Milling and turning : Two essential tools in the industry
When manufacturing parts, two techniques are commonly used to carry out the project, namely milling and turning. Although they may seem to have similarities, they are quite different in their approach and application.
Milling machining
L’usinage de fraisage est une technique de fabrication qui consiste à enlever de la matière d’une pièce en utilisant une fraise rotative. Elle coupe ou façonne un matériau pour créer des formes, des rainures, des trous et d’autres caractéristiques géométriques spécifiques.
When we perform milling, the primary cutting tool used is the end mill. It can have various shapes, specific cutting edges, and different coatings. In the milling process, two main movements are involved. The first movement is the rotation of the end mill, and the second movement is the movement of the milling machine. The end mill's rotation removes material, while the milling machine's movement positions the end mill to create the desired shape.
In milling machining, there are several types of milling, including end milling, slot milling, face milling, contour milling, and many others. Each is adapted for specific applications.
This technique provides great versatility in terms of shapes and sizes of parts that can be manufactured. Whether it's simple or complex parts, milling can be adapted to various applications. Furthermore, milling allows for a high degree of precision. With today's technology, milling machines are capable of maintaining very tight tolerances. This makes it an ideal choice for parts requiring high precision.
Milling is also a highly efficient technique for mass production of parts. With automated CNC machines, it's possible to produce identical parts quickly and with great precision. When a part requires machining of complex surfaces, milling is commonly used for such projects. Moreover, milling is used to machine a wide variety of materials, including metals, plastics, composites, and even some ceramic materials.
Turning machining
L’usinage de tournage est une technique d’usinage qui consiste à l’enlèvement de matière d’une pièce avec un mouvement de rotation pour créer des pièces cylindriques, coniques, ou avec d’autres profils. Cette technique consiste à fixer une pièce de matériau à un mandrin rotatif où une lame de coupe va venir façonner la pièce en tournant autour de son axe.
When we engage in turning machining, we use a machine tool called a lathe. This machine enables the workpiece at high speed and create cylindrical or conical surfaces. During the process, a cutting tool, typically made from tungsten carbide or high-speed steel, moves along the rotating workpiece to remove material and create the desired shape.
There are different types of turning, including external turning, which involves machining the outer surface of the workpiece, internal turning, which involves machining holes or cavities inside the workpiece, and finally, we can perform taper turning, which involves machining a workpiece to create cones.
Turning is primarily used to create cylindrical-shaped parts. Furthermore, this method is ideal for the production of large quantities of identical cylindrical parts in a short amount of time.
When it comes to repetitive production operations, turning is often more commonly used than milling because the technique is generally simpler to program. However, while turning is capable of producing accurate parts, it is generally less suitable when dealing with complex shapes that require strict tolerances. Although turning is commonly used for machining metals, it can also be used for machining plastics and other materials.