Precision Machining Tools

Dating as far back as the dark ages, man has always looked for and invented ways to make our lives easier and more convenient. And what better way to do so than creating ‘the Machine’! This invention has certainly saved us time, money and a lot of effort.

The first known machining tool ever made was the potter’s wheel in ancient Egypt, and the existence of the water driven lathe dates back as far as 1000 BC. Amazing isn’t it?

In modern society, we take for granted just how dependent we are on machines that replaced human labor so many years ago. Think about simple things we do such as turning on the tap for hot water, boiling the kettle for coffee by simply pushing a button, or turning a key to switch on your car.

Every moving part had to have been created by someone, or in this case something.

Hence, the precision machining tool. The mechanization or automation of hand tools that work much quicker and more precisely and effectively than humans ever could.

These machines are power driven by either a line shaft, electricity or hydraulics.

They’re of all shapes and sizes, and are primarily used to create metal parts. Anything from door knobs and handles, the frame of your cellphone, to the steel frame of your vehicle’s headlights or simply parts of other machine tools.

Modern-day machine tools are so strong they can shape heavy metals, create the largest of construction materials or the smallest jewelry parts imaginable.

Believe it or not, but high precision machining and fabrication has become a huge part of our everyday lives, and the market is booming out there.

Without these machine tools, everything we take for granted would have to be made by hand and would take an exponential amount of time.

Notably, high precision machines can be quite costly to manufacture, however with the rise in demand for low-cost machining and fabrication capabilities, outsourcing has become a crucial means to cut these costs.

Naturally great companies still have manufacturing options available locally in the US and Canada.

Machining Centers

With growing consumer demand, for better and quicker manufacturing of pretty much everything these days, manufacturers had to come up with ways to keep up, e voila, the machining center was created.

These centers make use of cluster machines or larger capacity machines that can work on multiple sides of a tool at once, and focus on mass scale production.

These machines weigh up to and over multiple tons and can run into millions of dollars in value, but also work extremely fast and to very precise specifications. They complete a host of operations from cutting, milling, boring and drilling, to grinding or shearing.

What About 3D Printing You Ask?

Yes, there have been great advances in 3D printing, however, in my humble opinion, 3d printing — while amazing for prototyping and adhoc product runs — has a long way to go before it can compare to capabilities and requirements of certain manufacturing industries, especially on a very large scale.

The Machining Tool is here to stay!