Metal processing: chip-removing and chipless
From sawing and drilling to bending, rolling and cutting
Metal processing is traditionally divided into two main groups: chip-removing processing, where material is removed in the form of chips, and chipless processing, where material is shaped without removing anything.
§Chip-producing machining
With chip-removing machining material is cut away with a cutting edge. This includes among other things turning milling drilling thread cutting sawing and grinding. The tool and workpiece move relative to each other and chips are formed.
- 01Turning: the workpiece rotates and a cutting tool shapes cylindrical surfaces
- 02Milling: a rotating tool with multiple cutting edges processes plane and profiled surfaces
- 03Boring: creating holes with a rotating drill
- 04Thread cutting: metric thread and the correct core hole
§Chipless machining
With chipless machining the material's shape is changed by pressing bending or cutting it without forming chips. This includes bending rolling cutting riveting (stamping holes) and forging.
§Machines on the workshop floor
On a blacksmith workshop, you typically find a band saw or circular saw for cutting off, a pillar or radial drill, a plate press for bending, a plate roller for rolling plates into cylinders, and a guillotine or plate shear for cutting. Larger workshops also have lathes and milling machines, often CNC-controlled.
§Attention to the material
Different metals behave differently during machining. Hard steel requires lower cutting speed and good cooling while stainless steel is tough and heat-sensitive. Aluminium is soft and easy to machine but can stick to the tool. Material knowledge is therefore a prerequisite for good craftsmanship.