According to the Chinese Academy of Sciences plasma news, China’s magnetically constrained nuclear fusion experimental device “artificial sun” has made a major breakthrough, laying an important technical foundation for the subsequent development and utilization of nuclear fusion clean energy.

You may not be very familiar with nuclear energy. You are not very clear about what this breakthrough means. Next, let’s take a closer look at the knowledge of nuclear energy, fission energy and fusion energy, in order to better understand the importance of this “artificial sun” breakthrough.

First of all, you must first know what nuclear energy is? Nuclear energy, also known as atomic energy, is a new member of the energy family, mainly the energy released from the nucleus through nuclear reactions. It has two main forms, fission energy and fusion energy.

Among them, fission energy is the huge energy released by the nucleus of heavy metal elements through fission. At present, thanks to the development of controlled nuclear fission technology, the application of fission energy in China has been commercialized, such as nuclear (fission) power stations. However, it must be said that the development of fission energy is limited and limited, because the heavy metal elements such as uranium required for fission are rare on the earth, and the conventional fission reactor is very bad – it will produce more radioactive nuclear waste.

The fusion energy is the energy released by the aggregation of two lighter nuclei into a heavier nuclei. At present, countries are vigorously conducting research on controlled nuclear fusion, mainly to achieve the peaceful use of fusion energy. In fact, humans have already achieved nuclear fusion in the early days before the hydrogen bomb explosion. However, this explosion is an uncontrollable instantaneous energy release. Because it is uncontrollable, it is potentially dangerous.

Therefore, countries have accelerated their research on controlled nuclear fusion. Unlike fission, the fuel that sustains fusion is the isotope of hydrogen—the strontium and the strontium, and the scorpion is extremely rich in reserves and is hidden in the seawater of the earth. In short, fusion Cemented Carbide Inserts energy is a clean, pollution-free, safe new energy source that can be developed and utilized infinitely. Therefore, this “root” looks so big, the countries of the world, especially the developed countries, naturally spare no effort to compete for research and development of fusion energy, to take root. Therefore, you should be able to imagine the importance of the breakthrough of the large scientific device “artificial sun”.

Then, let’s take a look at the major breakthroughs in China’s “artificial sun”. Chinese scientists have made progress in the forty years of nuclear fusion research, making China’s “artificial sun” breakthrough in the following aspects: achieving heating power of more than 10 megawatts, plasma energy storage increased to 300 In the kilojoule, the electron temperature of the plasma center reaches 100 million degrees for the first time. Under the conditions Indexable Inserts of similar RF reactor heating, low momentum injection, tungsten divertor and the like, the high confinement, high density and high specific pressure are realized. Inductive advanced steady-state operation mode… In a nutshell, that is, China has taken a crucial step towards the future fusion reactor experiment!

Finally, let’s take a closer look at why this “artificial sun” needs to be realized under tungsten divertor conditions. As you may know, divertor is an important part of Tokamak. The presence of a tungsten divertor is primarily intended to deflect the charged particles produced by the central plasma discharge into a single chamber. In this room, the charged particles bombard the baffle and become neutral particles are removed, avoiding the charged particles bombarding the main chamber wall to release secondary particles, affecting the magnetic field configuration at the edge of the confinement zone. After nearly forty years of various tokamak device experiments, researchers have found that tungsten (W) materials have excellent thermal properties, low solubility of H and low sputtering rate, making W the present and future One of the important materials for the divertor in the Carmack device. Japan has already completely diluted the divertor as early as 2013 and has been the main experimental object of the future divertor. Our country has also achieved full tungsten of the divertor, that is to say, the pieces you see from the picture are all tungsten pieces made of tungsten.

At the moment, 90% of human energy comes from petrochemical fuels, which also leads to serious pollution – acid rain, water pollution, greenhouse effect, ozone hole, severe weather changes and so on. Moreover, we all know that these resources are very valuable and limited. They also have many applications, and almost all industrial sectors are inseparable from petrochemical products. Therefore, for energy, the existence of such rapid consumption, China’s “artificial sun” also shoulders an extremely important scientific mission – that is, in the future, to achieve the commercial goal of fusion energy, for the earth, or for the world Bring revolutionary changes. I hope that China’s nuclear fusion devices will be able to make more breakthroughs in the near future, so that this “artificial sun” will benefit all mankind.

The Carbide Inserts Website: https://www.estoolcarbide.com/tungsten-carbide-inserts/apmt-insert/

Posted on June.21th, 2023, | By Kenzi, WayKen Project Manager

Jewelry manufacturing is one of the oldest trades of the world, however, it is early to say that everything that could be useful for manufacturing jewels has already been invented. Progress moves on and CNC Rapid Prototyping of Jewelry can be improved with metal rapid prototyping services as well as laser and water jet cutting. You will be able to know how by reading this article.

The Conventional Process of Manufacturing Jewelry

Jewelry has been traditionally manufactured by casting. That is so because precious metals have good casting properties and the mold can be made with very low surface finishes. The casting process is fast and has good repeatability. However, it requires a master model. The overall quality of the mold and the cast part is highly dependent upon the quality of the master model? So, how were they manufactured originally?

Master models are conventionally made from wax. That usually meant them being carved from a piece of wax by the jeweler. The process was time-consuming and required a lot of skill from the manufacturer.

Once the master model is complete, it is encased in a special substance similar to concrete. You heat up the substance once it has solidified and the wax is evaporated from the concrete. Then you pour molten metal and break the concrete mold to get the jewel out. So, you have to make the master model for each piece from scratch.?Modern industry and the consumer simply doesn’t provide enough time to manufacture jewels commercially this way. If you manufacture each master-model manually, you won’t produce enough products at the required rate and your competitors will overcome you. This is where CNC rapid prototyping comes in handy.

