Snapshot Buying CAM software is easy, but running it efficiently depends on who knows how to use it • Many CNC shops become dependent on
Constant Cutting Speed in CNC lathes – ignorance can be expensive Using Constant Cutting Speed (also called Constant Surface Speed or CSS) instead of constant
CNC What is 2D, 3D and 5-axis Milling2D milling (also called 2.5 D milling): 1. The tool axis is constant during an operation. 2. The
Tool life definition – it’s not when the tool breaks Tool life definition: Tool life is the duration of actual cutting time after which the
What is 5S in LEAN manufacturing ? 5S in LEAN manufacturing is a method of organizing the workplace to improve efficiency, and is a foundation
Machine monitoring for improving production and productivity This is what typically happens on a manufacturing shop floor:The scheduling guys make a production schedule for a
Center drill types, center drill angle – what is used where A center drill is used for drilling a hole on the axis of a
How Quick change tool holder systems improve your profits A Quick change tool holder, or Quick change tooling, is a modular system that enables tools
Boring bar for lathe – selecting based on L/D ratio Boring bar for lathe: As the L/D ratio of the bore (and hence the boring
G-Code and M-Code: What Does It Mean in CNC Machining? CNC machines have become an integral part of the manufacturing process. Modern-day CNC machines come
CNC – Tool and insert selection for Turning How do you select the tool holder style, insert clamping type, insert clearance angle, insert shape and
CNC lathe spindle – what the innards look like The accuracy and life of a CNC lathe spindle depend on the material, the accuracy of
The CNC Machine requires a set of programming instructions to move the cutting tool around the workpiece to cut it according to drawing specifications. There
Reducing machining time in CNC face milling Most times we blindly use the same tool path for rough and finish CNC face milling, and the
Cutting speed formula – turning and milling The cutting speed formula is the same for both milling and turning. In milling, where the tool is
Which cutting parameter has the highest effect on tool life ? All cutting parameters do not have the same effect on tool life. Cutting speed
CNC threading insert – difference between partial and full profile When you select a CNC threading insert, you need to be aware of whether to
Machine monitoring for improving production and productivity This is what typically happens on a manufacturing shop floor:The scheduling guys make a production schedule for a
LEAN manufacturing definition, and terms used in it – a brief explanation Lean manufacturing or lean production, shortened to Lean, is the systematic elimination of
Maximizing CNC spindle power usage in turning Your CNC machine’s spindle is a gold mine, and you’re probably getting just 50 % of the gold
How Industry 4.0 improves preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance systems Industry 4.0 can dramatically improve efficiency of your maintenance systems, reduce machine downtime and cut
The ABCs of hard part turning on CNC lathes Hard part turning is the turning of steel with a hardness over 45 HRc (typically in
CNC machining cost – how to reduce it by maximizing spindle power usage You can reduce your CNC machining cost and increase profits by just
CNC machining cost – how to reduce it by maximizing spindle power usage You can reduce your CNC machining cost and increase profits by just
Maximizing CNC spindle power usage in turning Your CNC machine’s spindle is a gold mine, and you’re probably getting just 50 % of the gold
Insert selection – based on insert geometry at cutting edge and chip breaker Insert selection on a lot of shop floors is often done without
Maximum depth of cut in rough turning, based on turning insert shapes We decide the depth of cut on the basis of an arbitrary thumb
Reducing machine downtime – tackle the low hanging fruit first You have two types of machine downtime on the shop floor – the low hanging
CNC: Heat removal during CNC machining In machining, almost all of the energy spent in cutting is transformed into heat. Heat is produced: 1. During
CNC – Modifying cutting speed for required tool life Recommended cutting speeds in tool catalogs are for a tool life of 15 minutes. This means
CNC – Why do we use a floating tap holder? What is a floating tap holder ? What is a floating tap holder ? Where
CNC – Eliminate trial part rejection and increase profits This is one of those “Oh, this is how we’ve always done things here” areas of
Tungsten carbide insert colors – the coatings that cause them Here’s the secret behind Tungsten Carbide insert colors. Plain tungsten carbide is grey, and various
CNC: End mill helix angles – how do they matter? Like inserts and turning holders, boring holder names too follow an ISO nomenclature standard. Also,
CNC: Boring holders – ISO nomenclature Like inserts and turning holders, boring holder names too follow an ISO nomenclature standard. Also, like for inserts and
CNC – BIG Machine downtime can result from SMALL reasons, and ruin your ROI This is a real story from a shop floor that uses
CNC – BT holder taper on machining centers The BT system is a more evolved version of the CAT taper (named after its developer, Caterpillar
CNC: Milling holder tapers (the story behind the names BT30, CAT40, etc.) The taper used generally used is the NMTB, also called NMT or NT.
