Types of machine tool tech?

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Before we can discuss the different types of machine tool technology, we first need to know what a machine tool is. These tools are powered tools that make parts for other machines, usually machines used in manufacturing. Historically, machine tools have been powered by hand, water and steam, but today they are more commonly powered by engines. Quite simply, all machine tools operate by removing a portion of the material being worked on to produce the desired piece. This removal has two parts, cutting and feed, and the “difference” in the different types of machine tool technology is the method the machine tool uses to do it.

Milling is the earliest type of machine tool technology and is similar in action to grain milling which may be more familiar to most people. A wheel or rim with serrated cutting edges spins on a fixed axle and with a grinding action cuts the material fed to it, in most cases metal. The different styles of milling depend on the orientation of the wheel with respect to the surface to be cut. When the “edges” of the wheel (parallel to the axis of rotation) perform the machining, we speak of face milling. Facing occurs when the “face” of the wheel (at a ninety degree angle to the axis of rotation) is what is cutting the material.

Turning can somehow be considered machine tool technology which is the opposite of milling. In turning, the material itself rotates rapidly on a fixed axis, and it is the generally more stationary cutting tool (known as a lathe) that is fed to the rotating object being worked on. This usually happens to the outer surface of the part to be made and results in a rounded or cylindrical shape. When this occurs on an internal surface of the part, the technical term used to refer to this process is a boring one, and typically it is used to enlarge a hole or cavity and/or improve part accuracy. If the lathe is set at an angle and fed along the side of the material, it produces an effect called threading, which creates the working parts of screws, bolts and drills.

Drilling is the machine tool technology that initially creates the holes or cavities made larger by reaming. This technology is like milling in that the cutting surface is rotated rapidly, but is generally fed to a stationary material. The part of a drill that makes the cut is known as the “bit,” while the shank provides the connection to the motor and holds the bit in place and against the cutting surface. The cutting surface of a bit will have thread grooves along the sides, with the cutting edges positioned along them. The flutes of this machine tool work by allowing waste material to exit the part being cut, thereby increasing efficiency.

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