Milling and Turning Basics:
Milling is the process of cutting away material by feeding a workpiece past a rotating multiple tooth cutter. The cutting action of the many teeth around the milling cutter provides a fast method of machining. The surface may also be milled to any combination of shapes. There are two main types of milling operations: face milling and peripheral milling. Face milling cuts flat surfaces into the workpiece and flat-bottomed cavities. The feed can be either horizontal or vertical. Peripheral milling cuts deep slots, threads, and gear teeth. The workpiece can be fed into the cutting tool in either of two ways. Conventional milling involves feeding the workpiece against the cutter rotation. This is the recommended method for manual milling machines. Climb milling, on the other hand, feeds the workpiece in the same direction as the cutter rotation. This is the preferred method for CNC milling. Milling can also be used as a secondary process to add features such as holes, slots, pockets, and contours.
Turning is a machining process in which a single-point tool removes material from the surface of a rotating work piece. Turning involves rotation of the workpiece while the cutting tool moves in a linear motion. This results in a cylindrical shape. A lathe is the machine of choice for all turning operations. Like most machining operations, turning is either done manually or automatically. The downside to manual turning is it requires continuous supervision. Automatic turning does not. With Computer Numerical Control, or CNC, you program all the movements, speeds, and tooling changes into a computer. These instructions then get sent to the lathe for completion. CNC allows for consistency and efficiency of high production runs. Single point cutting tools used in turning come in various shapes. They’re placed at different angles for a variety of outcomes.
At Marples Gears, we utilize both of these machining processes and supporting inspection equipment to insure the quality of the blanks that we produce. Through the use of advanced manufacturing techniques, we are able to combine milling and turning in some of our machines. Although we specialize in the precision manufacture of gears, we also utilize these processes for the manufacture of precision parts for our customers without gears on them at all. We mainly use CNC milling and CNC turning machines in the manufacture of our parts as shown in our equipment list as well as a Swiss screw machine. If you would like a quote on a milling or turning job feel free to email your print to info@marplesgearsinc.com or head over to our custom quote page under the contact us tab.
