Machining Challenges“In the medical mold and die industry, customers face even more challenges than in a typical environment due to the incredibly small sizes and the high precision that is required,” comments Steven, president of First-rate mold company “That is key—high precision—smaller items with tighter tolerances and better surface finish. […]
Micro-mold involves mills and drills with a diameter of 0.250″ or less. It is required for intricate, very detailed machining and works best with high-speed spindles. HSM has no set definition or absolute parameters, but one workable definition is machining with spindle speeds of 25,000 rpm or more. […]
1. There are differences between CVD diamond and amorphous diamond.Amorphous diamond is a carbon film that is applied using physical vapor deposition. It has some of the SP3 bonds that diamond has and some of the SP2 bonds that carbon has. The resulting film is hard, but not as hard as diamond. […]
Recent advancements in industrial PC CNC controls have opened a new technology path to improved speed, accuracy, surface finish, flexibility and convenience for moldmaking, along with greater value. Here is a review of some of the features of the next generation controls you should consider when investigating your next PC CNC control purchase. [...]
Specializing in milling and EDM’ing large, complex 3-D geometry for various tool steels for both molds and first-rate mold company was looking to reduce its cycle times, according to President Steven. […]
Grinding technology has advanced significantly during the past 25 years. Unfortunately, the great majority of the machine tool industry has not kept up with those advances and has fed the industry with poor, lackluster designs that will not allow the new technologies to be exploited to their fullest potential. […]
The key to successful grinding is the proper selection and proper application of the cutting fluid. Generally, the longer the arc of cut, the greater the need for more of a wetting/cooling, synthetic fluid, as opposed to the smaller arc lengths where highly lubricating fluids with EP (Extra Pressure) additives will be necessary. [...]
Modern grinding process technology lies in the areas of creep-feed grinding, high-speed grinding and grinding with super-abrasives. […]
“It’s great to have high-speed machining equipment when you are ready to afford it,” says Steven, president of first-rate mold company, “but in the meantime, moldmakers should know there are steps that can be taken to get there.” Steven describes his equipment as “universal” – it must be able to tap, drill, rough and finish. [...]
This component refers to the programmers and their available options. Clearly, the software (CAD/CAM) available to the user dictates many of the programming variables from which they can choose. While an excellent software package will create various avenues to machining a part, […]