Dr. Schmitz presented “Machining is More Than Geometry” at the IMPACT Virtual Smart Manufacturing and R&D Summit. The online event was held August 24-28, 2020.
Summary: Manufacturing technology for cost-effective part production is critical to the US economy. A key process for fabricating parts from nearly any material with high accuracy and surface integrity is machining, or material removal using a defined cutting edge. The introduction of computer numerical control (CNC) for machining centers enabled a digital approach, where the desired part is defined by a solid model using computer-aided design (CAD) software. The CNC commands to produce this part are then generated using computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software. While this is a key capability with continued advancements, the primary focus on geometry neglects key physical considerations that must be addressed for cost-effective and reliable manufacturing performance. This presentation will discuss these issues, including vibration during the machining process and its influence on part quality.