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2023.3.31
Machinists are the most important of all Tradesmen. Without machinists, no other trade would have the tools to do their jobs. Everything you see on a day-to-day basis owes its existence in some way to a machinist and machining, from plastics, the clothing, the metals to a paper cup. In this guide, we talk the history of machining.
– Precision manufacturing: Machinists are highly skilled in the use of machine tools, such as lathes, mills, and grinders, to create precise parts and components to exact specifications. This precision is important in many industries, such as aerospace, medical devices, and automotive, where safety and reliability are critical.
– Quality control: Machinists are responsible for inspecting parts and components to ensure that they meet quality standards and specifications. They use specialized tools, such as micrometers and gauges, to measure dimensions and ensure that parts fit together properly. This helps to prevent failures, accidents, and downtime due to faulty components.
– Problem-solving: Machinists are often called upon to troubleshoot problems with machines and processes, and to come up with solutions to fix them. This requires a deep understanding of the mechanics and workings of machines, as well as creativity and ingenuity.
– Innovation: Machinists are often involved in the design and development of new products and processes. They work with engineers and designers to create prototypes and test them to ensure that they meet design requirements. This requires a combination of technical expertise, creativity, and innovation.
– Economic impact: Machinists play a critical role in many industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, automotive, and medical devices. They help to create the components and parts that make up the products we use every day, and they contribute to the growth and prosperity of the economy.
The lathe is an ancient tool and is known as the mother of Machine Tools. The earliest evidence of turning on a lathe dates back to ancient Egypt and Mycenaean Greece around 1300 BC. Stone carvings clearly show one man rotating a piece of wood using a rope and the other using a sharp object to cut the wood. The lathe remained a pretty simple device for a couple thousand years and was used to make bowls, candlesticks, furniture, sharpened swords and tongues. Then hundreds of years later Leonardo da Vinci invented the first lathe with a slide rest and in 1718 a Russian engineer also invented a similar lathe and this was the first major improvement to this ancient technology. A few decades went by and in 1772 the UK developed a horsepower blade used to make stronger more accurate cannons. They saw a lot of action during the American Revolutionary War and explains why we measure our spindle power and horsepower to this day. Around this time people started to use lathes for a process called rotary filing where you’d hold a file in your hand spin your part in a lathe in mill material away.
In 1952, numerical control began to develop in the lab and was used only in a couple Aerospace shops. As machinist became aware of this technology, many of them rolled their eyes and said things like NC machines are never going to replace manual machinists. But during the 60s and 70s, NC evolved into CNC as data storage and computing evolved. As these machines were implemented the face of manufacturing changed forever, and this technology continues to develop to this day. While there are still manual machinists out there, CNC absolutely took over manufacturing.
Now we have crazy 9-axis lathes with live tooling and mill spindles, dual turret dual spindle lathes with live tooling, 5-axis mills that can spin their tables like a lathe, EDMs and vaporized metal with electricity metal printers swiss machines and thousands of other machines that are just mind-blowing.
We’re already starting to see something artificial intelligence that’s capable of learning from everyone on Earth and can write its own g code. Augmented reality that can do things like count thousands of parts at a glance. Virtual reality worlds where you can slap on a headset and learn how to run a CNC machine in a completely virtual world. Nano robots that can build a part one atom at a time, the possibilities are endless. The only question is will you be one of the naysayers that thinks these Technologies won’t change the world while you’re using your tried and true high-speed steel End Mill on your trusty Bridgeport? Or will you be one of the Pioneers that Embraces the change and helps to develop the future of machining?
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