CHAPTER 2 : CONVENTIONAL AND

NON-CONVENTIONAL
DMA1112: MACHINING TECHNOLOGY
 CHAPTER 2 : CONVENTIONAL AND NON-
CONVENTIONAL
2.1 Introduction of Conventional and Non-Conventional
2.2 Conventional
2.2.1 Uses of Conventional
2.3 Milling
2.3.1 Milling Types and Operations
2.3.2 Milling Machine Accessories
2.4 Lathe
2.4.1 Lathe Types and Operations
2.4.2 Lathe Machine Accessories
2.5 Grinding
2.5.1 Grinding Types and Operations
2.5.2 Grinding Machine Accessories
2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.1 Principles Types of Drilling Machines
2.6.2 Drilling Machine Accessories
2.6.2.1 Tool Holding Devices
2.6.2.2 Work Holding Devices
2.7 Non-Conventional Machining Process
 2.1 INTRODUCTION OF CONVENTIONAL AND
NON-CONVENTIONAL
• In conventional machining there is direct contact between the tool and the workpiece,
whereas in non-conventional machining there is no direct contact between the tool and the
workpiece.
• The two terms also help differentiate between more “traditional” machining methods and
newer technologies that are now available. This is not to say that conventional machining is
obsolete while unconventional machining is advanced. Both processes have their place in
the industry.
• In conventional machining processes, machine tools composed of harder materials – such
as lathes, milling machines and drill presses – are used to cut and shape a workpiece
through direct contact.
• In non-conventional machining processes, technologies are used so that there is no direct
contact between the tool and the workpiece. Instead, other forms of energy are used to
shape materials: electrical, thermal, chemical, mechanical.
2.2 Conventional
2.2.1 Uses of Conventional
• Conventional machine tools require an operator to use hand operated wheels or
levers or engage geared transmissions to perform machining operation.
• When working with materials that are not extremely hard or brittle (such as
aluminum, brass, copper, mild steels, stainless steels and plastics), conventional
machining processes can be extremely effective.
• Conventional machining also avoids the some of the higher costs and demands
that are associated with non-conventional machining processes.
• Non-conventional machining methods typically come with a high cost of technology,
involve a complicated set up and require more specialized staffing.
 2.3 Milling

• Conventional or manual, milling machines are primarily used to machine flat and angled
surfaces by feeding a workpiece into a rotating cutting tool to remove material.

• It is a versatile machine tool which can handle a variety of operation.

 2.3 Milling

2.3.1 Milling Types and Operations

1. Horizontal milling machines: there are classified under the following;

a) Manufacturing type : cutter height is controlled by vertical movement of the headstock

b) Special type: designed for specific milling operations

c) Knee and column type: which the relationship between the cuter height and the work is
controlled by vertical movement of the table.

2. Machining centres: a special machine which is finding wide applications in the industrial
world is the horizontal numerically controlled machining centre. They are capable of high
production rates while still maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
 2.3 Milling

2.3.1 Milling Types and Operations

• There are some common manufacturing type milling operation;

1. The plain manufacturing type

2. The duplex manufacturing type

3. The small plain automatic knee and column type

4. The unit type automatic fixed bed milling machine

5. The small plain automatic fixed bed type

6. The tracer controlled milling machine

 2.3 Milling

2.3.2 Milling Machine Accessories

• These accessories must be classed as fixtures or

as attachment.

• Fixtures: is a work holding devices fastened to the

table of a machine accessory such as rotary table. It
is designed to hold workpieces that cannot be
readily held in vise or in production work when large
quantities are to be machined. The work may be
positioned by stops, such as pins, strips, or
setscrews.
 2.3 Milling
• Milling machine attachments: this milling machine attachment can be
divided into three classes;

1. Those designed to hold special attachment (spindle and column). They

are vertical. High speed, universal, rack milling and slotting
attachment.

2. Arbors, collets and adaptors which designed to old standard cutters.

3. Those designed to hold the workpieces, such as vise, rotary table and
indexing or dividing head.
 2.4 Lathe
• The engine lathe is the most versatile and the oldest machine tools in the machining
field.

• The principal operation of the engine lathe is to rigidly hold and rotate a workpiece
against a cutting tool.

• The tool travels along the outside of the workpiece to shave off material and
produces cylindrical parts. The lathe is used to produce a wide variety of parts.
 2.4 Lathe
2.4.1 Lathe Types and Operations
In this article we will discuss about the different types of lathe machines. The four main
types of lathes are
• Speed Lathes
• Engine Lathes
• Tool Room Lathes and
• Turret Lathes
 2.4 Lathe
2.4.1 Lathe Types and Operations

1) Speed Lathes 

• It is very simple is design. It only has headstock, tailstock and a very simple tool post. It can operate in 3-4 speeds.
The spindle speed is very high. It is used for light machine works like wood turning, metal spinning and metal
polishing.

2) Engine Lathes

• Engine lathes are the most common types of lathe machine. It is designed for low power operations as well as high
power operations.

3) Tool room Lathes

• It is a very versatile lathe machine. It can give better accuracy and finishing . It has wider range of speeds . It can
give different types of feeds. It can be a great device to manufacture die.

