Metal cutting technology – Popular methods of metal cutting

Metal cutting technology is an integral part of manufacturing and is becoming one of the most popular applications today. This technology is used in a variety of sectors from home appliance manufacturing to heavy industry, helping to increase productivity, accuracy and cost savings. However, not everyone has a good understanding of metal cutting technologies and their methods. Let’s find out  with RX Tradex “What is metal cutting technology? Methods of metal cutting?” shortly.

Find out what is metal cutting technology? What are the current methods of metal cutting?

What is metal cutting technology?

Metal cutting technology is a  method of processing metal in the form of cutting, one of the popular processing methods in the mechanical engineering industry. Metal cutting technology is the process of using tools to remove part/part from sheet material or large metal rods.

This process is usually done using CNC cutters or other tools such as turning, grinding, drill bits and milling cutters,… to create different shapes and sizes on metal surfaces. Depending on the intended use of the end product, the metal cutting process can produce small mechanical parts, or for the production of larger parts, such as industrial machine frames or factory structures.

Traditional methods of metal cutting.

Lathes are usually performed on parts that have the form of rotating circles. This method allows the production of complex and precise metal parts that were previously impossible to complete by traditional machining. This process is used to make external cuts on metal products.

Advantage:

· Fast cutting speed.

· Good accuracy.

· Less time-consuming.

· Works on metals and alloys.

· No high workmanship required.

Shortcoming:

· Only works on round cylindrical or rotating circular parts,…

· High cost.

· The tool is regularly worn out.

· High waste.

· High heat generation.

Application:

Lathe processing is used in the manufacture of machine parts, including: Medical equipment, aircraft, ships,… In addition, the vehicle method also has many other applications such as: Engine parts, shafts, grooves, tapers ,…

Milling method.

Milling is the process of using rotary cutting equipment and tools to remove materials from static workpieces. They can use a variety of tools to achieve the desired results. Milling is often used for flat, curved processing with complex structures. It is a type of metalworking using a cutting knife with a movement perpendicular to the axis of the machine.

Advantage:

· High accuracy.

· The cutting process is faster.

· Application in various types of materials.

Shortcoming:

· Waste much.

· Requires highly qualified staff.

Application:

The application of milling is very diverse, often used in the production of components of products such as machinery, medical equipment, automobiles, aircraft, ships,… And they are widely used in other products such as surface contours, dental equipment, defense parts ,…

Method of grinding bits.

Grinding uses abrasive wheels to remove material from the workpiece. This method is used to smooth the surface of metal parts, helping to create an absolute finish surface, resulting in products that can perform better and look better.

Advantage:

· Good surface finish.

· Less waste.

· Correct dimensions.

Shortcoming:

· Works only to smooth surfaces and edges.

Application:

The applications of polish processing are diverse, used in the fields of: Manufacturing machinery components, automobiles, medical equipment, electronic equipment and many other products,…

Punching method, drilling.

This is a method of metalworking by pressure, punching machines use an extreme amount of pressure to create holes of different diameters on the metal surface. The punching machine uses an automatic control system, which can punch thick and long metal plates.

Advantage:

· High accuracy.

· The best option for cutting holes of small diameter.

· Works on any material.

· Simple cutting process.

Shortcoming:

· High heat generation.

· Limited application besides stop loss.

Application:

Punching, holes, drilling are diversified applications in activities: Secondary assembly of parts, screw drilling,…

Sawing method.

Saws are more common for wood-based materials but also work well for metal products. The saw uses a toothed tool to cut through the material.

Advantage:

· Cost savings.

Shortcoming:

· High heat generation.

· Tools wear out faster.

· Does not work well for hard metals.

· Limited to straight cuts.

Application:

The sawing method is widely applied such as: Cutting sheet metal for small projects or cutting pipes,…

Modern methods of metal cutting.

Electrochemical method.

The electrochemical method will be less prone to tool corrosion when machining complex parts when running tools. The majority of materials that are difficult to use traditional machining will use this method. This method includes: Electrochemical processing, electrochemical pulse grinding, cavity by electrolyte flow, electrolysis of shaped tubes, capillary drilling,…

Advantage:

· Works well with high-hardness metals.

· Do not create heat-affected zones.

· Fast speed.

Shortcoming:

· The process of cutting metal is expensive.

· The probability of metal corrosion.

· Only suitable for conductive materials.

Application:

Electrochemical methods are applied to: Cutting hard materials, small-scale parts, or working on complex, non-flat shapes,…

Chemical method.

Electrochemical machining combines the use of electricity with chemical reactions to remove workpiece material. This machining is a typical machining method for machining surfaces of a certain shape by electrochemical corrosion method. The essence of this machining method is that there is no mechanical impact of the tool on the machining surface. In particular, typical are photochemical processing and milling methods.

Advantage:

· Low initial investment cost.

· Works well with high-hardness metals.

· There is no thermal effect. It does not create a heat-affected zone.

· Fast speed.

Shortcoming:

· The parts will not be deformed or destroyed during machining.

· Metal is highly corrosive.

· Only suitable for conductive materials.

Application:

When using the chemical method, it is only used to process cheap materials such as springs, electric motor blades, radio-shaped pipes….

Thermoelectric method.

Waterjet cutting method.

