What makes CNC machines so precise and versatile?

If you want to use CNC machines to manufacture parts, then you must have already thought of this issue. Undoubtedly, the computerized characteristics of Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining play an important role in the accuracy of machines. But what truly makes CNC machine tools so versatile is the almost endless selection of cutting tools you have.

This article introduces nine different types of tools and their functions used in CNC machine tools. Understanding the functions of these tools is an important step you need to take before conducting business with any CNC machining workshop.

Some Materials Used for CNC Machine Tool Tools

carbon steel

Carbon steel is a steel alloy that contains 1% more carbon and 1.6% more manganese by weight. Cutting tools made of carbon steel are very affordable and have high machinability. They are very suitable for low-speed CNC machining of soft metals such as aluminum, brass, and magnesium (related article: CNC machining of magnesium: what are the safety issues?).

high speed steel

High speed steel is just an alloy of carbon steel with other materials such as molybdenum, tungsten, chromium, cobalt, and vanadium. These alloy elements endow HSS with high temperature resistance, wear resistance, and durability.

Cutting tools made of high-speed steel are an ideal choice for continuous high-speed cutting. You can use them to cut black and non-ferrous metals.

carbide

Hard alloy is composed of a combination of carbon and tungsten. Tools made of hard alloy are usually heat-resistant, rust resistant, and scratch resistant. In fact, their service life under extreme conditions is much longer than that of steel cutting tools.

Ceramic products

Cutting tools made of ceramics have heat resistance and corrosion resistance. They also have chemical stability because ceramics do not react with most metals that can be used as workpieces.

Ceramic cutting tools have high cutting efficiency and are an ideal choice for high-speed semi precision machining and precision machining of hard steel, cast iron, and high-temperature alloys.

Now let's take a look at the different types of tools used in CNC machine tools.

Types of CNC cutting tools

#1 drill bit

The drill bit has a conical cutting point and an axis with one or more grooves - spiral grooves running along the outside of the tool.

CNC machining drills are generally divided into three types: center drill, Fried Dough Twists drill and eject drill, each of which has different important functions.

You should use a central drill bit to accurately create small dots on the workpiece, and then you can use a Fried Dough Twists drill to drill holes correctly. In contrast, top out drills are more suitable for deep hole drilling.

#2 end mills

End mills are similar to drill bits, but they are more versatile in the operations they perform. They usually have up to eight sharp grooves at their ends and sides, allowing them to remove a large amount of material in a short period of time. If you want to cut the material directly without the need for pre drilling (or spot drilling), the end mill should be your preferred tool.

There are many types of end mills, and rough machining end mills are common. Rough end mills often have eight cutting edges, just like regular end mills. However, the grooves in rough end mills are serrated, and compared to regular end mills, you can remove more material.

#3-sided milling cutter

Usually, the raw materials (or workpieces) used in CNC milling machines need to be prepared in some way before the main milling operations can be performed.

Face milling cutters are specialized cutting tools that allow you to make flat parts of the workpiece before performing detailed cutting operations. This tool has a sturdy body with multiple interchangeable tool blades that can be replaced as needed.

For more demanding complex operations, you may need to consider using "side and face milling cutters". For example, side milling cutters and face milling cutters allow you to cut grooves or grooves on the workpiece, while also cutting the sidewalls of the workpiece.

#4 Reamers

Assuming you need to create a 1/2 "hole on the workpiece. You can continue to use a 1/2" drill bit, right? Wrong! By doing so, when you finish drilling the workpiece, you may see an oversized hole.

The ideal method to create this hole is to start with a smaller drill bit, such as 31/64 ", and then use a reamer to enlarge the hole to 1/2". Reamers allow you to expand the size of existing holes while achieving dimensional accuracy and strict tolerances.

#5 gear cutting tools

As the name suggests, gear cutting tools are used to manufacture gears for the manufacturing industry. You can use it to manufacture various gears, including spur gears, bevel gears, worm gears, screws, and helical gears.

#6 hollow mill

Hollow milling cutter is a tubular cutting tool with three or more cutting edges that surround and rotate around a cylindrical workpiece. This cutting tool allows you to quickly and efficiently create consistent pre thread diameters. You can also use them in drilling machine work to complete projections that must be located at a given position.

#7 thread milling cutter

As the name suggests, a thread milling cutter is a CNC tool used for cutting threads. Their purpose is similar to that of a faucet. But unlike taps that only cut internal threads, CNC machines equipped with thread milling cutters can simultaneously cut both internal and external threads.

If you want to penetrate hard metal or asymmetric parts, you should choose a thread milling cutter.

#8 slab factory

Slab milling cutter, also known as slab milling cutter or flat milling cutter, is used to cut flat surfaces. These cutting tools usually only have teeth on their periphery, making them ideal for quickly cutting wide and narrow incisions.

#9 Flying Knives

Flying knives are single point rotating tools that can perform wide or shallow cuts and produce a smooth surface finish. Compared to most face milling cutters, flying cutters are cheaper and provide better surface smoothness. It should be your preferred tool for performing planar surface operations.