4) Turret Lathes

• It is a great machine for quick operations. It has various types of tool posts mounted on a single structure. As a
number of tools are set up on machine, the job can be completed very quickly with the help of a single setup. A
capstan wheel is used to position the next tool. A sequential machining process can be done by using the
turret lathe without moving the workpiece. It eliminates the error that occurs due to misalignment.
 2.4 Lathe
2.4.2 Lathe Machine Accessories

1) Lathe accessories can be divide into two; workholding devices and cutting toolholding
devices

a) Workholding: lathe centre, chucks and lathe dogs, toolpost

b) Cutting toolholding devices: high speed steel toolbits, cast alloy toolbits, cemented
carbides, ceramics and diamond cutting tools.
 2.5 Grinding
• Precision grinding removes material by the same principle as offhand
grinding.

• Each abrasive grain of the grinding wheel acts like an individual

cutting tool and removes a small portion of material.

• There are several types of precision grinding machines and each is

designed to perform certain types of grinding tasks.
 2.5 Grinding

2.5.1 Grinding Types and Operations

• The primary purpose of a surface grinder is to produce lat surfaces.

• A surface grinder uses a grinding wheel mounted on either a horizontal or a vertical spindle.

• Other types:

• Notes: wheel grinding should be dressed and trued. Truing eliminates

wheel
runout. Dressing sharpens the wheel.
 2.5 Grinding

2.5.2 Grinding Machine Accessories

• Workholding devices:

1) Magnetic devices: may use as permanent magnet and is activated by flipping a lever to
activated the magnetic field.

2) Angle plates, V blocks and collet blocks: as a clamper. Same uses in milling.

3) Vises: different from milling. All surfaces of a grinding vise are precision ground to be parallel
and perpendicular to each other.
 2.6 Drill Presses

• The drill press is one of the most basic machine tools used in the machining field.

• The drill press performs hole-making operations by pushing a rotating cutting tools into the
workpiece.

• The spindle is the part of the drill press that holds and rotates the cutting tools.

• Advancement of the cutting tool into a workpiece is called feed

• Common operations performed on the drill press include drilling, reaming, countersinking,
counterboring, spotfacing and tapping.
 2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.1 Principles Types of Drilling Machines

• Drilling machines or drill presses are one of the most common machines
found in the machine shop.

• A drill press is a machine that turns and advances a rotary tool into a
workpiece. The drill press is used primarily for drilling holes, but when used
with the proper tooling, it can be used for a number of machining operations.

• The most common machining operations performed on a drill press are

drilling, reaming, tapping, counterboring, countersinking, and spotfacing.
 2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.2 Drilling Machine Accessories

2.6.2.1 Tool Holding Devices

1) Morse Taper Shank Toolholding:

• many holemaking cutting tools over 1/2” in diameterr have taper shanks instead of straight shanks. The
internal Morse taper in drilk press spindle can be usd for rugged, fast and accurate dirct mounting of taper
shank cutting tools.

• Adapter are available to convert the cutting tool shank to match the drill press spindle taper size. Morse taper
sleeve increase the size of tool’s shank taper and Morse taper extension socket adapter can be used to
reduce size.
 2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.2 Drilling Machine Accessories

2.6.2.1 Tool Holding Devices

2) Straight Shank Toolholding:

• This must be mounted in a drill chuck. Several different types of chucks

exist for different applications.

• Speciality chucks are also available for small hole drilling. The pin vise
chuck is a micro drill chuck that has a much slimmer design, has a
smaller capacity and will enable for very small drills to run truer than a
larger chuck.

• Sensitive micro drilling adapters can be gently applied to the drill bit
under fine finger pressure. The spring loaded adapters allow high levels
of sensitivity when drilling with fragile small diameter bits.
 2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.2.2 Work Holding Devices

• Workholding is a way to safely secure the part for machining. There are numerous workholding devices
available.

1) Drill press vise:

• This offers ease of use and fast setup times. This is similar to the bench vise but has low profile, a precise
flat bottom bed and smooth jaws. The moveable jaw is tightened to secure the workpiece and tapped down
with soft face hammer to seat it on parallels.

• Drill press can be found in V-shaped slot ground into jaw faces that allow \s for the direct clamping of round
workpiece.
2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.2.2 Work Holding Devices

2) V-block:

• A V-block is another workholding device that can be used to secure a

round workpiece. It consists of a steel or cast iron block with V shaped
machined.

• The V cradle the work and provides two point of contact between it and the
workpiece. The part is also clamped so that pressure is applied to the
workpiece forcing it against the V.

• These three points of contact offer more locating accuracy and gripping
power than would be supplied by a vise. The V block itself can then be
clamped into a vise or clamped directly it the table.
 2.6 Drill Presses
2.6.2.2 Work Holding Devices

3) Angle plate:

• Simple yet very useful. The angle plate is then positioned on the drill press table and
it too secures with clamped.

4) Hold down clamps:

• When the other workholding cannot be used, the clamped may be used to secure
the work directly.

• Usually used at least two clamps. When using clamp styles the require studs, select
a stud long enough to engage fully into the T nut in the table and pass fully through
the hex nut on top of the clamp.
 2.7 Non-Conventional Machining Process

• As the technology and science are developed, the surronding of machining area also affected.

• A non-conventional machining process (or non-traditional machining process) is a special type of

machining process in which there is no direct contact between the tool and the workpiece. Non-
conventional referred to CNC machine.

• In non-conventional machining, a form of energy is used to remove unwanted material from a given
workpiece.

• Examples of non-conventional machining;

1) Electrical Discharge Machining

2) Electrochemical Grinding

3) Plasma Arc Machining

4) Other CNC types

 References

• Peter Hoffman, Eric Hopewell and Brian Janes (2015), “Precision Machining
Technology”, Second Edition, Cengage Learning, USA.
• Peter Smid (2008), Comprehensive Guide to Practical CNC Programming”,
Third Edition, Industrial Press, Inc.