Frequently asked questions - AFMI

Frequently asked questions

What is milling?

Milling is a machining process in which a rotating tool removes material. We place the job in a machine and the milling head then moves around the material to give it the desired shape. This might include grooves or holes in the metal. Using different milling tools and machines, we can machine a wide range of shapes.

What is turning?

Turning is a technique for machining metal jobs. We place the job in a lathe clamp. The clamp rotates at high speed. A cutter is then applied to the job lengthways (axial) and transversal (radial). By adjusting various settings of the machine, such as speed and cutter type, we determine the shape of the end product.

What is grinding?

We use grinding if a metal surface needs to be machined very precisely. We use a grinding disc for this. When the grinding disc touches the job, the cutting edges ensure that a very small amount of material is removed. We roughly distinguish between two grinding techniques, surface grinding and cylindrical grinding. Surface grinding is similar to milling. The grinding disc moves with the rotation axis parallel to the surface being machined. Cylindrical grinding can be compared to turning, the key difference being that the rotation of the grinding disc is the main movement and the rotary motion of the job is the feed movement.
 
You use grinding if:
●      high precision is required;
●      a certain surface quality is required;
●      the material is very hard;
●      the permissible machining forces are low;
●      the layer to be removed is very thin.