CNC: Cycle time reduction by controlling what the spindle does at tool change On a CNC lathe, what you do with the spindle during tool
CNC: Coolant – the inner gory details In a typical machining operation in CNC turning or CNC milling, two-thirds of the heat is generated as
ISO turning tool holder nomenclature – simplified Turning tool holder nomenclature follows an ISO standard. If you are working on a CNC shop floor with
CNC – Hardness of various insert coating materials Here’s a comparison of the hardness of various coating materials used on cutting tools and inserts. Colours
CNC axes directions on Horizontal Machining centers (HMCs) – rotary and linear axes CNC axes directions always follow a convention, and all CNC machine manufacturers
CNC Turning insert shapes and their cutting properties When we select an insert for an operation, we select it based on these characteristics:– How versatile
What is a Modular tooling system, and how does it reduce tooling cost ? A Modular tooling system enables you to assemble tools from a
CNC – Heat shrink holder The heat shrink holder has a cylindrical bore which holds a tool with a cylindrical shank, like a side lock
CNC: Nose radius selection – something you have to poke your nose into Selection of the nose radius depends on the depth of cut and
CNC: Turning – Part bending and L/D ratio Source – Cadem NCyclo Turn Part bending increases very rapidly with increase in L/D ratio. For a given
Cutting speed vs Feed rate – what is the difference ? It is easy to understand the cutting speed vs feed rate difference using the
CNC – Key parts of a CNC VMC/HMC fixture The construction principle of all fixtures is common. All fixtures consist of locators, clamps and supports,
Built up edge in CNC turning and milling – the cause, and the solution Built-up edge (BUE) is not tool wear. Its result is however
Tool nose radius compensation (TNRC) – what is it ? Does machining such parts make you angry, confused, frustrated ?TNRC, or Tool Nose Radius Compensation,
CNC: Indexable insert drills – why and how you use them Insert drills have a hardened steel body (hardness approx. 50 HRC) with inserts at
CNC: Inserts ISO nomenclature – what’s important, and what’s not To cut metal profitably, there are in fact only 3 parameters that you really need
CNC – What is a CNC machine simulator ? “Machines I can buy, any number, but where do I get operators ?” A commonly heard
Constant surface speed – why does it always go with a Limiting spindle speed When cutting in the constant cutting speed mode, as the tool
CNC: Rigid tapping – the better way to tap on CNC machining centers Rigid tapping, also called synchronous feed tapping, eliminates the need for a
CNC lathe work holding – when to use tailstock and steady rest The part held in the chuck is a cantilever, and the radial cutting
CNC – Mohs scale of hardness and cutting tool materials When a cutting tool cuts a workpiece, it is basically a scratching of one material
CNC: Are you cutting optimally ? Your CNC turning chips can tell you ! Next time you’re in the shop floor, just look at the
CNC: CNC machining – is scrap getting you money ? Do you ever include the scrap cost in your calculations of machining cost ? Sometimes
CNC: Milling with an end mill – how exactly is the chip formed and broken ? Here’s a beautiful slow motion video of an end
ISO turning insert nomenclature – a simple rule to remember Inserts, those SMALL things that we use to cut material, have a BIG impact on
CNC: Work hardening, and how it affects CNC machining Work hardening is the process of a metal becoming stronger and harder by plastic deformation, due
Damped boring bar – what is it, and how does it help in boring ? A damped (also called tuned) boring bar has a hollow
Chip breaking in CNC turning, and function of chip breaker Improper chip breaker or feed rate selection can result in poor chip breaking and continuous
CNC: Insert coatings and your shoe’s sole – what’s the connection ? A shoe must be comfortable on the feet, made of material that is
CNC: CNC skills – the industry-education gap The picture below shows the steps involved in machining a part on a CNC lathe or machining center.
CNC: CADEM CNC Gyan videos – short movies on the basics of CNC Turning We at Cadem just made a series of short videos to
Quill on a CNC Machining Center – what is it ? On a CNC machining center, the quill is an extendable part of the spindle
CNC Turning – insert nose radius and its effect on radial cutting force When turning, the axial component of the cutting force is pushing the
CNC: How a machine monitoring system reduces investment in new machines Increasing capacity – buy a machine or reduce downtime on existing machines using a
CNC: 2D, 3D and 5-axis Milling – where are they used ? The vast majority of CNC machines worldwide (95 % or more) are used
CNC: Circularity and Cylindricity – the difference Circularity: Every circular cross section of the part must lie between two concentric circles spaced the ‘circularity’ distance apart.