How to Speed up Your Jewelry Business with CNC Machining Services

CNC Machining Services

There is a number of good options CNC prototyping can offer to increase your jewelry business competitiveness. At WayKen, not only CNC metal machining is useful but wax machining and laser and waterjet cutting can be a successful addition in the jewelry business as well.

CNC Jewelry Master-Models

The first thing that comes to mind is implementing CNC machining to manufacture wax master models. And it really is an efficient way implemented in a lot of modern plants. However, you can’t use any simple CNC machining equipment and cutting parameters as the wax is easily bent and melts under high temperatures. In addition, since it’s very soft, you’ll need extremely high spindle speeds ( up to 70,000 rpm). Overall, you will be able to manufacture wax master models at a terrific rate. Additionally, laser and water-jet cutting techniques are highly useful for this type of work as well. They generate little heat and can be further cooled down with special coolants.

Manufacturing Metal Molds

Another efficient way to manufacture cast rings or bracelets is to make reusable molds through metal machining. That way, you won’t even need the master model. You can just create a 3D model of the jewel and make a cavity from it by using specific Boolean operations present in all CAD systems. Then, just add elements necessary for the mold halves to be joined and you can manufacture. The result is a durable mold that will serve you for tens of thousands of jewel pieces. One thing though, it is vital to manufacturing mold halves to match as close as possible. Otherwise, you’ll have a stepover and you’ll have to do a lot of postprocessing afterward.

CNC Machining of Jewelry

Jewels are usually quite small themselves and their ornaments and features are smaller still but if your machine tool and cutter are small enough, It is always possible to make jewels straight on the CNC machine. Machining silver and gold is not unheard of though they are quite soft so the clamping devices must be of similar hardness and with more contact area. The spindle speeds must be very high as well, otherwise, the metal will stick to the tool and it will be more pushed rather than cut resulting in unwanted deformations. In addition, CNC machining has some limits. Basically, it can’t cut where there is no space for the tool to operate. However, it can create intricate patterns and it can offer a very good surface finish, which will drastically cut polishing time.

Engraving Jewelry with CNC Machining

Even if you consider new rapid prototyping methods Cermet Inserts of creating jewelry unnecessary and prefer to use conventional methods. They are great as well since each jewel is hand-made. However, even if you prefer the old ways, you could still use CNC Rapid Prototyping for Jewelry. How? Well, a lot of bracelets, pendants, and rings are engraved with an intricate pattern that is hard to produce manually and CNC machining centers can be mounted with engraving tools and create perfect patterns with a tolerance less than 0,05 mm.

Cutting Diamonds with CNC

Last but not least is using CNC metal prototyping equipment with abrasive tools to create multifaceted beautiful diamonds from raw uncut stones. As you well know, raw diamonds are not those gorgeous sparkling crystals seen on our rings. They are actually quite plain. It’s the masters that make them shine. They cut off bits creating facet by facet to point Cutting Inserts out the stones’ beauty. This is a tense and time-consuming task. However, it can be done and at a considerably faster rate by implementing CNC grinding. The wheel is programmed to grind off facet to facet with a precision unreachable even by the best masters.

Conclusions

Having analyzed the main uses of CNC rapid prototyping for Jewelry, we can make a few conclusions. First, using rapid prototyping significantly decreases Jewelry production cost despite?CNC prototyping cost per hour being larger than that of manual labor. The advantage in time is so large that the overall price of the jewel made using CNC machining is smaller than paying the master for his work that he does much longer. Secondly, the quality of modern CNC machine tools is so great that no master can achieve as much. And lastly, CNC Rapid Prototyping can be implemented at almost any stage of the jewelry manufacturing process

The Carbide Inserts Website: https://www.estoolcarbide.com/

Standard machining tolerances are an important parameter to consider regardless of the product you are manufacturing. In this day and age, most consumer goods demand consistency on a micro-scale.

Therefore, manufacturers often go through the various types of manufacturing processes and compare them while keeping the machining tolerances as a major factor. To understand the machining tolerances of different processes, it is vital to know the concept of machining tolerances, how to measure them, and the different types of tolerances that exist.

This article will go through all this information and more. In the end, there will be tips with which you can improve the machining tolerances for your own industry.

What are Machining Tolerances?

Machining tolerance is the value limit till which variation in a dimension can be allowed in relation to its ideal blueprint values. Machining tolerances depict the accuracy of any manufacturing process.

For higher accuracy and high precision, the value of machining tolerances should be the minimum. In simple terms, the machining tolerances are inversely proportional to the accuracy of a process.

Since there is no such thing as a perfect process, the value of machining tolerances can never be zero in practice. However, modern manufacturing techniques such as CNC machining have brought this value quite down and to the minimum.

Generally, tolerances in CNC machining are measured in the format ±0.x”.

Calculation and Expression of Machining Tolerances

Before knowing how to calculate machining tolerances, understanding the various terms associated with this subject is important. Here are some of the terminology that you should be familiar with:

Basic Size

The basic size of a workpiece is the size mentioned in the blueprints. Manufacturers and designers know that the manufacturing processes will have a certain level of tolerances. Therefore, designers choose the basic size keeping in mind the deviation that will occur during the manufacturing process.

Actual Size

The actual size is the dimensions of the final product after the machining process is finished. While the basic sizes are theoretical values, the actual size is the practical realization of the finished part. While it is almost impossible to make the actual size exactly the same as the basic size, manufacturers aim to bring these two values as close as possible.

Limits

Limits are the maximum and minimum allowed dimensions of the part. The maximum allowed dimension is called the upper limit and the minimum allowed dimension is called the lower limit. If the actual size of the part falls outside of these two limits, the part is considered unusable and rejected.

Deviation

Deviations are the variances of the maximum allowed size from the basic size. Since there are two types of maximum allowed size- upper and lower limits, there are two types of resultant deviations: upper deviation and lower deviation. Calculation of these deviations is easy:

• Upper Deviation=Upper limit – Basic Size
• Lower Deviation=Lower Limit – Basic Size

Datum

In physics, a datum is an imaginary line or plane chosen arbitrarily as a reference point for measurement tools. The concept of Datum is also used in many types of geometric dimensioning and tolerancing areas, which will be discussed in the sections to come.

