Grooving tools are used by part producers in a variety of sectors to shape and make holes in parts of different sizes. But before you use any of the tools, be sure you understand them well. The grooving tools that are available, their use with a CNC lathe, and considerations for selecting the best one will all be covered in this article.
Grooving: What is it?
A CNC lathe machine is used for the machining process of grooves, sometimes referred to as recessing. The process entails making boundaries (a groove) in holes in a material, project, or workmanship.
Because the tool creates lengthy, narrow pathways on the workpiece’s cylindrical surface, grooving machining is an essential component production process. These routes, in turn, offer a perfect fit when components are joined.
The form of the route or groove is also determined by the many grooving tool types used in component manufacture, which are made from materials with differing widths, shapes, and hardness and textures.
Grooving Tools Come In A Variety Of Shapes
Grooving instruments come in a variety of forms, sizes, and characteristics that help with their uses. The most popular kinds utilized in component manufacture are listed below.
Grooving Tools for the Face
This grooving lathe tool is used by designers to work on the face of a material. It’s crucial to place the tool’s tip slightly above the workpiece’s center line during face grooving. The radius of the tool and the radius of the workpiece cut must match. In order to prevent the insert from breaking, it is also crucial to remove the chips.
Grooving Tools with Outer Diameter
The exterior surface of a material or a workpiece is where outer-diameter grooving takes place. Additionally, an exterior diameter groove works best when the tool’s tip is positioned just below the center line. This sort of grooving tool is available in a variety of forms, designs, and mechanical attributes, just like the milling cutter tools. They also have coolant holes, which improve wear resistance.
Grooving Tools for Inner Diameter
On the inner surface of the material or workpiece, operators employ inner-diameter grooving tools. For precise and reliable results, the upper portion of the tool should be held above the center line. It also lessens the chance of implant breakage.
Hard materials such as carbide, diamond, high-speed tool steel, and others are used to make the majority of inner-diameter grooving tools.
How Can a CNC Lathe Groove?
A CNC lathe requires a number of processes to groove. The actions that must be taken throughout the grooving machining process are listed below:
1. Fasten the Workpiece
The final quality of the grooving process depends on the workpiece being securely fastened. This is because even a small movement might result in errors in the finished product. Here are a few actions to take:
Insert the workpiece into the lathe’s chuck;
Tighten the last screws after locking the material in the chuck;
Define the groove’s location.
2. Fill Up The Tooling Equipment
Depending on the kind of grooving you want
Choose the grooving lathe tool and insert it into the tooling turret.
Adjust the tool’s calibration.
The written application is used to automatically operate the tools.
3. Configure Your CNC Lathe Device
The initial stage in doing a grooving operation is this. To carry out this
Turn the machine on and move every axis to the tier 0 position;
Set the lathe’s RPM to the proper value. Because every groove requires a distinct RPM setting, this step is crucial.
4. Launch the application.
In this phase, the software must be uploaded and allowed to execute. The workpiece rotates axially while the grooving tool stays in place. Use the procedures listed below to remove the material precisely:
To start working, locate the grooving tool and properly position the tool in the middle;
Before the cutting begins, carefully position the grooving tool close to the workpiece;
Await the conclusion of the procedure.
5. Tidy Up
Following a good grooving surgery,
Turn the machine off and take out the workpiece.
Clean the grooving tool and the machine.
Note: To avoid distortions, it’s crucial to check the groove’s depth before starting to cut and to apply cutting lubricants.