CNC Milling Machines

Posts Tagged ‘Lathe’

Lathes are designed for precise machining relatively hard materials. They are originally designed to machine metals; however, with the advent of plastics and other materials, and with their inherent versatility, they are used in a wide range of applications, and a broad range of materials. These rigid machine tools remove material from a rotating work piece via the (typically linear) movements of various cutting tools, such as tool bits and drill bits.

CNC Lathes are rapidly replacing the older production lathes due to their ease of setting and operation. They are designed to use modern carbide tooling and fully utilize modern processes.

The machine is controlled electronically via a computer menu style interface, the program may be modified and displayed at the machine, along with a simulated view of the process. The setter/operator needs a high level of skill to perform the process, however the knowledge base is broader compared to the older production machines where intimate knowledge of each machine was considered essential. These machines are often set and operated by the same person, where the operator will supervise a small number of machines (cell).

The design of a CNC lathe has evolved yet again however the basic principles and parts are still recognizable, the turret holds the tools and indexes them as needed. The machines are often totally enclosed, due in large part to occupational health and safety (OH&S) issues.

With the advent of cheap computers, free operating systems such as Linux, and open source CNC software, the entry price of CNC machines has plummeted.

CNC lathe manufacturing is widespread throughout the component manufacturing industry worldwide as more and more demand is placed on higher production, lowered costs and increased quality requirements on industrial manufactured components. Several companies, however, turn to the deployment of used cnc lathes as a means to reduce their capital equipment costs. While this is a help in improving the bottom line of many companies, the down side of this method is that one has be very vigilant when it comes to keeping these used cnc lathes in proper working order so that production schedules are not compromised and quality levels are not sacrificed. This means that there is increased pressure on maintenance personnel to establish and follow proper maintenance procedures. In this article, we will describe the three basic maintenance procedures that come into play in cnc lathe machine shops.

The first maintenance procedure involves routine maintenance. In this procedure, one schedules a routine maintenance frequency, be it every day, every so many days, every shift or any other frequency depending upon the age of the machines and the demands of the shop. Routine maintenance procedures may involve changing coolants, cleaning chip pans, inspecting and adjusting safety mechanisms, changing or filling hydraulic oil, etc. Routine maintenance procedures try to prevent breakdowns.

The second maintenance procedure involves preventative maintenance. Preventive maintenance involves inspecting belts, adjusting, repairing or replacing components that have not yet failed but are known to fail within a short period. Preventive maintenance involves developing a history of breakdown of components from past history, allowing for catching of problems before they happen.

Finally, breakdown maintenance procedures come into play when a component has already failed, thus shutting the production line down. As one can imagine, breakdown maintenance can be very costly due to down time involved in production that can get aggravated if the necessary replacement parts are not readily available.

One needs to strive to avoid breakdown maintenance as much as possible by concentrating on routine and preventive maintenance procedures because the latter two are significantly less expensive than the former.

I want setp by step process.with relevent figures.

http://www.glacern.com

http://twitter.com/glacern

Glacern Machine Tools

Mass production turning of an aerospace part. Material is 1.0″ diameter alloy steel. The machine is a Mori Seiki NL2500SY-700 CNC Turning Center with a Y-axis, C-axis on both spindles, live tooling, and a subspindle.

Duration : 0:4:23

MILL2LATHE Converts your CNC milling machine into a CNC lathe! www.mill2lathe.com

Duration : 0:1:12

Started in 1968 by my father and currently run by my brother Rob. Small town jobbing shop built around the fishing industry. Built on the traditions of quality, fast work done at reasonable prices. My father built this business by trusting in the word of his customers. The stories and experiences of the time I spent in this shop are my fondest inspirations. I got into teaching in hopes of imparting to my students some of the knowledge my father passed onto me. My father is a great machinist. Rob carries on the tradition. Drop in and visit when you are in Prince Rupert. My dad turned 80 in 2008.

Duration : 0:3:12

Bridgeport CNC Lathe running

Duration : 0:0:58

http://www.glacern.com

http://twitter.com/glacern

Glacern Machine Tools

Turning a rook chess piece out of 2.5″ diameter 6061 aluminum bar stock on a Mori Seiki NL2500SY-700 CNC Turning Center, utilizing the Y-axis, C-axis, and live tooling.

Duration : 0:4:5