Commonly Used Machine Tools: 9 Types for Modern Applications

Machine tools are increasingly evolving with the ability to perform complex jobs efficiently and accurately. When manufacturing complex parts of different sizes and shapes of machining projects, a variety of machine tools are needed to support efficiency. Today, machine tools are applied to many advanced technologies, making an important contribution to  precision mechanics in general or supporting industries in particular. As a result, machine tools have hundreds of different types of machines of different sizes, so how to distinguish and apply them most effectively? Let’s  find out  with RX Tradex “What types of machine tools include?” via the article below.

1. How to classify machine tools.

·    Machine tools generally refer to other machinery manufacturing machines and are divided into categories such as: metal cutting machine tools, forging machine tools, and woodworking machine tools.

·    According to the method of processing or use, they can be divided into such types as: Lathes, milling machines, planers, grinders, drills, brochures, presses,…

·    According to the size and quality of the workpieces produced, they include: Machine tools, small and medium machine tools, large machine tools (10-30 tons), heavy machine tools (30-100 tons) and super-heavy machine tools (over 100 tons).

·    According to machine tool machining accuracy, they can be divided into 2 types such as: Machine tools with relative precision and machines with absolute precision.

·    According to different control methods, machine tools include: Traditional machine tools and CNC machine tools with modern metal cutting technology,  high precision, and large productivity.

·    According to the structure and layout, machine tools can be divided into 3 main types: vertical type, horizontal type and truss type,…

2. What types of machine tools are widely used?

2.1. Turning Machine Tools .

Lathes use electricity to rotate the workpiece on one axis. Workpieces are usually machined by hand or computer-controlled. The cutting operations of the lathe are carried out based on 2 main movements: the circular rotation of the workpiece and the horizontal, longitudinal running movement of the lathe knife. The rotational movement of the workpiece will create a cutting speed. The tooling movement will create machining productivity and machining surface gloss. Users can perform various operations on the lathe such as: Knife, notching, drilling, facing, machining, sanding, deforming and threading,…

In mechanical engineering, turning is the most common processing method. The number of turning machine tools accounts for 25% to 35% of the total number of mechanical processing machines in the factory. Lathes are often used for processing pieces of wood or metal into cylinders. [1]

On the market of lathes for mechanical processing are usually the following 8 types of machines:

·    CNC lathe.

·    Universal lathe.

·    Automatic and semi-automatic lathes.

·    Specialized lathes.

·    Dead-end lathe.

·    Lathes with many knives.

·    Jigsaw lathe.

·    Standing lathe.

·    Lathe Revolver.

2.2. Machine tool cutting.

The cutting machine works according to the following principle: The product will be kept fixed on the machine table, the cutting edge mounted on the spindle of the machine will move on the surface to cut the product. The method of shaped cutting uses a cutting tool similar in appearance to the distance between two adjacent teeth on a gear.

This method is often used to cut gear teeth on milling machines. Mold cutting methods or using molds to orient single-point cutters on large bevel gear cutters. Cutting machines are used to produce tools or utensils such as stainless steel, aluminum, steel, industrial electrical cabinets, transformers, signs, signs and interior decoration products,…

There are many commonly used mowers such as:

·    CNC cutting machine.

·    Laser cutting machine.

·    Plasma cutter.

·    Waterjet cutter.

2.3. Machine tool milling.

Milling is one of the basic principles of machining. They work on the principle of removing material from the workpiece by holding it still to a fixture and inserting it into a multi-point cutting tool called a milling cutter. While the machines move around at high speed, they remove material from parts such as: Flat surfaces, grooves, shoulders, inclined surfaces, joints, and T-grooves of the workpiece,…

Milling machines are often used to create detailed workpieces using specialized parts. They are usually controlled fully automatically by computer, allowing for the creation of complex products. A unique feature of milling machines is that workpieces and cutters often move separately on multiple axes.

Common types of milling machines include:

·    Column and knee type:

·    Hand milling machine.

·    Flat or horizontal milling machine.

·    Vertical milling machine.

·    Universal milling machine.

·    Type of manufacture or type of fixed bed:

·    Simple milling machine.

·    Double-sided milling machine.

·    Triplex milling machine.

·    Flat-type milling machine.

·    Special Type:

·    Rotary table milling machine.

·    Drum milling machine.

·    Profile milling machine.

·    Planetary milling machine.

·    Tracer Controlled Milling Machine.

·    Pantograph milling machine.

·    CNC milling machine.

2.4. Machine tool grinding.

A grinder is a single-wheel rotary-powered machine tool  system that can cut or grind metal and other materials. The grinder removes material by placing the workpiece in contact with the rotating grinding wheel called a grinding belt or grinding wheel, and then grinding the unwanted material away. A grinder is one of the most precise  types of machine tools of all machines with parts being grinded down.

In addition to being used to remove scratches, machine marks or small amounts of metal, they can be used to manufacture parts of identical shapes and dimensions as well as improve the final finish of the surface.

·    Surface grinder:

·    Horizontal axis/reciprocating panel.

·    Horizontal/turntable axis.

