This article begins with a discussion on the fundamentals of cutting. It focuses on blanking and piercing operations in a press tool to form and shape the final part geometry. The types of piercing operations include conventional piercing, piercing with a pointed punch, piece-and-extrude operations, slotting, countersinking, and cutting and lancing of tabs. The article provides information on the punch assembly, the die assembly, and the stripper and discusses the factors considered during piercing operations. It reviews the applications of the four types of blanks used in sheet-forming operations, namely, rectangular blank, rough blank, partially developed blank, and fully developed blank. It concludes with a discussion on the process capabilities, applications, and limitations of fine-edge blanking and piercing.

Good hole-drilling processes are key to joining composite parts with other composite parts or with metal parts. This article discusses the considerations for drilling polymer-matrix composites. It describes the use of power-feed drill motors and automated drilling/fastener installation equipment. The article provides a discussion on reaming, countersinking, and three recommended choices of cutting tools for producing a countersink in carbon/epoxy structure. The cutting tools include: standard carbide insert cutters, solid carbide cutters, or polycrystalline diamond (PCD) insert cutters. The article concludes with a discussion on inspection of hole quality.

This article describes various machining techniques of refractory metals, namely, niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, and tungsten. These include turning, boring, trepanning, reaming, milling, tapping, drilling, and sawing. Parameters for the machining of the refractory metals are also tabulated. In addition, the article provides information on cutting fluids and tools that are used in machining of the refractory metals as well as on the safety precautions to be followed in the machining process.

This article describes the selection of tool steels on the basis of specific product applications. It contains tables that list nominal speeds and feeds for the machining of various tool steels. The machining processes include turning, boring, broaching, drilling, reaming, tapping, milling, and sawing. The article explains the machining of the following tool steels: water hardening; types A, D and O cold-work; hot work; high speed, low-alloy special-purpose; and low-carbon mold. It details the machining of tool steel gears. The article also discusses the grinding of tool steels based on steel classification and the effects of steel composition and hardness on grindability. It reviews the types of grinding, namely, surface grinding, cylindrical grinding, centerless grinding, internal grinding, thread grinding, flute grinding, and low-stress grinding. Grinding of types-A, D, F, L, O, P, S and W steels, hot-work steels, and high speed steels, is also detailed.

Powder metallurgy is a near-net shape process capable of producing complex parts with little or no need for secondary operations such as machining, joining, or assembly. However, the inability to produce certain geometrical figures such as transverse holes, undercuts, and threads frequently necessitates some machining, particularly drilling. This article provides a discussion on the measures that can optimize the machining of P/M materials. It reviews the factors influencing machinability of P/M components, including workpiece and tool material properties, cutting conditions, machine and cutting tool parameters as well as some P/M material and production process parameters. These parameters discussed include the particle size, part geometry, porosity, compaction and sintering methods. In addition, the article presents guidelines for the various machining processes, namely, turning and boring, milling, drilling, grinding, reaming, burnishing, tapping, and honing and lapping.

This article discusses the factors influencing cast iron machining and selection of cutting fluid and cutting tool materials. It presents a comparison of machinability of different types of cast iron, namely, gray cast iron, ductile cast iron, and malleable cast iron. In addition, the article provides an overview of different methods used in the machining of cast iron, namely, turning, boring, broaching, planing and shaping, drilling, reaming, counterboring and spotfacing, tapping, milling, grinding, and honing and lapping. Nominal speeds and feeds for the machining of cast iron with single-point and box tools, ceramic tools, high-speed steel, and carbide tools are also tabulated.

This article provides a discussion on cutting tools, their materials and design; cutting fluids; and various aspects of machining operations of heat-resistant alloys, with several examples. Operations such as turning, planing and shaping, broaching, drilling, reaming, counterboring and spotfacing, tapping and thread milling, milling, sawing, and grinding are discussed. Nominal compositions of wrought heat-resistant alloys and nickel-base heat-resistant casting alloys, as well as compositions of cobalt-base heat-resistant casting, iron-base heat-resistant casting, and mechanically alloyed (oxide dispersion strengthened) products are also listed.

Countersinking, counterboring, and spotfacing operations can be carried out on drilling machines and usually follow drilling operations. This article discusses five common types of countersinking tools or countersinks, namely, machine, three-flute, single-flute, insert-type, and interchangeable countersinks. It provides a short description of the two types of spotfacing tools: back and double-end spotfacers and automatic back spotfacers. The article describes different types of counterboring tools, including interchangeable-pilot, integral-pilot, and interchangeable-cutter counterbores. It tabulates the nominal speeds and feeds for counterboring and spotfacing of carbon and low-alloy steels with high-speed steel and carbide tools.

Boring is a machining process in which internal diameters are generated in true relation to the centerline of the spindle by means of single-point cutting tools. This article provides a discussion on boring machines and boring tools and presents a comprehensive discussion on the various elements of boring. The elements are composition and hardness of workpiece metal, cutting fluid, speeds and feeds, and methods for piloting and supporting tools in boring applications. The article explains the role of workpiece size in selecting the equipment and processing procedure and the use of techniques to overcome difficulties presented by workpiece configuration. It describes the factors related to accuracy of boring and factors affecting them. The article also presents a discussion on close-tolerance boring and methods of controlling vibration and chatter. It concludes with a section presenting information on the use of boring equipment for machining operations other than boring.

This article begins with a discussion on the classification of aluminum alloys and the selection of alloy and temper based on machinability. It provides an overview of cutting force and power, tool design and material, and general machining conditions. In addition, the article discusses distortion and dimensional variation and machining problems during the machining of high-silicon aluminum alloy. It also provides information on tool design and material, speed and feed, and the cutting fluid used for various machining processes, namely, turning, boring, planing and shaping, broaching, reaming, tapping, milling, sawing, grinding, honing, and lapping. The article concludes with a discussion on drilling operations in automatic bar and chucking machines and drill presses.

Magnesium is machined in low-volume production on small, manually operated machine tools and on large, specially built, completely automated transfer machines operating at high production rates. This article focuses on the factors that affect the machining of magnesium. It discusses chip formation and distortion due to thermal expansion, cold work, and clamping and provides information on magnesium-matrix composites. The article describes materials, design, and sharpness as factors for selection of tool for machining magnesium. It illustrates turning and boring, planing and shaping, broaching, drilling, reaming, counterboring, milling, sawing, and grinding operations performed on magnesium. Safety measures related to machining, handling of chips and fines, and fire extinguishing are also discussed.

This article discusses various machining techniques of zinc alloy die castings. These include turning, boring, drilling, reaming, tapping, die threading, milling, and sawing. In addition, the article describes the factors that influence machinability of the zinc alloy die castings.