From the course: Introduction to Mill and Lathe Operation

Machining processes

From the course: Introduction to Mill and Lathe Operation

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Machining processes

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- Just what is machining? It's simply a manufacturing process that involves removing excess material using some form of a cutting tool. The goal of machining is to convert a workpiece into the shape you require. Most likely, everything that you see has something that has been machined or has been made by something that has been machined. For example, this bottle. You have two halves to a mold that come together and pull apart. Those were machined. With that, there are many types of machining methods. The first is mechanical processes. This is by far the most common, including turning, drilling, and milling. The second is chemical machining. This is the process of using various acids with stencils to get the required shape. Think of etching. There are also thermal processes which are things like oxy-acetylene torches and plasma cutters. Lastly, water jets. These use a jet of water at extremely high pressure. Depending on what you are cutting, it may be a mixture of water and an abrasive substance. For example, like when you're cutting stone. I'll be focusing on mechanical machining methods and requirements. This will include the various machine tools that are used, clamping and holding the part, different types of cutters for milling or turning, materials and things to watch out for, and, of course, settings, methods, and options. The basic machining process goes something like this. Select the machine that suits what you're making. Is it turned or milled? What type of material are you cutting? This will determine the types of cutters used. Do you need cooling fluids? What type of rough stock, and how large will it be? What type of clamping device is needed? And once you have all that, you can begin the process of either manually cutting the part or begin programming for your CNC machine.

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