of automation. The main deburring techniques are brushing, milling, and grinding. Brushing produces a contoured edge and is best for removing burrs with a foot width (distance the burr extends along the work) of 0.3 to 0.4 mm. For larger footwidths, the part first needs grinding or milling. This produces a bevel edge and creates a secondary burr that needs removing in a subsequent operation.

Deburring greatly improves the quality and functionality of metal and wood pieces, making it a necessary use of time and a cost effective process.