#cnc machining software

CNC Work hardening, and how it affects machining Work hardening is the process of a metal becoming stronger and harder by plastic deformation, due to changes in the crystal structure of the material. When you bend a piece of wire back and forth a few times, it becomes harder to bend at the same…

CNC Increasing capacity - buy a machine or reduce downtime on existing machines ? Tough decision for a CEO ! Downtime on the shop floor can be up to 30 % because of poor work ethics and system problems (see this earlier post of mine). If I have 10 machines on my shop floor…

CNC How a bad machine increases the spindle load and your power bill Machines of two different makes may look the same, and we wonder why one costs so much less than the other. The reason may be that the cheaper machine is badly designed, made with cheaper components. The poor design and build…

CNC Grooving on CNC lathes - why you need a dwell at the bottom The grooving insert moving into the groove is actually moving along a spiral path. When it reaches the final destination diameter (the ID of the groove) it has cut the ID at only one point, not along the whole circumference.…

CNC Modifying cutting speed for required tool life Recommended cutting speeds in tool catalogs are for a tool life of 15 minutes. This means that with these parameters the insert edge will have to be changed after 15 minutes of contact with the workpiece. E.g., if the contact time is 3 minutes in rough…

CNC Do face mill angles matter - square shoulder, 45 degree, what's the big difference ? A face mill is subjected to two components of force - a radial force and an axial force. The radial force causes the arbor to bend sideways. It causes vibrations, poor surface finish, and reduces the life of…