Waterjet cutting is one of the best metal cutting techniques available. Waterjet cutting uses the force of high-pressure water to corrode metal particles. This is a cold cutting procedure that does not require physical contact of the waterjet cutting head with the workpiece. Waterjet cutting can create linear, non-linear cuts and inside the workpiece. It is a tool capable of cutting metal or any other material using a jet of water of very high pressure and at a speed equal to a mixture of water with abrasives (materials used for abrasives such as grinding stone particles).

Advantage:

· High accuracy.

· There is no thermal effect.

· Minimal waste of materials.

· Fast speed.

· High safety.

· Waterjet cutting can cut thick material.

· Works for all metals and non-metals.

Shortcoming:

· Requires highly skilled operators.

· The cost of equipment is expensive.

· High-hardness metals such as reinforced steel cannot be cut.

· The cutting speed is lower than that of other cutting methods.

· The finished product cut by the water jet may have deformation due to the high pressure of the cutting water.

Application:

Industries applying steam cutting technology include: Surgical equipment, raw material processing, metal processing workshops, automotive, defense equipment, aerospace industry,…

Laser cutting method.

The laser cutting method uses high-frequency light to melt the workpiece. Laser cutting is one of the most accurate methods due to the aggregation of the laser beam. The laser cutting process is not limited to linear cuts. However, laser cutting cannot produce multi-axis cuts. The laser cutting method is often used to cut thin and precise metal sheets. This process applies an extremely powerful beam of light to heat the metal past a certain point, then cut through the metal. Including: Fiber laser source, CO2 laser source.

Advantage:

· Laser cutting works on any material.

· High accuracy.

· Laser cutting can cut complex shapes.

Shortcoming:

· It costs a lot of initial costs.

· May affect the material around the cut.

· The speed is slower than the plasma cutting method.

· May pose an explosion risk when cutting metals containing flammable chemicals.

· Laser cutting has serious limitations in material thickness

· Production of residue due to oxidation of molten metals.

Application:

The applications of laser cutting processing are diverse, used in the production of many products such as: Electronics, wooden furniture, automobile parts, aircraft, ships, medical instruments, advertising, building materials and many others,…

Plasma cutting method.

Plasma cutting uses a stream of ionized gas to melt the metal for cutting. When the metal melts, a stream of high-pressure air blows away the molten material. Ionization rays have a very narrow width, resulting in high-precision cuts. One important thing to note is that this method only works on conductive materials.

Advantage:

· Plasma cutting is good for materials like stainless steel.

· Low cost of consumables.

· High accuracy.

Shortcoming:

· There is an unpleasant smell and noxious fumes that are produced during cutting.

· The durability of plasma cutters is lower than that of other technologies.

· The finished cut may have residual roots or holes made during cutting.

· The formation of heat-affected zones.

· It does not work for thicker materials.

Application:

Plasma cutting method applied in: Metal fabrication, rescue yard, construction project, architecture ,…

EDM (Electric Discharge Machining) wire cutting method.

Discharge machining works by melting metal through an electric arc. An electrode is brought closer to the workpiece without physical contact. The workpiece is turned into another electrode. On the application of voltage, there is a discharge between the two electrodes. These discharges raise the temperature and melt the material. It is a method of cutting and separating metal materials by passing a thin wire through the material to be cut and using electrical pulses to cut parts.

Advantage:

· The ability to create non-linear cuts.

· High accuracy.

· Work with hard materials.

Shortcoming:

· Extremely high power consumption.

· Slow cutting speed.

· Only works for conductive materials.

· Formation of heat-affected zones.

Application:

The application of EDM wire cutting is very popular in: Manufacturing high-quality components, especially in the production of optical components, electronics, watchmaking and products requiring high precision,…

See also: The process of operation of metal cutting technology.

Learn about metal cutters.

What is the material for making a metal cutting cutter?

To make cutting tools, different types of tools can be used depending on the mechanics of the material to be machined and the specific production conditions. Usually the materials for making metal cutting knives are:

· Steel Carbon tools.

· Tool alloy steel.

· HSS Wind Steel (HSS – High Speed Steel).

· WC and TiC hard alloys.

· Artificial diamond: HPHT (High pressure, High temperature) method and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) evaporation method.

Requirements for materials for metal cutters.

· Hardness.

· Mechanical strength.

· Heat resistance.

· Abrasion resistance.

· Technology.

Summary.

With the increasing demand for metal cutting, new cutting technologies are increasingly being born. Meet the needs well and optimize costs. The choice of metal cutting technology greatly affects many manufacturing enterprises, so it is necessary to find out clearly “What is metal cutting technology? Methods of metal cutting?” to have an overview and choose the right metal cutting method. In addition, enterprises can participate in leading international exhibitions on mechanical engineering such as METALEX Vietnam International Exhibition 2023, organized by RX Tradex Vietnam. Coming to the exhibition, enterprises have the opportunity to grasp the latest technologies applied to the  metal cutting process,   improve accuracy and optimize productivity. In addition, in 2023, RX Tradex will also organize leading international exhibitions such as Vietnam Manufacturing Expo, NEPCON Vietnam and Waste and Recycling Vietnam to be held in 2024, to connect many businesses and exchange experiences effectively.