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II Explaining and assessing manufacturing techniques
5 In pairs, think of some examples of machining operations that are often used in
manufacturing involving metalworking.

6a ►3.6 Evan, a sales engineer with a metal fabrication company, is showing Mr Barrett,
a new customer, around their plant. Read the conversation and mark the statements True
(T) or False (F).
1 The company specialises in sheet metal working.
2 The company does a lot of metal casting.
3 Metal bashing is a precise technical term for hammering.
4 Drills and milling machines are always noisy.
5 Grinding is a process that uses abrasives.
6 The press is used for shearing metal.

Evan: Most of what we do is sheet metal working. We don't do foundry work - you know, casting
and that type of thing. That’s obviously a different discipline. But apart from that, we’re
equipped to do most things to do with metal bashing.
Mr Barrett: That’s the technical term for it, is it? Evan: I'm not sure what the technical
definition of metal bashing would be. A collective term for hammering, grinding and generally
making a lot of noise, probably.
Mr Barrett: It's actually not that noisy in here, is it?
Evan: No, it’s not too bad. We had a specialist firm come in a while ago to measure noise levels
at each machine - you know, for health and safety regulations. A lot of what we do isn’t ail that
noisy. Things like drilling and milling machines are not too bad, relatively speaking. Anything
involving abrasives tends to be noisy, things like grinders, even if they're only hand tools. And
that big press over there makes a loud bang when they’re shearing steel. It certainly saves a lot
of time, though, compared with flame cutting, or sawing with a grinder blade.
Mr Barrett: So, it's a guillotine?
Evan: That’s what we use it for mostly, yes.

b Complete the following training material for graduate engineers using the words in the
box.
Drilling Flame-cutting Milling Sawing Shearing

MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUE EVALUATION: CUTTING OPERATIONS
Key factors in determining the most appropriate cutting technique are: material
characteristics (notably hardness, and thermal and electrical properties), component thickness,
component shape and complexity, required edge quality, and production volume. Select cutting
options below for a detailed analysis of techniques.

CUTTING OPTIONS
(1) : abrasive cutting, removing a kerf of material. Includes cutting with toothed
blades and abrasive wheels.
(2) : use of pressure on smooth-edged blades for guillotining and punching.
(3) : removal of material across the full diameter of a hole, or using hole-saws for
cutting circumferential kerfs.

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