When it comes to manufacturing, mechanical processing technology is an indispensable link. Mechanical processing technology is the process of transforming raw materials into the desired shape, size, and surface quality, covering various precision machining methods to meet the needs of different parts. The following will provide a detailed introduction to 8 common mechanical processing techniques.

01. Turning

Turning is the process of fixing a workpiece onto a rotating workpiece clamping device, and then gradually cutting the material on the workpiece using a tool to obtain the desired shape and size. This processing method is suitable for manufacturing cylindrical parts, such as shafts and sleeves. The method of turning and the selection of cutting tools affect the shape and surface roughness of the final product.

Turning can be divided into different types, including outer circle turning, inner circle turning, turning flat surfaces, turning threads, etc.

Cylindrical turning is commonly used for machining shapes such as shafts, cylinders, and cones; In internal turning, the tool enters the inner hole of the workpiece and processes the diameter and surface of the inner hole to the required size and accuracy; Turning a flat surface is usually used to create a flat surface, such as the base or end face of a part; Turning threads is the process of gradually cutting the shape of threads, including internal and external threads, by moving the cutting edge of the tool relative to the surface of the workpiece.

02. Milling

Milling machining involves cutting materials on the surface of a workpiece by rotating the tool. By controlling the movement of the tool, complex shaped parts such as flat surfaces, concave convex surfaces, and gears can be manufactured. Milling includes flat milling, end milling, end milling, gear milling, contour milling, etc. Each method is suitable for different processing needs.

In flat milling, the cutting edge of the tool cuts on the surface of the workpiece to obtain a flat surface; End milling is commonly used to process grooves and holes along the height direction of the workpiece; End milling is cutting on the side of a workpiece, commonly used for machining contours, grooves, and edges; Gear milling usually uses special cutting tools with cutting edges to cut the tooth profile of the gear; Profile milling is used to process complex curves or contour shapes, and the path of the tool is precisely controlled based on the contour.

03. Drilling

Drilling is the process of cutting materials on a workpiece using a rotating drill bit to create holes of the required diameter and depth, and is widely used in manufacturing, construction, and maintenance industries. Drilling is often divided into different types, such as conventional drilling, center drilling, deep hole drilling, and multi axis drilling.

Conventional drilling uses drill bits with spiral cutting edges, which are generally used for smaller holes and general drilling needs; Center drilling is the process of first creating a small hole on the surface of a workpiece, and then using a larger drill bit to drill to ensure the accurate position of the large hole; Deep hole drilling is used to process deeper holes, which requires special drill bits and cooling techniques to ensure machining accuracy and quality; Multi axis drilling uses multiple drill bits to drill at different angles simultaneously, suitable for processing multiple holes simultaneously.

04. Grinding

Grinding is the process of gradually cutting or removing material from the surface of a workpiece using a grinding tool to obtain the desired shape, size, and surface quality. Grinding is usually used to process parts with high precision and high surface quality requirements, such as molds, precision mechanical parts, tools, etc.

Grinding is divided into surface grinding, outer circle grinding, inner circle grinding, and contour grinding. Flat grinding is used to process flat workpiece surfaces to obtain a flat surface and precise dimensions; Outer circle grinding is used to process the outer surface of cylindrical workpieces, such as shafts, pins, etc; Internal grinding is used to process the inner surface of holes, such as inner holes, shaft holes, etc; Profile grinding is used to process complex contour shapes, such as the cutting edges of molds and tools.

05. Boring

Boring is commonly used to process circular holes inside workpieces, using rotating tools to cut through existing holes to achieve precise dimensions and flatness goals. Unlike drilling, drilling forms holes by cutting materials on the surface of the workpiece, while boring cuts holes by inserting tools into the interior of the workpiece.

Boring is divided into manual boring and CNC boring. Manual boring is suitable for small batch production and simple machining tasks; CNC boring determines the cutting path, feed rate, and rotation speed through programming to achieve automated high-precision machining.

06. Planning

Planing involves using a planer to cut materials on the surface of a workpiece, in order to achieve the desired flat surface, precise dimensions, and surface quality. Planing is usually used to process flat surfaces of larger workpieces, such as bases, bed bodies, etc. It can provide a flat surface for the workpiece, making it suitable for use with other workpieces.

Planing is usually divided into two stages: rough machining and precision machining. In the rough machining stage, the cutting depth of the planer is larger to quickly remove materials. In the precision machining stage, the cutting depth is reduced to achieve higher surface quality and dimensional accuracy. There are two types of planing: manual planing and automatic planing. Manual planing for small batch production and simple processing tasks; Automatic planing uses automated machine tools to control the movement of the planer to achieve a more stable and efficient machining process.

07. Broaching

Insertion cutting uses a cutting tool to gradually deepen the cutting and create complex internal contours, commonly used for machining complex shapes such as contours, grooves, and holes in workpieces. Insertion machining can usually achieve high machining accuracy and surface quality, making it suitable for parts that require high precision and good surface quality. It is generally divided into types such as flat slotting, contour slotting, groove slotting, hole slotting, etc.

Flat slotting is used to machine flat workpiece surfaces to obtain a flat surface and precise dimensions; Profile interpolation is used to process complex contour shapes, such as molds, parts, etc; Groove slotting is used for machining grooves and grooves, where the cutting edge enters the workpiece and cuts along the surface of the workpiece; Hole insertion is used to machine the inner contour of a hole, where the cutting edge enters the hole and cuts the inner surface of the hole.

08. Electric discharge machining (EDM)

Electrical discharge machining (EDM) uses arc discharge to cut and process conductive materials to obtain high-precision and complex shaped parts, such as molds and tools. It is commonly used in the manufacturing of molds, plastic injection molds, aircraft engine parts, medical devices, and other fields. Electrical discharge machining is commonly used to process hard, brittle, or high hardness materials that are difficult to cut using traditional mechanical machining methods, such as tool steel, hard alloys, titanium alloys, etc.

The main characteristics of electrical discharge machining:

1. Non contact cutting: Unlike traditional mechanical cutting, electrical discharge machining is a non-contact machining method. There is no direct physical contact between the tool and the workpiece, but the material is stripped off through arc discharge.

2. High precision: Electric discharge machining can achieve high-precision machining, usually reaching sub micron level dimensional accuracy. This makes it suitable for manufacturing molds, models, and other precision parts that require high precision.

3. Complex shapes: As electrical discharge machining is a non-contact machining method, it can be used to process very complex shapes, including internal contours, small holes, grooves, etc.

4. Suitable for materials with high hardness: Electric discharge machining is suitable for materials with high hardness because it does not rely on the tool hardness in traditional cutting methods.

The above are 8 common machining processes, each with its specific application areas and advantages. The selection of an appropriate process depends on the material, shape, size, and surface requirements of the parts.