What Is Machinability: Understanding Its Measurements and Factors

DALIAN, China - Nov. 24, 2024 - PRLog -- What Is Machinability?

Let's start with the main question: What is machinability? In short, machinability refers to the ease of cutting (processing) materials to achieve the desired part quality. The quality of the parts here refers to characteristics such as dimensional accuracy, tolerances, and surface smoothness.

Materials with high machinability usually require less time and power to process, have less tool wear, and have better surface quality. It can be understood that from a production perspective, materials with high machinability are always more popular. However, this may not always align with the views of designers who seek high strength, high performance, and thermal stability, which is not always the case for easily machinable materials.

Measurements Of Machinability

Cutting Speed:

This is the speed at which the cutting tool moves relative to the workpiece. A higher cutting speed often indicates better machinability, as it can lead to increased productivity. However, it must be balanced with the tool's durability and the material's properties.

Tool Life:

The duration a cutting tool can be used before it needs replacement or resharpening is a critical factor. Materials that allow tools to last longer without excessive wear are considered to have good machinability.

Understandably, materials with high machinability do not cause high tool wear and thermal damage, so the tool life is long. On the other hand, hard-to-cut materials like steel quickly wear down the tool.

Surface Finish:

The quality of the surface produced after machining is an important measurement. A better surface finish indicates higher machinability, as it reflects efficient cutting action and minimal tool friction. For example, hard materials have low machinability and have a rough surface finish due to chipping and friction.

Power Consumption

Due to cutting force, machining consumes power. Difficult to cut materials require greater force to cut. Therefore, they consume more power. For materials that are easy to cut, the situation is the opposite.

Due to the very direct relationship between processability and power consumption, it is a commonly used measure of material processability.

Cutting Forces:

The amount of force required to perform the machining operation is another measurement. Lower cutting forces are indicative of better machinability, leading to reduced energy consumption and wear on tools.

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