Maximum Material and Least Material Requirements

Maximum Material Condition (MMC) occurs when a feature or segment of the workpiece contains the maximum amount of material in all places. Examples of MMC can be the smallest size hole or the largest pin in a workpiece. The occurrence of MMC provides bonus tolerances to work with.

Similarly, the Least Material Condition (LMC) occurs when a feature or segment of the workpiece contains the least amount of material in all places. Examples of NMC can be the largest size hole or the smallest pin in a workpiece.

The use of MMC and NMC dictates the clearance fit for an assembly. MMC is the worst condition scenario in which the part would still fit. Any increase in size beyond the MMC would not allow the assembly of the product.

The shift from MMC to LMC allows for a greater allowed tolerance in the workpiece area, which is called the bonus tolerance. The calculation of bonus tolerance depends on how much lower material the actual part has compared to the maximum material. Therefore,

• Bonus tolerance=MMC – Actual Size

Since the lowest the actual size can be is the LMC limit, the maximum bonus tolerance will be:

• Bonus Tolerance (max)=MMC – LMC

Decimal Places

In high-precision processes such as CNC machining, tolerances occur in very small amounts. The actual value of tolerances in CNC machining is so low that it requires decimal places to measure it. A higher number of decimal places correlate to tighter tolerances and higher accuracy.

For better understanding, let us take a manufacturing process A with a tolerance of ±0.2″, B with a tolerance of ±0.1″, C with a tolerance of ±0.01″, and D with a tolerance of ±0.001″. In terms of accuracy, process D would be the most accurate followed by C, B, and A.

Calculating Tolerance

To calculate the machining tolerances, we require the upper and lower limits of the process. For instance, let us consider a screw of actual diameter 10 mm, whose acceptable variances lie between:

• Upper limit: 12 mm
• Lower limit: 8 mm

The tolerance of the machining process would be:

• tolerance (t)=upper limit – lower limit
• t=12-8=4 mm.

Sometimes, instead of mentioning upper and lower limits, the limits are described in the form of variation, such as 10 ± 0.2 mm. In this case, the upper and lower limits can be calculated by adding and subtracting the variation respectively.

Different Types of Machining Tolerances

Tolerances in CNC machining are expressed SNMG Insert in different ways, due to the different geometries of parts and the different types of machining processes. Let us go through these different tolerances one by one:

Unilateral Tolerance

Unilateral tolerances in CNC machining hint that the allowable variance can only occur in one direction. The basic size of the component is the same as the upper limit or the lower limit, and the tolerance can only be either positive or negative but not both.

For instance, if a pipe has a diameter of 10 mm with a unilateral tolerance of +1 mm, both the basic size and lower limits of the process would be 10 mm. The upper limit in this case would be 11 mm. All the acceptable parts should fall within this range, and any part smaller than the basic value of 10 mm will be rejected.

Similarly, if a pipe has a diameter of 10 mm with a unilateral tolerance of -1 mm, both the DCMT Insert basic size and upper limit for the process would be 10 mm. The lower limit in this case would be 9 mm. The manufactured parts should fall between this range and all the parts even slightly larger than the basic value of 10 mm will be rejected.

Bilateral Tolerance

Contrary to unilateral tolerance, bilateral tolerances allow variation in both directions. The basic size of the component lies between upper and lower limits and the value of tolerance can be both positive and negative.

If there is an equal variation in both directions, the bilateral tolerances are mentioned as ±0.x mm. In case there is unequal variation, the bilateral tolerances can be written as +0.x mm and – 0.y mm.

To take an example, if there is a pipe with a diameter of 10 mm and a bilateral tolerance of ±1 mm, the basic size will be 10 mm, the upper limit will be 11 mm, and the lower limit will be 9 mm. All parts between 9 mm and 11 mm will be acceptable. Therefore, the actual part can be smaller or bigger than the basic intended part.

Limit Tolerances

Limit tolerances are another common expression of tolerances in CNC machining and other manufacturing methods. Limit tolerances do not use any ‘+’, ‘-‘, or ‘±’ symbolic language. Instead, the upper and lower limits of the part are mentioned. Instead of using the basic size and making the actual size fit within the permitted variance of the basic size, the only requirement is to make the part within the limits provided.

Limit tolerances are easy to use and eliminate the need for any calculations. If limit tolerance is depicted in a graph, the upper limit is stated over the particular dimension and the lower limit is stated under the upper limit and over the particular dimension.

An example of using limit tolerances is to machine a pipe with a diameter between 9 mm and 11 mm, instead of requiring a pipe between 10 ± 1 mm.

A major thing to remember is that while limit tolerances use different expressions than bilateral tolerances, the part outcome is going to be the same. The difference only comes in the ease with which the blueprint reader comprehends the design criteria.

Profile Tolerances

Profile tolerance is very different from the other types of tolerances mentioned above. While the other tolerances so far were variations in dimensional accuracy, profile tolerances relate to the curvature of the cross-section of the part. Its symbol is a semi-circle lying on its cross-section diameter.

For understanding the concept of profile tolerances in cnc machining, it is important to know what is profile line. Profile line is the line running along the cross-sectional area of a workpiece. Profile tolerance range implies that the curve of this line should be within the acceptable variance. This value is measured in dimensional units (mm or inches).

Orientation Tolerance

Orientation tolerance is the variation of a form of the workpiece in relation to a reference form. The reference form or plane used to check the relative variances is called the datum. Measuring orientation tolerance is done with regards to the perpendicularity of the workpiece or its angularity. Even when measuring a shift in angularity, orientation tolerance is also measured in mm or inches, instead of degrees.