·    Vertical spindle/reciprocating table.

·    Vertical spindle/turntable.

·    Internal grinder.

·    Cylindrical grinder.

·    Heartless grinder.

·    Special grinder.

·    Mold grinder.

·    Thread grinder.

·    CNC grinder.

2.5. Machine tool broaching.

The broaching machine removes material using a toothed cutting tool called a blade. The broaching machine works based on the translational movement of the cutting tool (broaching knife) while the machining material is clamped. The shape of the hole machined by the broaching method will depend on the shape of the broaching knife. The broaching holes include: Round holes, holes with twisted grooves, then,…

Broaching tools come in a variety of designs. The teeth on the brochure are evenly spaced, with each successive tooth designed to sink deeper into the embryo, thus completing the broaching operation in one go. The broaching machine is applied in the automobile industry such as: Manufacturing gears, brake systems, key grooves ,…; shipbuilding industry such as: Manufacturing rudders, propellers,… and manufacturing some components of bicycles, computer cooling systems, hand tools such as wrenches, screws,…

There are 2 common types of broaching machines such as:

·    Vertical broaching machine.

·    Horizontal broaching machine.

2.6. Machine tool pressing.

The machine can press, stamp metal parts from metal sheets and shape parts to the desired shape. The machine is also used for cutting, bending, folding, pressing, beating and forming sheet metal parts of all sizes. Electric presses are built in a variety of sizes, from small presses that can be placed on a workbench to heavier machines up to 450,000 kg. These processes all require presses with movable rods that can be pressed against anvils or bases. Movable ram can be powered by gravity, mechanical bonding or hydraulic or pneumatic systems.

Press machines are applied in many fields such as: Crushing, pressing plastic products, waste paper pressing, garbage pressing, sheet stamping, scrap pressing, or used to assemble parts, other machine tools .

Conventional presses include the following types:

·    Hydraulic press.

·    Metal press.

·    Non-metallic press.

·    Small capacity press.

·    Large capacity press.

·    Manual use press.

·    The press uses electricity.

2.7. Machine tool planning.

Planers work by using linear or linear motion between a single-point cutting tool and a workpiece, to process a straight tool path and remove material. The planer has two basic movements: the main shaping motion and the forward movement. The main shaping movement of the machine is the translational movement of the knife. The forward movement is the translational movement of the machine table carrying the machined part.

The planning processing method is often used in small-scale mass production and single-unit production. Products suitable for planing are usually narrow and elongated in shape. Applied to process parts such as: Swallow tail sliding mortise, T-groove, straight gear and keyshaft,…

The popular types of planers today are:

·    Horizontal planing machine: Often used when processing materials with not too large sizes.

·    Bed planers: Often used when processing large-sized materials.

2.8. Machine tool drilling.

The drill removes material by using a twisted drill with a sharp tip to cut holes in the metal. The metal cutting and extrusion incorporating the chisel edge at the center of the drill bit is the main feature of the drill, which distinguishes it from other machining operations. Other common tools for hole machining also include: Boring, hole gouging, and clear threaded taro using taro fittings.

Drilling machines are widely used in the production of hole-shaped parts such as: Screws and bolts, barrels, hydraulic cylinders, metal surfaces ,…

The commonly used types of drilling mechanical processing machines today are:

·    CNC drilling machine.

·    Drill stand.

·    Table drill.

·    Drill boom.

·    Hand drill.

·    Sensitive drill.

·    Drill stand.

·    Radial drill.

·    Cast iron drill.

·    Multi-spindle machine.

·    Automatic drill.

·    Deep hole drill.

2.9. Machine tool saw.

A metal ring saw is a type of saw with blades in a circle shape, which is bent and moves sliding on two flywheels and can only run the cut in a fixed direction. Thanks to the gravity of the saw body, the cutting workpiece will be fixed in the ether, the machine can be moved from top to bottom and applied to cutting heavy, large materials.

Vertical ring saws are used to: Cut shapes in metal sheets, inner and outer contours, and for cutting corners. The use of machine tools  such as electrically powered saws often allows for quick processing of workpieces, which is often a major advantage over hand tools.

Saws are of three basic types:

·    Electric saw.

·    Band saw.

·    Circular disk saw.

3. Summarize.

In addition to the above single machines, currently the central processing machine integrates many different features of machine tools such as: Turning, cutting, drilling, milling ,… Each type of machine tool will have a certain function and they are divided into many different subtypes. RX Tradex hopes that this article will help you better understand what types of machine tools include?to  be able to easily choose the right machine for production and use.

Businesses want to better understand how to use and function or experience each type of machine tool, as well as the opportunity to learn and learn more about leading technologies in the industry such as: Mold processing, sheet metal processing, metal 3D printing,… Thereby, enterprises can optimally apply production business processes to participate in  the annual Metalex Exhibition organized by RX Tradex. In addition, RX Tradex also has other outstanding exhibitions such as  Vietnam Manufacturing Expo, Waste and Recycling Vietnam and NEPCON Vietnam to help businesses find and lead leading industry trends.

[1]: Source: https://sumitech.vn/