_Cnc milling
_Cnc milling
CNC Milling (or Computer Numerical Control Milling to give it it's full title) Centres are a vital piece of machining equipment used for the production of widgets and other tools. Milling or Turning as it's also known is used to shape pieces of metal or other raw materials for use in widget components. As most widgets are new designs, and as such most Milling centres are capable at doing a large range of tasks and activities, some of which are very complex including slot cutting, drilling, rebating, plaining and keyway cutting.
There are two main types of milling machines, a vertical milling machine and a horizontal milling machine. The difference between the two is that the cutting tool used to cut the metal is either mounted horizontally or vertically. There is very little difference between the two, but occasionally pieces may need to be manufactured that do not fit within one of the milling machines. These are few and far between though, and generally speaking Horizontal Milling is more useful than Vertical, due to the fact that there's a rotary table on the gears, allowing for 15 degree deviation for shallow angles.
The main benefit of CNC Milling is that the cutting process is controlled by a central computer. This eliminates a lot of the human error which can exist with standard milling. Furthermore, whilst many machines are the less versitile vertical milling, the precise nature of computer control means that a lot of the tasks impossible with human controlled Vertical Milling are possible with CNC Vertical Milling. The vertical cutting also can move along a Z-Axis, allowing precise methods of cutting (such as engraving), not possible with manual machines. Although originally expensive, CNC Milling has dropped in price thanks to the low price of computers and open source software. Most companies that offer machining offer CNC Milling, meaning that if you approach a company for Milling, they may be able to manufacture the whole widget for you.
CNC Milling (or Computer Numerical Control Milling to give it it's full title) Centres are a vital piece of machining equipment used for the production of widgets and other tools. Milling or Turning as it's also known is used to shape pieces of metal or other raw materials for use in widget components. As most widgets are new designs, and as such most Milling centres are capable at doing a large range of tasks and activities, some of which are very complex including slot cutting, drilling, rebating, plaining and keyway cutting.
There are two main types of milling machines, a vertical milling machine and a horizontal milling machine. The difference between the two is that the cutting tool used to cut the metal is either mounted horizontally or vertically. There is very little difference between the two, but occasionally pieces may need to be manufactured that do not fit within one of the milling machines. These are few and far between though, and generally speaking Horizontal Milling is more useful than Vertical, due to the fact that there's a rotary table on the gears, allowing for 15 degree deviation for shallow angles.
The main benefit of CNC Milling is that the cutting process is controlled by a central computer. This eliminates a lot of the human error which can exist with standard milling. Furthermore, whilst many machines are the less versitile vertical milling, the precise nature of computer control means that a lot of the tasks impossible with human controlled Vertical Milling are possible with CNC Vertical Milling. The vertical cutting also can move along a Z-Axis, allowing precise methods of cutting (such as engraving), not possible with manual machines. Although originally expensive, CNC Milling has dropped in price thanks to the low price of computers and open source software. Most companies that offer machining offer CNC Milling, meaning that if you approach a company for Milling, they may be able to manufacture the whole widget for you.