Location Tolerance

The location tolerance range is similar to orientation tolerance. Location tolerance in CNC machining refers to the shift in the location of particular features of the workpiece. For measurement of the shift, a reference line called the datum is used. The intended position of the feature is called its true position.

Form Tolerances

Form tolerances pertain to the physical features of a workpiece, such as its flatness, roundness, or straightness. These tolerances are also measured in mm or inches, with measurement tools such as height gauges, calipers, micrometers, etc.

Runout Tolerance

Runout tolerance refers to the fluctuation of a particular feature of the workpiece with reference to a datum when the part is rotated 360 degrees around a central axis. Runout tolerance can be important and measurable for any or all features of the workpiece. The symbol for this tolerance is a square box containing an arrow pointing to the top right corner.

Unequally Disposed Tolerances

The unequally disposed tolerance band is also sometimes called the U modifier, due to its symbol being the letter ‘U’ in a circle. These tolerances are used when an unequal unilateral tolerance is required on a particular profile of the workpiece.

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T)

Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing is a system to detail and communicate the standard machining tolerances. Since there are many types of tolerances in many different types and shapes of parts, a standardized system helps various parties involved in manufacturing to communicate with each other. GD&T is the most widely adopted system of standard tolerances used across the globe.

GD&T assigns symbols for different types of tolerances along with a detailed set of rules on how to measure the particular tolerance band.

Common CNC Machining Tolerances

CNC machining is a wide field with many different processes under its umbrella. The CNC machining tolerances for each of these processes are different due to variations in the types of cutting tools used. Here are the standard CNC machining tolerances for common processes:

• Router: ± 0.005″ or 0.13 mm
• Lathe: ± 0.005″ or 0.13 mm
• Router (Gasket Cutting Tools): ± 0.030″ or 0.762 mm
• Milling (3-axis): ± 0.005″ or 0.13 mm
• Milling (5-axis): ± 0.005″ or 0.13 mm
• Engraving: ± 0.005″ or 0.13 mm
• Rail Cutting Tolerances: ± 0.030″ or 0.762 mm
• Screw Machining: 0.005″ or 0.13 mm
• Steel Rule Die Cutting: ± 0.015″ or 0.381 mm
• Surface Finish: 125RA

If you compare these values with alternative remanufacturing technologies, you will find that the CNC machining processes involve tighter tolerances.

Important Things to Remember When Dealing With Tolerances

When dealing with tolerances, knowing some things beforehand can lead to a better end result, good planning, and proper utilization of resources.

Do you need tight tolerances?

Since tolerance directly reflects the accuracy of a part, the first look can make it appear that it is always better to have tight tolerances. However, for CNC machined parts, tight tolerances can increase the cost of production and lead to a time-consuming process. Therefore, use of tight tolerances should be incorporated when it is required.

Tight tolerances are generally needed in cases when a part is going to be used in secondary assembly processes. Loose tolerances in these cases can lead to a failure in acceptable assembly. Therefore, there is a high focus on the tolerance band.

Another use case of tight tolerance machining is when designing prototypes of innovative parts. Designers expect the prototype to function exactly like the finished product. Therefore, they use as tight requirements as possible.

Costs

For better optimization of resources, manufacturers do not aim for the absolute least tolerances. Instead, they use the least tolerances that will fit into their budget. A good way to incorporate the budget factor is by plotting the increase in cost with the reduction in the tolerance band, and finding out the acceptable range where these two values meet for the particular project.

Inspection

Most projects made with CNC machines or any other manufacturing process have a quality control phase to check out if the final product is in the acceptable range. In case it fails to meet the acceptable range, the product is rejected.If using very tight tolerances, the time in the inspection stage is considerably increased. Additionally, complex equipment can be needed to measure the tighter tolerance level.

Machining Methods

CNC machines in general are appreciated due to their high precision and low specified tolerances. However, even within CNC machines, the type of machine used can significantly affect the part tolerances. Therefore, if you have CNC machines in-house, check the tolerance level of the machines beforehand and then design the project accordingly.

Surface Roughness

Every surface has rough aberrations on it regardless of how smooth it looks. For some surfaces, like polished natural stone, these aberrations are considerably smaller leading to lesser surface roughness. For others, like wood, the surface roughness is considerably higher. Therefore, when choosing tight tolerances for CNC machining, keep in the mind the already present surface roughness. Rough surfaces will bring difficulty when the goal is to achieve tight tolerances.

How to Find the Right Tolerance?

When finding the right tolerance for your part, there are many options. Let us go through these options one by one:

Using a Reputable CNC Machining Company

Outsourcing the project to a good CNC machining company can take out the headache of dealing with the technicalities of tolerances and many other things. Estoolcarbide is one of the leading CNC service providers in this regard.

Estoolcarbide CNC machining services are provided by a team of skilled experts and the most advanced machines and equipment available in the market. This means that you not only have professionals suggesting the best tolerances to use, but you also have the best equipment that can achieve those tolerances in real life.

Self Calculation of Tolerances

To calculate the tolerance of the part yourself, you first need to envision the use of the part. The functionality of the part will dictate how much focus you need to pay to tolerances for the part. After that, you can use the general rules for determining tolerances.

Are There Any International Standards For Machining Tolerances?

Yes, there are many international standards for machining tolerances. The Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T) itself contains seven different standards for measuring standard machining tolerances. Then there is also the ISO 2768 standards.

What is ISO 2768?

