A Guide to Mechanical Parts Production: Process, Quality and Equipment

The production of mechanical parts is of vital importance in the fields of engineering and manufacturing. A deep understanding of the complexity of mechanical part production is essential to ensure high-quality products and efficient processes. This article will delve into various aspects of mechanical part production, including an overview of production, process preparation procedures, and the equipment involved.

1、Overview of Mechanical Parts Production

1.Pre-production preparation
Carry out process preparation, confirm that the design drawings and process documents are complete, determine the processing procedures, process parameters, and equipment, prepare and inspect raw materials and process auxiliary materials, and formulate detailed process plans and schedules, including determining the processing sequence and time schedule, and assigning production tasks.
2.Parts processing
Carry out cutting processing according to the design drawings, such as drilling, milling, turning, etc., determine the size and shape layer by layer, and finally check and grind to ensure that the size and surface quality meet the requirements.
3.Parts assembly
Determine the assembly sequence and method according to the design drawings and process documents, and debug and test the functional performance after assembly.
4.Factory inspection
Before the product leaves the factory, conduct a comprehensive inspection of key dimensions, assembly clearances, surface quality, etc., conduct functional performance and reliability tests, and complete product packaging, quality records, and file organization.
5.Processing equipment
Various processing equipment will be used in the production process, such as lathes, milling machines, grinders, CNC machine tools, etc. Different types of parts may require different processing processes and equipment. For example, shaft parts usually include turning, grinding and other processes, and disc parts may involve milling, drilling, etc.

2、Mechanical parts production process preparation process

1.Document confirmation
Before production begins, confirm whether the design drawings and related process documents are complete. Interpret the drawings in detail, clarify key information such as part shape, size, material, and understand the processing requirements and technical standards in the process documents.
2.Determine processing details
According to the design drawings and process documents, determine the processing procedures, process parameters and equipment. Determine the complexity of the part structure, select the appropriate processing technology, such as turning, milling or grinding, and determine the process parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate, cutting depth, etc. to ensure processing accuracy and efficiency.

3.Material preparation and inspection
Prepare raw materials and process auxiliary materials, and conduct incoming inspection. Strictly control the quality of raw materials, check whether the chemical composition and physical properties meet the requirements, and ensure that the specifications and performance of process auxiliary materials meet production needs.
4.Pretreatment work
Prepare parts for deburring, flash removal, cleaning, cleaning and measurement, etc. to prepare for subsequent processing procedures.

3、Mechanical parts processing procedures

The machining processes and methods of mechanical parts are rich and varied. Common machining processes include turning, milling, drilling, grinding, etc.

1.Turning
Turning is usually used to process parts with rotating surfaces such as cylinders and cones, such as shaft parts and disc parts. By cutting with a turning tool on a rotating workpiece, high-precision machining of surfaces such as outer circles, inner circles, and threads can be achieved.

2.Milling
Milling is suitable for machining planes, grooves, gears and other parts. The milling machine uses a rotating milling cutter to cut workpieces, which can achieve the machining of complex shapes. For example, in the production of mechanical molds, the milling process can process cavities and punches of various shapes.

3.Drilling
Drilling is mainly used to drill holes in workpieces. Its accuracy and surface quality requirements are relatively high, and it is often used to prepare for subsequent machining processes.

4.Grinding
Grinding is used to improve the surface quality and precision of parts, such as further polishing parts that have been turned or milled to achieve higher surface roughness requirements.

5.Other processing methods
In addition, there are also processing methods such as boring, honing, and polishing to meet the special processing needs of different parts.

4、Quality inspection in the production of mechanical parts

1.Preparation before testing
Before testing, you should make adequate preparations, including preparing relevant testing equipment and tools, such as measuring instruments, test equipment, and testing tools. At the same time, clarify the purpose and standards of the test so as to make accurate test judgments.

2.Appearance inspection
During appearance inspection, the inspector needs to check the appearance factors such as the dimensions, surface finish, wear, deformation, and color difference according to the product design drawings to determine whether the product meets the requirements. For example, when inspecting the surface of mechanical parts, it is necessary to check whether there are defects such as scratches, depressions, and protrusions, and whether the surface roughness meets the specified standards.

3.Dimension inspection
Dimension inspection is one of the important links in the inspection of mechanical parts. Use measuring tools such as calipers, vernier calipers, and micrometers to measure the length, diameter, depth, angle, flatness and other parameters of the parts to assess whether their dimensions meet the design requirements. When conducting dimensional inspection, pay attention to the correctness and accuracy of the measurement method to avoid errors.

4.Material inspection
Material inspection is also an important part of quality inspection. Through various testing methods such as chemical analysis, tension, compression, and hardness testing, the performance of the material is tested to ensure that it meets the product requirements. For example, for materials used to manufacture high-strength components, tensile tests are required to determine whether their strength meets the standards.

5.Mechanical properties testing
Mechanical properties testing is used to evaluate the product’s load-bearing capacity, stability, toughness and other properties. Through tensile tests, pressure tests, bending tests and other methods, ensure that product quality meets the requirements.

5、What should you consider when choosing mechanical parts production equipment？

1.Processing requirements
First, the processing requirements must be clarified. According to the product specifications and production plans, the types, sizes, and precision levels of the processed parts must be determined. For example, for small parts with high processing precision, CNC machining centers are a more appropriate choice; for rough processing of large parts, gantry milling machines are more appropriate.

2.Equipment functions
Then understand the functions of different types of machining equipment, including processing range, precision capability, and processing efficiency. For example, lathes are mainly used to process rotating parts, milling machines are suitable for processing planes and curved surfaces, and grinders are used to improve the surface accuracy of parts.

3.Equipment selection
When selecting equipment, appropriate processing equipment should be selected according to processing requirements and equipment functions to ensure processing quality and efficiency. At the same time, factors such as equipment performance, precision requirements, reliability, and stability should also be considered. For example, for production lines that need to run continuously for a long time, the reliability and stability of the equipment are particularly important.

4.Price and cost-effectiveness
In addition, the price and cost-effectiveness of the equipment are also factors worth considering. On the premise of meeting the processing requirements, choose equipment with reasonable price, stable performance, and convenient maintenance. At the same time, the long-term benefits of the equipment, such as the service life of the equipment, the replacement cycle of wearing parts, and the maintenance cost, should also be considered.

6、Processing characteristics of different types of mechanical parts

1.Shaft parts
Shaft parts usually have a rotating surface. During the processing, it is necessary to ensure the precision indicators such as cylindricity, coaxiality, and surface roughness. During the turning process, the tool and cutting amount should be reasonably selected to improve the processing efficiency and quality.

2.Box parts
Box parts have complex structures and usually require multi-surface processing and hole system processing. During the processing, the parallelism, verticality and position accuracy of each surface must be ensured.

3.Mold parts
Mold parts are often in special shapes, and special processing methods such as EDM and wire cutting are required to meet their complex shapes and high precision requirements.

4.Thin-walled parts
Thin-walled parts are prone to deformation during processing, and special clamping methods and cutting processes are required to reduce deformation.

5.High-precision parts
High-precision parts need to be processed in a constant temperature environment to reduce the impact of temperature changes on part accuracy. At the same time, high-precision measuring equipment is used for testing to ensure that the dimensional accuracy and shape and position accuracy of the parts meet the requirements.

7、Final

Mechanical parts production is a key link in the field of engineering and manufacturing, covering many aspects from pre-production preparation to processing procedures, quality inspection and equipment selection. Understanding and mastering these links is crucial to ensure high quality and efficient production of mechanical parts.