Continuous Turning On TurnMills —Advancements in CAM software enable turn-mill machines having a B-axis milling head to perform all finish-turning operations using a single cutting tool.

Taking The Plunge — It doesn't take sophisticated technology to perform plunge roughing effectively. In fact, if you are making due with a less effective machine, plunge roughing deserves even more serious consideration.

Developing A Safer Way To Machine Magnesium — Small chips and fine dust generated while cutting magnesium are highly flammable and pose a serious fire risk if not properly handled. This video shows an example of an internal chip extraction system process to remove the particles.

Hydraulic Toolholders — A hydraulic toolholder uses a reservoir of oil to equalize clamping pressure around the tool. Turning a screw increases the pressure on this oil, causing an expanding sleeve to grip the tool shank.

Shrink Fit Toolholders — A shrink fit toolholder works in conjunction with a specialized heater. The toolholder takes advantage of thermal expansion and contraction to clamp the tool. At normal shop temperature, the bore in which the tool locates is slightly undersize compared to the tool shank.

Stepping Up To Hole-Making Challenges — This video demonstrates the use of stepped insert designs in hole-making operations.

Internal Chip Extraction Video — This video compares two methods of face milling valve reliefs in the top of a magnesium piston. The first uses a conventional milling technique and tool, and the second employs an internal chip evacuation system with hollow tool, tool holder and spindle.

Tools For Titanium — Watch the chips pile up in this video to get a sense of the metal removal rate this 10-flute end mill achieves in titanium.

Hole Making: Combination Tools — Video shows the same series of holes machined first through drilling then tapping, then though drilling and tapping using a combination tool.

Face Mill Video — This 24-inch-diameter face mill is used in a steel scalping operation requiring 300 hp. Depth of cut is 0.75 inch. Metal removal rate is 300 cubic inches per minute.

In It For The Long Haul — Curt Reed uses advanced grinding techniques in the pursuit of short-run, sub-micron work that other shops can't perform or won't attempt. His shop's commitment to its customers is reflectedin the high level of equipment sophistication and applied grinding acumen. View the accompanying video for a grinding application.

No Need For Speed — Machining An Unsupported Floor. This online video shows some of the rules of high speed machining in action—make the work as stiff as you can where you are cutting, then don’t return to that area once it’s cut. These disciplines affect the way an unsupported floor is machined. Programmers make extra manipulations within the CAM software to get the tool path to move this way

Why High Speed Machining? — High Speed Machining offers a way to mill complex structures in aluminum that were never practical before. These benefits come from higher feed rates and lighter depths-of-cut.

Thin Wall Machining — This aluminum part features wall thickness as small as 0.004 inch. Machining parameters are 42,000 rpm and 800 ipm. Milling the complete form from solid took 8 minutes.

Trochoidal Milling — Video shows trochoidal milling in 52 Rc D-2 steel using a six-flute end mill.

Re-Machining — CAM software with a re-machining feature can create tool paths for removing just what stock remains after high-feed-rate moves have rounded off internal corners. Rest milling (to machine the "rest" of the material) is a term for re-machining.

Milling At High L:D Ratios — Video shows milling a deep slot with a 0.8 mm diameter tool. Machining conditions are 40,000 rpm, 1,181 ipm and 0.1 mm depth of cut.

Delicate Features — High-speed, thin-wall milling of electrodes video.

Incremental Pocketing — See one level of a workpiece machined through incremental pocketing. Every pocket is machined, but only one level down. For each subsequent layer, this order of pockets is repeated.

Thin Wall Machining — This video shows a basic example of thin wall machining. Note how cuts alternate from one side of the wall to the other. This leaves the wall supported from both sides throughout the cut.

NURBS Interpolation — Video shows a race in which the same machine mills the same form two different ways. Traditional interpolation was used in one case, NURBS interpolation in the other.

Ramp In — Feeding into the material at full depth and full feed rate can shorten tool life. Enter the workpiece gradually with a series of ramping moves. Two videos: Straight-line ramp & Spiraling in.

Five-Axis Machining Has Special Workholding Needs — This article and video demonstrates how this clamping system helps keep the worktable out of the way of the spindle and cutting tool as they approach multiple sides of a workpiece.

Turning Without Rotating The Part — A lathe with live-tool capability is not the only type of machine that can turn, mill and drill in the same setup. Parts that are too big or too unbalanced for chucking in a lathe can also benefit from combining these operations into one cycle.

Helical Interpolation Vs. Drilling — A machining center able to maintain precise control at high feed rates makes it practical to machine holes through helical milling as an alternative to drilling.

What Is A Linear Motor? — A linear motor is a type of axis motor that doesn't need a ballscrew. Another way to think of a linear motor is as a rotary motor unrolled. The design offers certain strengths and tradeoffs. Stiffness is the principal strength.

Revving Up The CMM — An online video shows this high speed motorized CMM probe rotating in space, spiraling in a bore and sweeping across a surface.

Machining A Non-Round Part On A Turning Center (new) —This intricate machining cycle on a CNC Swiss-type lathe reveals how a turning center capable of X-, Y- and Z-axis motion in milling can be effective even when the part is not round. The part, a spinal hook, does not feature anything like the axial symmetry typical of a turned part.

When Four Spindles Make Sense — For the right applications, four-spindle CNC chuckers offer practically zero delay for part loading. That’s because two spindles can be loaded while the other two are making chips.

The Role Of The Subspindle In CNC Swiss-Type Machining — This video shows a machining cycle on a CNC Swiss-type lathe that takes advantage of more sophisticated features involving the subspindle. The subspindle's support of the workpiece allows long axial flats to be machined. The subspindle driving workpiece during the last machining operations reduces the length of remnant that has to be left behind

Video Of Bone Screw Machining On A CNC Swiss-Type Lathe —
View this video to see clearly how a CNC Swiss-type lathe works. On a machine of this type, the guide bushing moves the part along the axial direcation so the tool can remain close to the point of support. Thread whirling is one of the operations in this machining cycle producing a bone screw.

Video: Machining A Non-Round Part On A Turning Center — This intricate machining cycle on a CNC Swiss-type lathe reveals how a turning center capable of X-, Y- and Z-axis motion in milling can be effective even when the part is not round. The part, a spinal hook, does not feature anything like the axial symmetry typical of a turned part.

Video: Sawing On A Turning Center — This part machined on a CNC Swiss-type lathe includes 0.008-inch slots machined through precision sawing. The lathe performing this work uses linear motors in place of ballscrews.

The Multi-Process Machine Mindset — An online video shows a boring bar being retrieved from the storage compartment on the multi-process machine mentioned in this article.

Hard Turn Without Leaving Feed Marks — Lead-Free Hard Turning Video.

Applying Turn-Milling — An online video shows turn-milling in action, including turn-milling to produce off-center features of the part.