ISO 2768 is an international standard that specifies the general tolerances when making parts certified with international standards. It contains different classes in itself, such as:

• Linear dimensions
• External radii and chamfer heights
• Angular dimensions
• General tolerances for straightness and flatness
• General tolerances for perpendicularity
• General tolerances for symmetry
• General tolerances for circular runouts

Tips for Tighter CNC Machining Tolerances

Following the below tips can be helpful to get tight machining tolerances and higher quality parts:

• Remember that tolerances are not a one-size fits all designation. Calculate separate tolerances for different materials and for different applications. For metal parts, the standard tolerances are +/- 0.005″ and for plastic parts, the value is +/- 0.01″. These values can be more or less in practical realization due to varying geometric dimensioning.
• Choose a manufacturing process that can achieve the tolerances you require. While processes with tighter tolerances can be expensive, they can be overall cost-effective due to better optimization.
• Never underestimate the importance of parallelism and perpendicularity tolerances. These tolerances should be prioritized since any shift in these values can affect every other value, and even change the visual appearance of the part itself.
• The expectation of tolerance should be in line with the material’s machinability. Getting tighter tolerances requires more work on the material. This extra work can be very difficult for materials that are already hard to machine.
• If the project does not call for it, avoid using tight tolerances altogether. This can save up significant costs in the project.
• Place emphasis on tolerance for the important features of the part, such as features that aid in assembly or features that bear the stress. At the same time, tolerances can be ignored in some features, such as those there for aesthetic purposes.

What is considered a tight tolerance in machining?

While there is no exact range of tight tolerances, anything around ±0.005″ is considered a tight tolerance for CNC machining. Tight limit tolerance can go down to ± 0.001″, below which machining becomes highly challenging.

Importance of Machining Tolerances

The tolerance and dimensional accuracy of parts are much greater than what meets the eye at first. Every manufacturing process, whether manual or CNC, has a certain error to it, some more than others. The machining tolerances denote the extent of this error that can be allowed.

Keeping tolerances in mind allows for the production of high-quality parts. At the same time, ignoring tolerances can lead to serious manufacturing mistakes, causing the rejection of a large number of products or even entire batches.

Conclusion

Machining tolerances are an indispensable factor in manufacturing processes. While the degree of these tolerances can vary based on the projects, there are hardly any use cases in which these values can be completely ignored.

Therefore, placing due importance to the information mentioned above can be cost-saving to your project and lead to a better quality outcome. In case you feel the concept of tolerance is too technical, difficult, or hard to calculate for your particular project, Estoolcarbide is always there to help.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are the answers to some common questions regarding standard tolerances:

1. Which tolerance is the most difficult to machine?

Any tolerances below ±0.001″ are very difficult to machine. Keep in mind that this value is 25 micrometers, and one micrometer is a millionth of a meter. Therefore, such extremely low value is rarely encountered in real-life applications.

2. What are the most common machining tolerances?

The most common machining tolerances are standard tolerances falling between ± 0.005″ and ± 030″. These tolerances are applied when the clients do not have or do not mention their tolerance requirements.

 

The Carbide Inserts Website: https://www.estoolcarbide.com/lathe-inserts/rcmx-insert/

Decisions about the cutting tools used in machining operations are arguably among the most important in modern manufacturing. ISO 13399, a set of international standards that enables cutting tool manufacturers to use the same “language” to describe their products in a digital format, makes it easier for cutting tool data to be transferred seamlessly across various software platforms. This data should lead to better decisions that will improve productivity and significantly cut costs. As a result, ISO 13399 is a major step toward data-driven manufacturing. For this reason, every company that uses machining processes in manufacturing should have a basic understanding of this important standard.

Of course, in addition to adopting ISO 13399, the manufacturing community must take other steps to complete the pathway to data-driven manufacturing. For example, factories and factory personnel must become fully networked. Other steps include promoting data-exchange standards such as MTConnect and completing work on a generic tool classification system that complements ISO 13399. Progress in these areas will accelerate implementation of data-driven manufacturing procedures.

Driving manufacturing with data is not an option; manufacturers who rely on guesswork instead of facts and figures will make poor decisions, leading ultimately to failure in the marketplace. It’s data—accurate, reliable, timely data—or death.

In a Nutshell

ISO 13399 is the result of development work led by several major cutting tool manufacturers (most notably Sandvik Coromant and Kennametal) and cooperating research organizations. Although this work began in the 1990s, rapid progress was made in the last five years, leading up to important updates to the standard in 2013-2014. The full name of the standard is ISO 13399, cutting tool data representation and exchange.

Essentially, the standard specifies a common format for the digital code that identifies and describes cutting tool components. It creates a universal language for talking about cutters and related components, laying down the meaning for the words used to name the parts, features and parameters related to cutting tools, and providing a single abbreviation for each term. The standard also spells out how critical dimensions of the cutting tool are defined and presented in numerical values. Using the same words and numbers with the same meanings reduces ambiguity and confusion when cutting tool data is used in software applications.

Consider this one example regarding a frequently used fact about a cutting Cast Iron Inserts tool: its shank length. By adopting ISO 13399, users agree that, for digital applications, the name for the length of the tool shank is “shank length,” which is given the code “LS.” Whereas one cutting tool manufacturer may say “length of shaft” in its catalogs or technical drawings, and another manufacturer says “shank” or “shank length,” all cutting tool manufacturers must use “shank length” and “LS” in their code for that part of the tool when exchanging data in order to comply with the standard. The current version of the standard has similar agreed-upon definitions and abbreviated codes for more than 420 terms related to cutting tools.

Using this standard brings clarity and uniformity to data about cutting tools. This should help tungsten carbide inserts eliminate misinterpretations about the meaning of these terms and codes when exchanging cutting tool data. In addition, the standard provides a framework for adding new definitions and codes as needed. So far, ISO 13399 covers only cutting tools, but work on adding other tool types to this family of standards is underway.

Most important, having the same language to talk about cutting tools means that this “talk” can be translated in a digital format that is readily usable by computer software applications. By using a common data format, these applications can recognize what information is contained in this digital translation, regardless of the source. For example, if a CAD system needs to know the length of a tool shaft to create a 3D virtual model of an end mill, the numerical value associated with “LS” in the database gives that number.

When ISO 13399-formatted data is stored in a database accessible to the software application, the transfer of this information is instant and automatic. There is no need for a programmer to look it up, interpret the meaning, find the code and enter the numbers. This exchange of data enables the software application to work faster and be more complete and accurate. The use of ISO 13399 will provide considerable cost savings by eliminating the need for repeated cutting tool data mapping for different computer systems or non-standardized cutting tool databases.

