A cutting head is a rotating tool used in CNC machines or as a stationary tool in milling machines to create shapes in a workpiece. Materials used to make cutting heads include steel, tungsten, and carbide. Laser cutters are also used. Coolant is used to increase longevity and reduce heat.
A cutting head is a rotating part of a machine containing a cutting tip that creates shapes in a work piece such as in a computer numerical control or CNC machine. The cutting head can also be a stationary tool around which a workpiece moves as it is in a milling machine. It creates the cuts on the stock that give it its utility or design. Often, a part is cut from a solid piece of billet. The cutting head is typically made of a material that is much harder than the product it is cutting and remembers the shape of the cut it is to make.
In woodturning or woodworking, the cutting head is typically made of steel. The steel cutter can effortlessly cut and carve wood. This allows the craftsman to work the machine very quickly and to complete many projects in a short time. Wood is also sanded smooth after being worked on with a cutter head, so the finished cut doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth like some steel or iron parts.
Many of the materials used to create a cutting head for a CNC machine must be stronger or harder than steel. Tungsten and carbide are often used in making these tools. To increase the longevity of these heads, coolant is used to reduce the heat produced in the cutting process. By spraying an oil-based coolant on the area to be cut, the cutter remains sharp and the work piece does not discolor or deform.
While most cutters are sharp or dull in nature, some look like a mirror image of the product they are creating. The cutter head used to produce threads on bolts resembles a threaded shaft. This cutter is pressed into the side of a rotating piece of smooth steel rod. When the cutter makes contact, the threads are rolled up the smooth rod and a bolt is created.
Some cutters are not made of a physical substance, others are created from light. Laser cutters are nothing but focused beams of light used to engrave materials or even cut materials without any physical contact. The laser is able to operate for long periods without ever needing to be replaced or sharpened. The laser can be adjusted for various intensities so that a single head can cut, engrave or burn in one pass. The high initial cost of a laser is offset by its long life cycle. While the typical wooden tool is meant to be re-sharpened and reused, the typical steel-cutting CNC head is meant to be discarded after it has become dull from use.
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