1. Turning
Turning is the most common and widely used machining method, primarily used to remove excess material from the outer surface of a workpiece until the desired shape and dimensions are achieved. This process offers extremely high precision and excellent surface finish, suitable for machining various metallic and non-metallic materials.
2. Boring
Boiling involves further enlarging or modifying the diameter of an existing hole to improve dimensional accuracy or correct its shape. For example, if a hole is found to be not round enough or its dimensions are incorrect after drilling, boring can be used to correct it and achieve higher precision requirements.
3. Tapping
Tapping is the operation of machining threads in pre-drilled holes in a workpiece. This process uses a tap as a multi-edged cutting tool. While the workpiece rotates slowly, the tap is fixed and supported by the tailstock spindle, allowing it to enter the hole axially to complete the thread machining. This process is widely used in the machining of threaded fasteners in industries such as machinery manufacturing, automotive, and aerospace.
4. Knurling
Knurling is a machining method that creates regular patterns (usually diamond-shaped or straight lines) on the surface of a workpiece. It is primarily used to increase the friction and grip of parts, while also enhancing their aesthetic appearance. Knurling tools press the pattern onto the workpiece surface through a rolling process, without removing material, thus not affecting the overall strength of the workpiece.
5. Reaming
Reaming is used to enlarge and finish existing holes to improve their dimensional accuracy and surface quality. The reamer penetrates the workpiece axially, removing only a small amount of material to obtain a rounder, smoother inner hole. Reaming is commonly used for machining holes requiring high-precision fits, such as bearing housing holes and hydraulic system holes.
6. Parting
Parting is an operation that completely separates a workpiece by cutting it along its perpendicular axis with a cutting tool. This process is typically used to divide long bars into multiple parts or to remove unwanted portions from a workpiece. During parting, controlling the depth of cut and tool feed rate is crucial to avoid material deformation or tool damage.
7. End Face Machining
End face machining is used to shorten the length of a workpiece, making the workpiece end face perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The tool feeds along the radial direction of the workpiece, gradually removing material from the end face until the desired length is achieved. This process is widely used in the end face finishing of mechanical parts, such as flanges and bearing housings.
8. Grooving
Grooving is a process used to machine narrow grooves on or inside a workpiece surface. The width of the cutting tool determines the size of the groove. The workpiece can be fed radially or axially to form the desired groove shape. Grooving is widely used in the assembly of parts, the machining of snap-fit structures, and the pre-machining of thread initiation points.
9. Threading
Threading is a process of machining external or internal threads using a lathe. The tool moves along the axial direction of the workpiece, gradually cutting out the thread shape. Compared to tapping, threading is suitable for machining larger dimensions or special thread shapes, and is often used in the production of precision mechanical parts such as screws and pipe fittings.
10. Drilling
Drilling is usually the first step in machining internal structures, which may require subsequent finishing processes such as reaming and tapping. This process is mainly used to machine cylindrical holes in workpieces, and is generally suitable for initial hole machining in materials such as metal, plastic, and wood. Drilling accuracy is usually low, so in high-precision scenarios, it needs to be combined with other finishing processes (such as boring or reaming) to improve the size and surface quality of the hole.