Let’s say the application is creating a 3D model of the cutting tool for a simulation of a pocket milling routine. It doesn’t matter to the software if that data represents a cutting tool product from this or that cutting tool supplier. The code and the numerical values can be found and applied without additional processing.

Likewise, building a library of cutting tools for a CAM system is greatly streamlined when all of the entries in that library can be acquired already formatted in the same way. Similarly, as software applications using standardized tool data are developed, users can expect faster re-ordering of tools, more accurate costing of tool consumption, and on-the-fly calculation of the ROI for pricier cutting tool items such as diamond-tipped inserts, among other useful reports. Likewise, cutting tool manufacturers will get reliable feedback on performance of their products in the field.

It appears that virtually all cutting tool manufacturers intend to adopt ISO 13399. Sandvik Coromant and its family of cutting tool brands has made all of its tool classification data available in the standardized format, as has Kennametal and its related brands. Other manufacturers are at various stages of completing this process. This is no small task, as manufacturers typically have many thousands of cutting tool items in their product offerings.

Let’s look at some other practical benefits that have been brought about now that cutting tool manufacturers have a common language in the same digital translation for their products.

Better Tool Selection in CAM

ISO 13399 can help CAM software users make better decisions about the cutting tools selected for CNC programming. Here are a few ways this will happen.

The standard makes it easier to build an internal tool library in CAM that gives the programmer more choices for machining operations. Typically, CAM software with a structure for a built-in tool library requires the user to enter data about cutting tools one item at a time. This involves finding the information from cutting tool catalogs or online product listings, interpreting the meanings of the different terms cutting tool manufacturers might use, and entering the information according to the structure of the CAM system’s library. This process can be slow, tedious and susceptible to data-entry errors. Data in the ISO 13399 format is easier to find, interpret and enter. More important, with the right interface, most CAM systems will be able to import this data directly from the cutting tool manufacturer.

However, many CAM systems are now moving beyond this step entirely by accessing open-platform cutting tool databases maintained online by the tool manufacturer in the ISO 13399 format. These Web-based databases facilitate the process of building and integrating this kind of cutting tool library for CAM. Because libraries built in these open-platform structures are based on the ISO 13399 format, compliant tool data from other manufacturers can be incorporated, as well.

Examples of these platforms include Kennametal’s Novo and Adveon, a platform developed by Sandvik Coromant, which is open to data from any tool supplier, as long as it is according to the ISO13399 standard. Working with these platforms, the CAM user can download or enter data for tooling items that represent a shop’s “personalized” database of toolholders, adapters, cutting tools and inserts that are available on the shop floor. This enables the user to create tool assemblies from this library and view them in 2D or 3D renderings. These tool renderings, along with the tool data and application parameters, can then be easily imported into the CAM software for use in setup sheets and simulation. It is also possible to integrate an open-platform library directly in the user’s CAM system (if the CAM supplier offer this option), so that 3D models can be exported to the system’s simulation modules for more complete and accurate error checking. Adveon, for example, has been integrated with a number of CAM systems from leading developers.

The next step is support for tool recommendations and optimization in applications based on an online “data cloud,” which taps the massive capacity for data storage, analysis and calculation in shared, networked computing resources. Access to such a cloud-based tool library will enable the user to submit details about a machining operation and receive the best cutting tool options and the most appropriate parameters such as toolpath strategy and optimal speeds and feeds for the situation.

To describe its progress in this direction, Kennametal characterizes Novo as “process knowledge delivered via the cloud.” It provides cutting tool selection functions and operates like a process planner. It works from the part feature back to the machining strategy, and then recommends tools for each strategy. In addition, each project is tied to application data gathered from company experts whose experience stands behind the recommendations. When integrated with the user’s CAM software, designers or programmers will have access to this knowledge at the touch of a button without leaving their function.

The MTConnect Connection

Because ISO 13399 specifies a computer-interpretable, digital format for data describing cutting tool products, it simplifies the exchange of this data between computer systems and software applications. Information about cutting tool products from one manufacturer “looks” the same as the information from another manufacturer that also complies with this standard format. Computer software that can use this information does not have to have a translator or customized interface for the data from each manufacturer in order to make that data usable in an application. For this reason, ISO 13399 is a valuable resource and model for the other standards developed to exchange manufacturing data.

An important example of this is MTConnect. MTConnect is a computer protocol for exchanging data between shopfloor equipment such as machine tools and software applications for monitoring and analyzing machine performance. Like ISO 13399, MTConnect creates a vocabulary of defined terms related to manufacturing equipment. From the start, MTConnect was designed to be extensible, that is, sets of vocabulary terms could be added to the standard for other categories of manufacturing data.

After the original versions of MTConnect were released in 2008, one of the categories of new vocabulary terms targeted for inclusion in the MTConnect standard were those related to “mobile assets.” For MTConnect purposes, mobile assets include cutting tools, cutter body assemblies, fixturing components and other elements that tend to circulate among machine tools, storage units, inspection devices, automatic toolchangers and so on.

Developers found that ISO 13399 could provide a ready-made set of vocabulary terms and codes usable for an extension to MTConnect that would cover mobile assets. By adopting these terms and codes, the mobile assets extension could be compiled and released more quickly. This extension was formally added to the MTConnect standard in July, 2012.

The compatibility between ISO 13399 and MTConnect is significant because it enables data about cutting tools and their performance to be added to the data that an application chooses to include in its monitoring and analysis. A glimpse at Kennametal’s Novo Optimize web portal shows how MTConnect and ISO 13399 come together as a move to data-driven manufacturing.

