Parting off

Parting off is a common process in high-volume production in the machine shop industry, often performed using automated lathes equipped with bar feeders. Although parting off accounts for only a small portion of the total machining time of a component, its significance in terms of quality and production efficiency is substantial. The machining process presents several challenges that require attention to avoid production disruptions and ensure the quality of the final product.

One of the challenges of parting off is chip management. During parting off, chips can wrap around the workpiece, causing a variety of problems. Chips wrapped around the workpiece can obstruct the pick-up by the sub-spindle, potentially leading to workpiece damage or even a machine stop. Additionally, chips surrounding the workpiece can interfere with subsequent handling operations, such as workpiece pick-up and transfer. This can cause disturbances in automated production lines, adversely affecting the smoothness of production.

Another challenge is the importance of stability during the final phase of parting off. Since parting off is often the last machining step, any error at this stage can result in the rejection of the entire workpiece. For example, if the tool breaks during parting off, the workpiece being machined might have to be scrapped. Moreover, a broken tool can cause prolonged downtimes for the machining equipment, leading to production backlogs and decreased efficiency.

For these reasons, parting off requires special care and precision. It is essential to use the right tools and machining strategies and ensure proper chip removal and tool maintenance.