CNC: Negative insert, Positive insert – Zero difference yaar ! Just use whatever’s available ! Every cutting tool catalog has the words Positive and Negative
CNC: Do face mill angles matter ? Square shoulder, 45 degree, what’s the big difference? A face mill is subjected to two components of force
Cutting speed vs Feed rate – difference in CNC milling There is often confusion about cutting speed vs feed rate in milling. Here is a
CNC: Vibrations – what causes them, and how they affect the part As the spindle and axes motors rotate on a CNC machine, there are
CNC: Anvils in threading tools – small things that make a big difference The insert is therefore seated at a sideways angle on an Anvil,
Preferred numbers and sizes in engineering and design There is a preferred numbers and sizes system in engineering design, worldwide. Here’s the explanation. What do
Nose radius, feed rate and surface finish – an insert nose radius chart The nose radius of the insert has a direct effect on the
What is the APT programming language ? Where is it used in CNC programming ? APT programming language is a language for defining tool paths
CNC: Temperature at the cutting tip – enough to light a cigarette ? Tobacco and paper both ignite at a temperature of 250 degrees C.
Why you cannot cut steel with PCD tools (Diamond tools) Diamond is great cutting tool material, but diamond tools (actually technically PCD tools) cannot cut ferrous
What does the controller do with a CNC program ? Ever wondered what actually happens to the various commands in a CNC program when it
CNC: Grooving on CNC lathes – why you need a dwell at the bottom The grooving insert moving into the groove is actually moving along
Cutting tools: What is insert grade, and insert grade selection Insert grade selection is important because there is no one ‘carbide’. There are carbides and
CNC threading: G76 Fanuc threading cycle – first depth of cut calculation CNC threading often fails because of improper depths of cut. Too high depth
CNC: IP ratings of the electricals in a CNC machine How much water and dust can your CNC electricals withstand ? The IP (Ingress Protection)
CNC: Mera naam hai Shabnam In Cadem when we want to recruit an Application engineer, we interview people with experience on the shop floor. They
CNC – Why a helical end mill is preferable to a straight one Each time that the edge of an end mill comes in contact
CNC: HSK holder taper – what is it, and how is it different ? The HSK taper is relatively new compared to BT, CAT and
CNC – The right cutting parameters can reduce cycle time, drastically Even animals use tools properly, but humans on a typical CNC shop floor totally
Helix angle in drill – how it affects cutting, and applications The helix angle in drill has a big difference on the cutting efficiency. The
CNC: Positioning accuracy and Repeatability – what exactly are they ? A simplified explanation of these terms would be: Accuracy is achieving the correct position.
CNC acceleration and deceleration – how axes actually move CNC acceleration and deceleration: When you command an axis to move at rapid traverse, it does
S1 S6 motor ratings – what’s the meaning of this ? S1 S6 motor ratings: here’s a brief explanation of what they mean, how you
CNC: World Skills competition for CNC milling and turning Did you know that there is a World skills competition held every year, in a different country ?
Epoxy granite machine tool beds – why are they used ? CNC machine tool beds are increasingly being made of Epoxy granite, a composite of
Fanuc G61 Exact stop check – what is it, and why is it used ? Fanuc G61 command: When you program a sharp corner in
CNC: Cost per cutting edge – why it is lower for a negative insert A negative insert, like the VNMG insert in the picture, has
CNC grooving tool – difference between Face and Radial grooving tools The CNC grooving tool is built differently for face and radial grooving. In a
Wiper inserts in CNC turning We want two things in finish turning: 1. Good surface finish 2. Low cutting forces so that part distortion is
Cutting speed and RPM – what is the difference, and how is it important ? Cutting speed and RPM are different but related. Here’s an
CNC: Is your machine sleeping a lot due to breakdowns ? Typically, when there is a machine breakdown on the shop floor, this is what
Adaptive Control in CNC : What is it, and how does it work ? Adaptive control in CNC machines is the continuous monitoring of cutting
CNC – Reducing radial force in turning and boring You need to reduce the radial force to: 1. Reduce bending of long parts 2. Reduce
Modular tooling and Quick change tooling – what is the difference ? The terms modular and quick change are often confused.1. Modular tooling may not
Material Removal Rate (MRR) – what is it, how is it calculated ? Here’s a brief explanation of what is Material removal rate, the Material
CNC – Why Gray Cast Iron is used in machine tool parts Vibration in machine tools causes poor part accuracy and surface finish, and leads
CNC: Part bending in turning – the Reality Let’s say you want to turn the part in fig. A from a cylindrical raw material. If
CNC: Morse taper – the inside story Morse tapers are very commonly used in both CNC turning centers and CNC machining centers. Here is an
Positioning accuracy and repeatability – achieving tolerance less than the accuracy Here’s a question: A CNC turning center has a positioning accuracy of 0.010mm and
CNC – How a bad machine increases the spindle load and your power bill Machines of two different makes may look the same, and we