Metal cutting is one of the core technologies in modern manufacturing. By precisely removing excess material from the workpiece, parts with high precision and surface quality can be obtained. This article will systematically analyze the basic principles, common process types, key influencing factors, and application fields of metal cutting.
Basic Principles of Metal Cutting
The essence of metal cutting is to cause the material to undergo shear - sliding deformation and form chips through the relative motion between the tool and the workpiece. During the cutting process, the tool cuts into the surface of the workpiece at a specific speed and peels off the material through extrusion and friction. The following parameters need to be precisely controlled in this process:
1. Cutting speed: The relative motion speed between the tool and the workpiece, which directly affects the machining efficiency and tool life.
2. Feed rate: The moving distance of the workpiece per revolution or per stroke of the tool, which determines the surface roughness of the machined part.
3. Cutting depth: The thickness of the workpiece cut by the tool in a single pass, which affects the material removal rate and the magnitude of the cutting force.
Main Types of Metal Cutting Processes
1. Turning
Turning uses a lathe to rotate the workpiece, and the turning tool feeds axially or radially to machine cylindrical, conical, and other rotary parts. It is characterized by high efficiency and wide applicability, especially suitable for the mass production of shaft - type and disc - type parts.
2. Milling
Milling uses the rotational motion of a multi - edged milling cutter combined with the workpiece feed to machine planes, grooves, and complex three - dimensional curved surfaces. Compared with turning, milling can achieve more flexible machining paths and is commonly used in mold manufacturing and precision part machining.
3. Drilling
Drilling uses a drill bit to machine round holes in the workpiece and is a basic process for hole machining. High - speed steel or cemented carbide drill bits can meet different precision requirements, and through - holes, blind holes, and deep holes can all be achieved by drilling.