Broadly speaking, a machine tool is a device that is used for handling and shaping metal or some other rigid material (such as wood, plastic, or even stone) for the purpose of producing parts or even finished pieces. Machine tools have components for holding workpieces as well as cutting tools or inserts that do the actual cutting or shaping.
There are many different types of machine tools; the following are among the most commonly encountered.
Lathes
Often called the “mother of machine tools”, lathes are among the oldest machine tools in human history. At its most basic, a lathe is a machine tool that rotates a workpiece at high speed and feeds a cutting tool or insert into the workpiece to shape or finish it. Early lathes were used to work wood, but modern lathes can be used to machine metal, plastic, and other materials.
Drills and Drill Presses
Unlike a lathe, which rotates the workpiece, a drill press rotates a drill, mill, or other cutting tool at high speed, feeding it into or against a workpiece either to shape, profile, thread, or finish it. These are highly versatile machine tools that can be used for a wide variety of different applications depending on the cutting tool used.
Broaching Machines
Broaching machines use a long, toothed cutting tool, working it in a single pass along a workpiece to complete complex shapes, or to cut internal splines.
Hones
Hones are finishing machines that use a special abrasive to impart a desired and precise finish to a given workpiece.
Boring Machines
Boring machines are used to create precise holes in workpieces; they are specifically used to enlarge or refine bores (hence the name) or to bring them to specification. They are often used to create engine blocks, hinge joints and other machinery parts.
Planers
Planers are used to shave thin layers of material from a workpiece. Commonly used to work wood, planers bring workpieces to exact dimensions. They are often used to make doors, frames, and for general dimensioning of lumber.
Gear Shapers
Gear shapers are a specialized type of machine tool that cuts both internal and external gear teeth to precise specifications.
Milling Machines
Milling machines are highly versatile machine tools that can be used for shaping, profiling, thread milling, drilling, boring, slotting, grooving, and more. They can also be used to cut gear teeth (like gear shapers) as well as to finish workpieces (like hones) depending on the type of mill used for the given application.
Grinding Machines
A grinding machine uses a grinding abrasive, often a wheel, to profile or shape a workpiece, though they can also be used to impart a desired finish.
Electrical Discharge Machines (EDMs)
Electrical discharge machines, or EDMs, use electrical discharge in the form of hot sparks to cut hard materials into precise shapes. They are specifically used to cut shapes that would be difficult for other rotating machine tools, like routers, to produce.
MTMs
MTMs, or multitasking machines, are a special class of machine tools that combine different tools, such as milling and grinding, into one.
Here for Machine Tool Accessories?
This overview only covers some of the many different types of machine tools, but many of the more commonly encountered ones are broached here. If you landed here looking for machine tool accessories, visit TMT Toolbox at the previous link and get in touch with them if you have additional questions before you buy.
For More Information About Turning Inserts and Machine Tool Accessories Please Visit: TMT Toolbox.