This portal enables a machine shop with an MTConnect-compliant machine monitoring system to link manufacturing planning with real-time feedback of cutting performance, thus identifying productivity improvements in machine and cutting tool usage. This information is accessible through any Internet-enabled device and is linked directly to each machine that is monitored. It streamlines the reporting of real-time and historical data of cutting tool performance in association with machine performance, so that Big Data analytics can be applied. By providing real-time analysis of machine efficiency, the system’s algorithms identify the actual performance of the cutting tool during material removal and derive recommendations based on demonstrated tool performance.

GTC—A Fix for the Missing Link

Open almost any catalog of cutting tool products from a tooling manufacturer and you will find that all of the tooling products listed inside are organized by type. Typically, the types of tools are grouped under a few major categories (tools for milling, tools for turning, tools for grooving and cut off, and so on). These major categories are then broken down into subcategories, which may be further divided into finer subcategories or subclasses. This hierarchical structure makes it easier to find the tool you are looking for.

ISO 13399 does not include a detailed hierarchical classification structure. It simply specifies a standard format for the individual specifications of tooling items that might appear in the manufacturer’s catalog. This means each listing does not indicate what kind of tool it is, whereas all of the listings in a catalog under End Mills, which is in the Milling Tools section, does offer that kind of indication. Classifying cutting tools helps the user find the right tool for the intended machining operation.

Computerized systems that use databases of information about cutting tools need some sort of hierarchical classification system to organize this information and make it easier to search. Because ISO 13399 does not currently provide a detailed classification system, a Generic Tool Classification has been developed and proposed to fill this gap.

Sandvik Coromant and Siemens PLM worked together to create this GTC as a complement to ISO 13399. Its structure was intended to be generic and brand-neutral, in keeping with the goal of making cutting tool data readily exchangeable between software applications. The developers of GTC consulted with other vendors, CAM suppliers and end users in this effort.

Briefly put, the classifications in GTC follow the basic logic behind the categories in cutting tool catalogs. However, the structure is designed for use in computer databases and therefore is patterned after the structure specified in ISO 13999 and other international standards. You can think of the structure of GTC as a tree with several levels of branches. The leaves at the tips of the branches, so to speak, are the individual tool item listings in the format specified by ISO 13399.

At the moment, GTC has not been formally adopted as a standard nor made a part of ISO 13399. A neutral organization has to be established to finalize its preparation and to maintain it. GTC has to be harmonized with certain other classification systems that might include cutting tools but do not go to the same level of categorization.

The Full Significance

The concept of data-driven manufacturing is a means, not an end. It is a means to making better decisions that lead to more efficient, more productive activity on the factory floor. For shops and plants that are implementing the principles of lean manufacturing, the technology that enables data to drive manufacturing also provides a boost to lean practices, simply because much of the waste that occurs in manufacturing can be traced to miscommunication or the lack of reliable data. However, having the right facts and figures (and being able to share them) leads to better decisions. Better decisions mean less waste.

Any hindrance to the exchange of digital data between computerized equipment and across information systems is a barrier to data-driven manufacturing. Data exchange standards such as ISO 13399 help break down these barriers. Given the especially broad influence that critical decisions about cutting tools have on manufacturing with machine tools, ISO 13399 stands out as a major step toward achieving higher levels of data-driven manufacturing.

Data exchangeability is also a key enabler in concepts such as the Internet of Things and initiatives such as Industry 4.0. Neither of these can be realized fully without the smooth, secure and comprehensive flow of data. Likewise, access to the data cloud hinges on data exchangeability. In this context, ISO 13399 and other data exchange standards for manufacturing show their true significance.

The Carbide Inserts Website: https://www.estoolcarbide.com/lathe-inserts/rcmx-insert/

