Choosing The Correct Metal Cutting Tools
There are literally hundreds of different metal cutting tools, each made to a specific quality for cutting different metals. Common metal cutting tools would be the band saw, or the popular “saws all” that is manufactured by many popular power hand tool makers. There are also torch cutters that are made to cut hard and thick metals, while nibblers easily cut most sheet metal.
In assembly lines air shears and nibblers are commonly used in quality control situations where the removal of small bits of metal are needed, while a part is moving on the assembly line for installation or further processing. In the production of parts that call for multiple cuts from one large sheet of metal, water metal cutting is commonly used. The part is secured in a jig and computer controlled water jets shoot water at high pressure creating a water knife that can cut very thick and hardened metal without distorting it from exposure to intense heat, as the water acts as a cooling agent while it is cutting. After the metal has been cut to a more manageable size other sheet metal tools can be employed to further transform the metal into the required design and shape.
Other popular metal cutting tools are drill bits and large hydraulic cutting shears, and when it comes to cutting hardened metals many times drills and cutting edges will be cobalt coated to increase cutting making the process more precise. There are many types of drill bits for metal. The properties of the metal being drilled usually dictates which type of drill needs to be used.
Plasma cutters use high heat created from compressed air and electricity to make plasma gas. The power of these metal cutting tools can cut the hardest metals as thick as 12 inches very easy. In precision situations the plasma cutter is usually installed on a computer controlled system that can make intricate cuts that even the most experienced and skilled welder could never do by hand. Water is also used to reduce heat, smoke, and the very intense and bright light the plasma cutter produces. CNC systems are commonly used in high volume production of metal parts and components where multiple metal cutting tools are needed as well when speed and precision are required. The use of CNC makes it possible for one or two trained technicians to manage multiple CNC computers making high production simple and cost effective.
In mass production manufacturing, metal cutting tools take the form of combination machines where a part is processed for assembly later in the production line. A machine can do a number of things, such as stamp out a series of parts, or make uniform impressions before it is cut or further processed. There are indeed a variety of different metal cutting tools available, from the basic home handyman's tools to computer controlled cutters that can use high pressure water, plasma or plain old fashioned machine tool cutting.
