Little-known Stories about CNC Machining+ View more
Little-known Stories about CNC Machining
+ View more
Date：2024-08-25 11:01
CNC machining is a mainstay in industrial production, not only for its high reliability and efficiency but for the high quality that it delivers. Although it has a rather cool and aloof appearance, behind it lurk many little-known tales. The most emphasized aspect, of course, is the noiseless "Accuracy" that it earns. Going first to the decimal place is rather like going first to the numbers in scientific notation—anything beyond that is simply "approximation" and not "accuracy." In fact, every number and every decimal point has a story to tell that is significant in some manner.
When narrating the pursuit of precision, some storytellers go to the very limits of the human body and its senses. They indulge in extremes. One of the better stories involves the use of a string so perfect and so tight that it went into a violin that could produce notes with an accuracy so perfect that humans couldn't really tell they were hitting notes with perfect accuracy. And the violin didn't just happen: it came into being under the auspices of an Italian master in the 17th century whose name still carries weight almost half a millennium later. Another aspect of the precision story has to do with the making of the tool that did the cutting.
The quality and capability of cutting tools are shrouded in secrecy. They are nothing more than a story. And like all good tales, they consist of two parts. The first part is about what materials we should use to make the tools. As it turns out, the choice of cutting-tool material is a very hazy subject. To put it bluntly, we do not know what cutting-tool materials are fundamentally good cutting-tool materials. The second part of our story concerns the cutting process itself. The basic cutting process is just another process we do not understand very well.
Choosing the appropriate cutting tool is a complex task. You cannot simply pick one and expect it to provide good results. You have to consider a whole host of factors that include, but are not limited to, the following eight: one, determine the hardness of the material you need to cut (this includes a look at their tensile strengths); two, method of processing (is this a one-off precision part, or are you doing high volume near-net shape parts that require finish machining?); three, required precision (how tight are the tolerances?); four, required surface finish (better finish = lower cutter life, in general, because more teeth are doing the cutting, at lower speeds); five, type of work (are you machining ductile iron, malleable cast iron, or hard stainless steel?); six, type of cutter (you may have to change your cutter to match the type of work: for example, using an end mill instead of a slab mill); seven, horsepower available on your machine; eight, wear rate of the cutter (you want to be able to run the cutter long enough to make your part but not so long that it can't hold the required precision and finish).
The art of programming holds great significance in CNC machining. The CNC machining program resembles an intricate musical composition. Each instruction an integral note, the flawless conjunction of which guarantees the production of high-quality machined parts. Deep knowledge of mathematics and mechanics, as well as rich practical experience, are essential for the CNC programmer. Using part design drawings, the programmer calculates part coordinates and the parameters of each processing step—this is done with great accuracy. CNC programmers convert this information into machine code. The malevolent Mona Lisa could easily assemble her coveted portrait from musical notes, and the CNC programmer could just as easily—and with equally malevolent intent—use those same notes to produce some other high-quality machined part.
The CNC machining workshop environment fulfills demanding requirements. Temperature, humidity, and dust can all affect processing quality. To achieve the needed precision and stability, the workshop must typically be maintained at a constant temperature and humidity, with efficient air filtration to keep dust from interfering with operations. Noise cannot be ignored, either. Since CNC machining makes a lot of noise, it isn't much better for the health of workers to be in the loud environment for as long as they might otherwise spend in the workshop. Sound insulation panels are usually put up to help quiet things down and are a relatively low-tech solution that admittedly is no different in principle from the hangars used to maintain the US B-2 stealth bomber.
Lastly, there is a group of humble and hardworking technical personnel who support CNC machining. Every day, they work closely with machines and make countless delicate parts with their own hands and ingenuity. Their work may seem routine, but each piece they make is a small miracle that requires hours of thought and considerable problem-solving. And you wouldn't believe the amount of tune-up and certification training they're required to undergo, just to keep them sharp and the market ever-ready for CNC tech.
