Types of Machine Tools Applied in Industry

A machine tool is used to manufacture metal components of machines through machining, a process whereby metal is selectively removed to create a desired shape. Ranging from simple to complex pieces, machines tools can produce parts of different shapes and sizes.

Machine tools have gradually evolved over the past millennia. Today, machine tools are used on computerized numerical control (CNC) machines, which can repeat sequences with high levels of precision, and produce complex pieces of various sizes and shapes.

Various techniques can be used to remove unwanted metal during the process of fabricating or shaping parts, namely single edge cutting tools; multiple edge cutting tools, electrical discharge machining and grinding (abrasive cutting).

There are many types and examples of machine tools:

• Milling machine – a machine tool used to machine solid materials
• Grinding machine – a machine tool used for grinding, a process whereby an abrasive wheel is used as the cutting tool.
• Planer – a metalworking machine tool that uses straight or linear movement between the work piece and a single-point cutting tool to machine a linear tool path.
• Lathe – a machine tool that rotates a work piece on its axis to carry out various operations such as drilling, turning, boring, facing, threading, grooving and parting off.
• Shaper – a machine tool that uses straight or linear motion between the work piece and a single-point cutting tool to machine a linear tool path. A shaper is similar to a planer, but it is smaller, and has a cutter that rides a ram which moves above a fixed work piece, as compared to the whole work piece moving underneath the cutter.
• Broaching Machine – a machine tool that uses a toothed tool or a broach to remove material. The tool can use two types of broaching, namely rotary and linear.
•  Some other types of machine tools are drill presses, gear shapers, saws and threading machines.

Here at TecTools, we manufacture a wide range of turning tools, grooving and recessing tools, threading tools, boring tools, trepan tools and wear pads. Our tools are used in a wide range of applications in the engineering industry, namely machining, which includes boring, external and internal thread cutting, deep hole boring, grooving, facing, turning, parting off, recessing, planing and trepanning.