Learn about manufacturing equipment such as CNC Machine tools and manual machine tools on Manufacturing Bulletin. The category profiles below will help you get familiar with the technologies, terminologies, and trade offs.
CNC Horizontal Cylindrical Grinder
A CNC Horizontal cylindrical grinder uses a grinding wheel to remove material at a slow rate to improve surface finish, abrade hard materials, and achieve tolerance on round surfaces. Grinding is a necessary step in the final machining of components that require smooth surfaces and precise tolerances. The following are the reasons for grinding: Section:… Continue reading CNC Horizontal Cylindrical Grinder
CNC Horizontal Lathe with Articulated Head
CNC lathes produce cylindrical parts ranging from automobile shafts to hydraulic pistons. For turned parts requiring considerable machining, a Cnc Horizontal Lathe with an articulated head, or B-axis, could provide a great option. Standard Structure The basic structure of an articulated head CNC lathe is shown below. It is very similar to lathes in the… Continue reading CNC Horizontal Lathe with Articulated Head
CNC Horizontal Lathe with Turret
A CNC horizontal lathe produces cylindrical parts ranging from automobile shafts to hydraulic pistons. A CNC lathe is a staple of the machine shop since it’s a fundamental machine tool for producing round parts. CNC Lathe Structure The basic structure of a slant-bed CNC is shown below. Image: (“CNC Lathes—What You Need To Know”) The image… Continue reading CNC Horizontal Lathe with Turret
CNC Horizontal Lathe, Dual-Spindle, Front-Facing
A dual-spindle CNC horizontal lathe with both spindles facing front can produce cylindrical parts ranging from brake drums to airplane landing gear. In this category, we look at the special productivity advantages of a CNC lathe with two spindles facing the same direction. Standard Structure The dual, front-facing CNC lathe looks like the one in… Continue reading CNC Horizontal Lathe, Dual-Spindle, Front-Facing
CNC Horizontal Machining Center
A horizontal machining center (HMC) is the milling workhorse of the manufacturing industry. Productivity Features An HMC is designed for the ultimate in milling performance. Here are some of the universal features that make a horizontal machining center so productive. Note: There are exceptions to some of these configurations, but you’ll find these features in… Continue reading CNC Horizontal Machining Center
CNC Inverted Vertical Lathe
A CNC inverted vertical lathe, having an inverted main spindle, realizes several advantages and disadvantages over the traditional horizontal CNC lathe. The advantages include: The disadvantages include: Inverted Vertical Lathe Structure The basic structure of a CNC inverted vertical lathe is shown below. You can see a parts conveyor on the left side to move… Continue reading CNC Inverted Vertical Lathe
CNC Vertical Lathe
A CNC vertical lathe typically produces cylindrical parts with a greater diameter than length. Examples include brake drums and train wheels. Also, for extremely large parts with substantial round features, a vertical lathe may be the only practical machine for rotating the workpiece. This category includes only chucking machines because vertical lathes do not have… Continue reading CNC Vertical Lathe
CNC Vertical Machining Center, 4-Axis Or Less
A vertical machining center (VMC) is the most common type of CNC machine tool. It is widely flexible due to its relatively large table, ease of set up, and affordability due to relative simplicity compared to other machine tool types. As a typical entry-level machine tool due to the relative low price and simplicity, shops… Continue reading CNC Vertical Machining Center, 4-Axis Or Less
CNC Vertical Machining Center, 5-Axis with Articulated Pallet
A 5-axis vertical machining center (VMC) is used to produce parts in fewer setups and with more complex features that a traditional 3-axis or even 4-axis VMC can’t support. This category addresses VMCs with an articulated pallet, where the rotational axes rotate the pallet rather than the milling spindle body. These machines typically have a… Continue reading CNC Vertical Machining Center, 5-Axis with Articulated Pallet
CNC Vertical Machining Center, 5-Axis with Articulated Head
A 5-axis vertical machining center (VMC) is used to produce parts in fewer setups and with complex features that a traditional 3-axis or even 4-axis VMC can’t support. This category addresses VMCs with an articulated head, where one or more of the rotational axes rotate the milling spindle body rather than the pallet. Image: (“YEONG… Continue reading CNC Vertical Machining Center, 5-Axis with Articulated Head
Horizontal Boring Mill with Quill-Feed Spindle
Use a horizontal boring mill (HBM) for parts requiring an accurate bore in addition to the drill hole. In boring, a drilled hole is enlarged during the machining process using a single-point cutting tool using an internal turning operation. An internal surface can be roughed or finished using boring typically maintaining a tolerance of between… Continue reading Horizontal Boring Mill with Quill-Feed Spindle
Horizontal Swiss Lathe
A horizontal Swiss lathe typically uses a collet recessed behind the guide bushing. These lathes are also called Swiss screw machines, Swiss automatic lathes, and Swiss turning centers depending on who you ask. The Swiss lathe differs from traditional lathes in that the holding mechanism, typically a collet, that holds the bar stock is not… Continue reading Horizontal Swiss Lathe
Knee Milling Machine & Bed Milling Machine
The knee and bed milling machines are a staple in machine shops and classrooms around the world. They’re rarely found on the mass-production floor and rather in a low-volume production process where they’re used to manually perform secondary operations, produce prototypes, or help a machinist learn the trade. Knee Milling Machine Image: (Jacobs) With a… Continue reading Knee Milling Machine & Bed Milling Machine
Plastic Injection Molding Machine, Horizontal
Horizontal Injection Molding Machine Standard Structure An injection molding machine manufactures plastic products by the injection molding process. It consists mainly of an injection unit and a clamping unit. The image below shows more detail of the components. Image: (Dey) Machine Components These are the common machine components to note: Plastic Injection Molding Process An… Continue reading Plastic Injection Molding Machine, Horizontal
Sinker EDM
A sinker EDM uses the Electrical Discharge Machining process to remove metal from a workpiece. Also called ram EDMs, these machines are typically used when producing a blind cavity in a workpiece. Below is an example of a badge die that was cut this type of EDM. Image: (“Electrical discharge machining”) EDM See Electrical Discharge… Continue reading Sinker EDM
Small Hole EDM
EDM drilling is used for a variety of tasks, including creating intricate shapes, drilling exact holes in metal, creating injection nozzles for molds, and drilling holes for coolant in tooling. To remove eroded particles, high-pressure dielectric fluid or deionized water is introduced through a hollow electrode and exits through the electrode guide. As an insulator… Continue reading Small Hole EDM
Wire EDM
Standard Structure Wire electrical discharge machining (EDM), also known as wire-cut EDM and wire cutting, involves feeding a thin single-strand metal wire, usually brass, through the workpiece while submerged in a tank of dielectric fluid. The dielectric fluid is typically deionized water. Wire EDM is commonly used to cut plates as thick as 300mm and… Continue reading Wire EDM
Additional Information
- MechanicalEnotes CNC Machine Overview
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