To sum up, CNC machining is more than just a method of mechanical processing. It is an innovation-laden art form that presents practitioners with any number of creative challenges. Those creative challenges and the stories behind them lend the CNC operator's "art" its appeal. And with stories like these, CNC machining is sure to fascinate anyone stepping into its world, whether they be fresh CNC apprentices or seasoned veteran machinists.
When narrating the pursuit of precision, some storytellers go to the very limits of the human body and its senses. They indulge in extremes. One of the better stories involves the use of a string so perfect and so tight that it went into a violin that could produce notes with an accuracy so perfect that humans couldn't really tell they were hitting notes with perfect accuracy. And the violin didn't just happen: it came into being under the auspices of an Italian master in the 17th century whose name still carries weight almost half a millennium later. Another aspect of the precision story has to do with the making of the tool that did the cutting.
The quality and capability of cutting tools are shrouded in secrecy. They are nothing more than a story. And like all good tales, they consist of two parts. The first part is about what materials we should use to make the tools. As it turns out, the choice of cutting-tool material is a very hazy subject. To put it bluntly, we do not know what cutting-tool materials are fundamentally good cutting-tool materials. The second part of our story concerns the cutting process itself. The basic cutting process is just another process we do not understand very well.
Choosing the appropriate cutting tool is a complex task. You cannot simply pick one and expect it to provide good results. You have to consider a whole host of factors that include, but are not limited to, the following eight: one, determine the hardness of the material you need to cut (this includes a look at their tensile strengths); two, method of processing (is this a one-off precision part, or are you doing high volume near-net shape parts that require finish machining?); three, required precision (how tight are the tolerances?); four, required surface finish (better finish = lower cutter life, in general, because more teeth are doing the cutting, at lower speeds); five, type of work (are you machining ductile iron, malleable cast iron, or hard stainless steel?); six, type of cutter (you may have to change your cutter to match the type of work: for example, using an end mill instead of a slab mill); seven, horsepower available on your machine; eight, wear rate of the cutter (you want to be able to run the cutter long enough to make your part but not so long that it can't hold the required precision and finish).
The art of programming holds great significance in CNC machining. The CNC machining program resembles an intricate musical composition. Each instruction an integral note, the flawless conjunction of which guarantees the production of high-quality machined parts. Deep knowledge of mathematics and mechanics, as well as rich practical experience, are essential for the CNC programmer. Using part design drawings, the programmer calculates part coordinates and the parameters of each processing step—this is done with great accuracy. CNC programmers convert this information into machine code. The malevolent Mona Lisa could easily assemble her coveted portrait from musical notes, and the CNC programmer could just as easily—and with equally malevolent intent—use those same notes to produce some other high-quality machined part.
The CNC machining workshop environment fulfills demanding requirements. Temperature, humidity, and dust can all affect processing quality. To achieve the needed precision and stability, the workshop must typically be maintained at a constant temperature and humidity, with efficient air filtration to keep dust from interfering with operations. Noise cannot be ignored, either. Since CNC machining makes a lot of noise, it isn't much better for the health of workers to be in the loud environment for as long as they might otherwise spend in the workshop. Sound insulation panels are usually put up to help quiet things down and are a relatively low-tech solution that admittedly is no different in principle from the hangars used to maintain the US B-2 stealth bomber.
Lastly, there is a group of humble and hardworking technical personnel who support CNC machining. Every day, they work closely with machines and make countless delicate parts with their own hands and ingenuity. Their work may seem routine, but each piece they make is a small miracle that requires hours of thought and considerable problem-solving. And you wouldn't believe the amount of tune-up and certification training they're required to undergo, just to keep them sharp and the market ever-ready for CNC tech.
To sum up, CNC machining is more than just a method of mechanical processing. It is an innovation-laden art form that presents practitioners with any number of creative challenges. Those creative challenges and the stories behind them lend the CNC operator's "art" its appeal. And with stories like these, CNC machining is sure to fascinate anyone stepping into its world, whether they be fresh CNC apprentices or seasoned veteran machinists.
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