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Figure 1-10 Small, stocky parts are less prone to warping than thin hogged-out parts.
9.Machine stocky rectangular parts in one setup. (see Fig. 1-10)
Small, stocky rectangular parts are less prone to warping and falling out of tolerance than hogged out parts. You can usually square them and do other machining operations in one setup. Using this method, you have to plan for holding excess stock in the vise. The excess material on the back side can be faced off later using a separate program.
10.Square larger parts independently. (see Fig. 1-11)
On larger, tight tolerance parts, I often do the squaring independently. In other words, I concentrate on getting good blanks first, then use other programs to add the necessary features.
Figure 1-11 Sometimes it is wise to focus on getting precision blanks before adding features. The mold cavity above was precisely squared to size before doing any other machining operations.
11.Plan for material warpage.
Material warpage is a fact of life in machining; it is often an issue that must be addressed, especially with long, slender, and hogged-out parts. It may not be much of an issue on stocky, block-type parts or parts that need just a few simple features added.
One of the most effective ways to eliminate the tendency of material to warp is to cut through the skin of the stock material before doing other precision machining operations.
Occasionally, when a finished part has to be precisely square, parallel and on size, and has a lot of hogged-out features, you may have to rough in the large features first, then go “back” and complete the precision overall squaring and sizing of the part. Once the overall size is correct, you can add or finish close tolerance features such as dowel pin holes, knowing that the material will be stable. Using this technique is somewhat time consuming, but will likely produce parts that are in tolerance.
12.Make a few extra parts.
Running a few extra parts makes running a job faster and easier, I believe. When you have only one piece of material or the exact amount of material to complete an order, you necessarily have to be more careful — which usually translates into more time and stress.
13.Do a trial run on new programs
When making a first run test on a new program, note the changes you make at the machine for feeds and speeds. Also note any depth of cut and cutter path changes that would make the job run more efficiently. Until you watch a part being machined, you can’t be certain what changes should be made.
After making notes at the machine, go back to the computer and update the settings or the cutting parameters in the CAM software; then re-output the program. Sometimes I do this a number of times, depending on how complicated or tricky a part is to run. The higher the quantity of parts, the more energy I put into this editing process. Ultimately, I like to have settings saved in my CAM software match what I am running at the machine so that very little editing, if any, is needed when the part is run at a later date.
You may have libraries of cutter feeds and speeds in your software. These are somewhat useful, but they don’t account for the rigidity of the setup and the part you are machining. There’s a lot of “feel” and intuition that goes into machining, whether it is manual machining or CNC machining. “Feel” is an acquired skill. It is sort of like hand tapping. If you tap enough holes, you eventually develop a feel for how much torque you can apply to a tap before it breaks.
Suggestions for Proper Planning
1.Initiate a new project with proper planning.
2.Use the largest contact area.
3.Rigidity is an important factor.
4.Spend time visualizing.
5.Determine if you can machine a job holding the material in a standard milling machine vise.
6.Face off the backside of a part to finish the overall thickness.
7.Use multiple matched vises to hold long parts.
8.Determine how you are going to square the material.
9.Machine stocky rectangular parts in one setup.
10.Square larger parts independently.
11.Plan for material warpage.
12.Make a few extra parts.
13.Do a trial run on new programs.
There are a lot of advantages to having a work piece held rigidly. When a part is held rigidly, feed rates can be increased and cutting time reduced. Cutters last longer and you’ll likely end up with better surface finishes and more accurate parts. At “tool shows” where vendors offer impressive demonstrations, you rarely see flimsy, difficult-to-hold parts being machined. .
1.Hold parts securely and accurately. (see Fig. 2-1)
In real life, it’s common to come across parts that are flimsy and difficult to hold. Holding parts for second operations such as drilling holes on edge can also be challenging.
Figure 2-1 This part is being held for edge drilling with the aid of 2-4-6 blocks.
2.Find simple ways to hold parts securely. (see Fig. 2-2)
When presented with a part that is difficult to hold, your ingenuity will be put to the test. However, don’t spend excessive time constructing complex fixtures when you don’t have to.
The first options to consider when a standard vise won’t do the job include using standard shop tooling — such as 1-2-3 blocks, 2-4-6 blocks, long parallels, grinding vices, angle plates, and V-blocks. You can often use these items effectively to provide the added support you need.
Figure 2-2 Some parts are difficult to hold. This part was ultimately machined using a standard milling machine vise in conjunction with a couple of spacer blocks.
3.Make a fixture, if needed. (see Fig. 2-3)
I’ve found that when you finally decide you need a fixture and take the time to make one, you’re almost always glad you did. Often a fixture is needed to hold parts for perimeter
