Turning a part: using metal stamping kit and solving the problem

I am often asked about the secrets of making metal stamping kit. Turning process of a part despite having many years of experience as a turner, this question baffles me.

You cannot answer with one sentence, and I don’t want to turn the dialogue into a scientific treatise. In the turning business, many different operations are practiced, so for now we will focus only on turning.

Parts that are difficult or impossible to make by stamping or welding are made on lathes by machining. The advantage of turned parts is their ability to withstand high pressure.

How to choose metal stamping kit?

Everyone knows that there are different brands of metal in metal stamping kit. For novice operators, I can give a general recommendation: choose the cutting mode and the amount of removal with an eye not on the grade, but on the way it is machined.

Further, you will not change the composition of the metal: you have to work with what you have. But such parameters as annealing, nit riding, carburizing and hardening, tempering or stress relief, the turner can easily control.

Depending on the task at hand, we machine specific areas of the part. I would like to draw the attention of operators to the problem of tightening the metal stamping kit during part turning, in particular when processing the outer diameter of the work piece,

Smart tips for easy work

So, let's talk about how to surprise, not only customers, but also ourselves with our work.

• Turned pipeline parts to ensure rigidity; regularly check the bolts and nuts, which should be tight to the maximum
• Know when to stop and do not rip off the bolts, otherwise you will not be able to readjust the machine
• Always adhere to the stock removal rates, cutting speed and feed rates indicated in the standard tables
• Do not use deformed stamping kits or stripped-off thread hold-down bolts.
• Change plates in time. Their wear and tear provokes the tightening of the metal stamping kit

What is the importance of shape?

Manufacturing parts from steel does not imply savings on working equipment. It is important to select a stamping kit with a suitable edge shape. It is necessary to monitor the strength indicators, which must exceed the strength of the processed material, in this case steel.

The expediency of using this or that stamping kit largely determines the speed and productivity of work. For example, a straight and bent tool is suitable for machining external surfaces. When you need to cut off a part of a work piece or turn a groove, a metal stamping kit comes to the rescue.

Is metal stamping process long?

Furthermore, the process of processing a product by grinding is quite long. It takes about 70% of the total work piece time. This type of protective and decorative finish is half the cost of the finished part! In mass in-line production, the entire grinding process automates.

What is a turner in metal stamping?

A turner is a metal jeweler, since very often he has to work on complex parts of all possible thicknesses. Here you cannot do without milling machines and knowledge of all types of milling work.

Further, the surface can be anything: flat, threaded, or serrated. Milling today is extremely popular due to its high efficiency, so every novice turner should master its basic techniques.

What are the types of metalworking?

We list the main types of metal stamping kit of metalworking: 

• Horizontal and vertical type (according to the location of the working surface);
• Operations with passing and counter rotation of the stamping kit;
• End works (processing of undercuts, wells, grooves, windows);
• Shaped milling of profiles;
• Face processing of overall surfaces.

Furthermore, using all of the above types of work on milling machines, you can quickly and efficiently process casting molds and decorative elements, parts and instrument cases, door and cabinet numbers, letters for different plates. Also, the ability to produce clichés, badges, badges, and make advertising products will not be superfluous.

Milling recommendations for milling process

Now let me share some recommendations regarding the milling process itself:

1. For face milling, avoid machining planes with intersecting holes and slots.
2. The cutting process will be intermittent, which will disrupt the work of the cutting edges.
3. It is better to make the hole later or, in extreme cases, halve the feed amount;
4. If the work is going on with a large surface, the contact of the metal stamping kitwith the work piece must be continuous;
5. The radius of machining of the corner sections of the stamping kit must be larger than the radius of the stamping kit.

What is 3D milling?

As for the shaped type of milling work on metal, then on a conventional machine it is easy to do only in the case of a curved profile of the work piece in one section. When a part has a curved profile in two sections, then its processing is possible only on special equipment.

Moreover, if you are fortunate enough to be a numerically controlled machine operator, you have the opportunity to create complex three-dimensional products, that is, practice 3D milling. Typically, such devices are common in advertising, industry, instrument making.

What to buy a metal stamping kit?

When you decide to purchase metal stamping kit for personal use or professional activity, you should pay attention to the power and speed of the grinding machines. It is important that the manufacturer's stated wattage balances against the other specifications of the device.

The speed of the car should also be “in tune” with the torque. Smart electronics of the instrument and protection against overheating will become an excellent assistant in your work.

Therefore, in order for working on a lathe to provide you with income for your long and happy life, you must follow simple rules.