Many shops incorrectly assume advanced tools are plug and play. The tools may fit into existing tool holders, or even into the same shell mill pockets or turning pocket as carbide inserts, but that’s where the similarities end.
It’s very easy to get paralyzed by all the directions you can go when upgrading a shop, but breaking this decision into its simplest forms can help curb future buyer’s remorse.
It is essential for a machinist and a shop to have the discipline to pause a process and reassess when encountering issues, even when schedules are tight.
Single-point boring and reaming are both excellent ways to meet high tolerances and finish requirements for hole making, but each has distinct specialties.
In-machine probing doesn’t reach the power of CMMs but can still be useful for pre- and mid-process control, as well as for “rough screening” of parts.
Milling a deep pocket with a tight corner radius comes with unique challenges, but using both a flat bottom drill and a necked-down finishing tool can help.