CNC machining intelligence for the shop floor
Topic
All posts tagged “tooling”
4
Posts
Indexable cutting tool inserts explained — what an insert is and why the system matters, how to read the ISO code, the geometry logic from shape to chipbreaker, the grade ladder from coated carbide to CBN and PCD, and how coatings and selection discipline decide the cut.
Cutting tool life explained — why tools wear, the flank and crater wear that define life, the three-stage wear curve, the wear mechanisms from abrasion to diffusion, and how to manage tool life through monitoring, replacement discipline and the levers that decide it.
Toolholding systems explained — the two interfaces that hold every cutting tool, the BT and CAT steep-taper vs HSK spindle standards and how each behaves at speed, and the clamping methods from collet to shrink-fit to hydraulic, with the runout discipline that decides how much accuracy survives.
CNC workholding explained — what workholding must do and why it is half of accuracy, the 3-2-1 locating principle and datum logic every fixture obeys, the workholding catalog from vises and soft jaws to fixtures, vacuum, tombstones and pallets, and how to choose the right hold for the job.