Flame retardant materials include organic flame retardant materials and inorganic flame retardant materials, the current flame retardant material is added after the flame retardant material can achieve the flame retardant effect. In general, various types of flame retardants, sub-organic flame retardant and inorganic flame retardant, flame retardant organic flame retardant effect is good, less additives. However, organic flame retardants have the drawbacks of large amount of smoke and toxic gases released during combustion. Inorganic materials are non-toxic, smoke-free, non-volatile and inexpensive, but there are a large number of additives. The more common flame retardants are aluminum hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide flame retardants. Inorganic flame retardants can be used as additives to add plastic or rubber to achieve the effect of fire. For example, in wires, car tires or transport bags, so as to effectively protect traffic safety and electricity safety. In addition, it can be added to a variety of paints and coatings, thus contributing to the material with flame retardant properties.1. Overview of flame retardantsFlame retardant polymer propellant, the use of flame retardant polymer materials can be flame-retardant treatment, in order to avoid burning of materials and to prevent the spread of fire, and promote the synthesis of materials with smoke, self-extinguishing and flame retardant . As China’s synthetic materials are widely used in many related industries such as construction industry, textile industry, transportation industry, aerospace industry and flame retardants play an increasingly important role in these industries, the continuous development and progress of modern science and technology, as well as various Countries attach great importance to safety work, therefore, prompting people on the flame retardant safety and fire performance requirements are also getting higher and higher. Increasing variety of flame retardants and production gradually increased. Currently, 70% of the world’s flame retardants are used to make flame retardant materials and 20% are used as rubbers. 5% make textiles, 3% make paints, and 2% make wood and paper.2. Development of flame retardant materials analysisIn recent years, with the increase of plastic products and the improvement of safety standards, flame retardant materials are more widely used. In general, flame retardant materials can be divided into organic flame retardant materials and inorganic flame retardant materials. Among them, the organic flame retardant materials are mainly halogen additives, inorganic materials not only have a certain flame retardant effect, but also produce hydrogen chloride and prevent smoking. In addition, inorganic flame retardant materials are non-toxic, non-corrosive and inexpensive. In the United States, Japan and other countries, the consumption of inorganic flame retardant materials exceeds 60%. However, the consumption of inorganic flame retardant materials in China is less than 10%.2.1 Halogen-based flame retardantHalogen-based flame retardants not only the largest output, but also the most widely used. The material to which the flame retardant is added releases hydrogen halide during combustion and gains free radicals, thereby preventing the transfer of the combustion chain, thereby creating a less active free-radical combustion. Halogen flame retardants are generally used in thermoplastic materials and thermosetting materials, not only flame retardant effect, and less impact on the flame retardant products. In addition, it is not only compatible with polymer materials, but also easy to use. Therefore, it is welcomed by the market. Halogen flame retardant materials are widely used and play an increasingly important role in automobile, packaging and textile industries.2.2 phosphorus flame retardantInorganic phosphorus-based flame retardants include phosphate, red phosphorus, etc. The red phosphorus is widely used. Red phosphorus is a good flame retardant. It not only has the advantages of smoking inhibition and high efficiency, but also has the characteristics of non-toxicity. However, in practice, red phosphorus flame retardant materials are easily oxidized and release harmful toxic gases, in addition to dust easily lead to explosion in the resin mixing and molding process there is a certain risk, therefore, phosphorus flame retardant materials Subject to certain restrictions on use. Red phosphorus flame retardant is improved by adding metal hydroxide, to a certain extent, solve the problem of toxicity of polymer materials.2.3 magnesium flame retardantMagnesium hydroxide is an additive type inorganic flame retardant. Compared with other flame retardants, magnesium hydroxide has a good smoke suppressing effect on the source of raw materials, preparation process and waste treatment. In general, in the event of a fire, about 80% or more of the fire is due to smoke suffocation, so the current flame retardant smoke suppression is more important than the flame retardant. Generally magnesium hydroxide decomposition energy and heat capacity is relatively high, compared to the usual inorganic flame retardant, magnesium flame retardant synthetic materials can withstand higher temperatures, not only can improve the extrusion speed, but also can greatly reduce the molding practice. In addition, effectively improve the flame retardant efficiency. At the same time, magnesium hydroxide and other related flame retardants have good compounding ability. Magnesium hydroxide flame retardant has been widely used in the plastics and rubber industries. The future market potential is great, but the price is higher than other flame retardants.2.4 aluminum flame retardantIn general, aluminum hydroxide is an early inorganic flame retardant, and is also a large amount of application, the current aluminum hydroxide accounted for more than 80% of the total amount of inorganic flame retardants, is widely used in elastomers, rubber, paint And plastic products, with smoke, flame retardant, filling function, and can synergistic effect with other substances, low cost, non-volatile and non-toxic non-corrosive, aluminum hydroxide flame retardant principle is added to the polymer which aluminum hydroxide . Thus reducing the concentration of the polymer. When the temperature reaches 250 ° C, heat absorption and dehydration begin to occur, so that the temperature rise of the polymer can be suppressed. Aluminum hydroxide flame retardant materials can generate steam in the combustion process of combustible gases and oxygen dilution, thereby preventing the combustion continued. However, aluminum hydroxide flame retardants also have some drawbacks. For example, the flame retardant effect of aluminum hydroxide is enhanced with the increase of additives. However, if the filler is too much, the strength of the product is reduced. In addition, aluminum hydroxide heat absorption although large, but the decomposition temperature is low, can only be applied to the processing temperature of the polymer.3 flame retardant material development trend3.1 halogen-free flame retardantHalogen flame retardant materials, high flame retardant efficiency and less dosage, become the mainstream products on the market, however, the disadvantage of halogen flame retardants is the production of corrosive and toxic gases, resulting in short circuits or other metal objects corrosion. In addition, causing air pollution, have a serious impact on the human respiratory tract. In recent years, the United Kingdom, Norway and Australia have issued a series of decrees to test the combustion toxicity of certain plastic products. Therefore, the development of halogen-free flame retardants has gradually become a worldwide trend. Inorganic flame retardants are abundant in origin and lower in price, but their flame retardant effect is poor and the additives are too much. Red phosphorus flame retardant high efficiency, less dosage, in many industries have been very widely used, but the stability of red phosphorus flame retardants need to be further strengthened, red phosphorus has easy to explode and easy to color weaknesses. Intumescent flame retardants in the combustion process less smoke and no release of toxic gases, therefore, should intensify research on intumescent flame retardants. China’s Beijing Institute of Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, Anhui Institute of Chemistry and Shanghai Fire Protection University to expand the research on flame retardant, is expected to develop new products to market.3.2 reduce harmful gasesAccording to relevant statistics, most of the causes of death in fires are caused by the toxic gases released from the burning products. It is a key research topic in the field of flame retardancy to study new type of flame retardants and to reduce the toxic gases and the amount of smoke burned by materials. At present, the main smoke suppressants include transition metal oxides, metal oxides, magnesium-zinc compounds, tin oxide, ferrocene, copper oxide and so on. The main products are the American company’s zinc borate series, molybdate series Wait. Among them, some of the inorganic filler has both flame retardant and smoke suppression effect. In addition, intumescent flame retardant porous carbon layer also has smoke suppression and flame retardant. Through the study of new flame retardants to improve the DCMT Insert material’s high temperature resistance and fire resistance, on the one hand to reduce the harmful gases on the human respiratory tract hazards, on the other hand to inhibit the spread of fire to avoid greater losses.4 ConclusionIn summary, this paper mainly on the current development status and trends of flame retardant materials are analyzed, of which, more types of flame retardants, including inorganic flame retardants and organic flame retardants, for the current polymer materials and products Safety standards should be improved so that the flame-retardant materials should be promoted to be non-flammable or non-toxic during combustion, to avoid environmental pollution and cause respiratory problems. There are various kinds of flame retardants, including halogen-based flame retardants and phosphorus-based flame retardants Cutting Inserts Future trends in fuels include halogen-free trends and trends to reduce harmful gases.
Source: Meeyou Carbide

The Carbide Inserts Website: https://www.estoolcarbide.com/product/tcmt-steel-inserts-cnc-lathe-turning-p-1204/