Detailed explanation of planer production process

Detailed explanation of planer production process

In the field of mechanical processing, planer, as a common machine tool equipment, plays a vital role. This article will explore the production process of planer in depth, and explain it from many aspects such as planing principle, planer type, planing process parameter selection, planing process, quality control, etc., aiming to provide comprehensive and detailed knowledge for international wholesale buyers, and help them better understand planer products.

1. Planing principle
Planing is one of the main methods of plane processing. During planing, the planer makes relative reciprocating linear motion to the workpiece. On the planer, the reciprocating linear motion of the planer is the main motion, and the intermittent movement of the workpiece driven by the worktable is the feed motion; on the gantry planer, the reciprocating linear motion of the workpiece driven by the worktable is the main motion, and the intermittent movement of the planer is the feed motion. Through this mode of movement, the planer can cut and remove excess metal material on the surface of the workpiece, thereby realizing the processing of the workpiece plane, groove and other surfaces.

2. Types and characteristics of planers
(I) Shaper
Structure and transmission: The main motion of small and medium-sized planers is mostly driven by a crank rocker mechanism, so the moving speed of the ram is uneven. Large-scale planers mostly use hydraulic transmission, and the ram basically moves at a uniform speed.
Features: Good versatility, can process planes, forming surfaces and grooves of small and medium-sized workpieces. Its structure is relatively simple, the price is low, and it is easy to adjust and operate. However, due to the use of single-edged planer processing and no cutting when the ram returns, the productivity is low.
(II) Gantry planer
Structure and function: The tool holder on the crossbeam of the gantry planer can make a lateral feed movement on the crossbeam guide to plan the horizontal surface of the workpiece; the side tool holder on the column can make a vertical feed movement along the column guide to plan the vertical surface. The tool holder can also be deflected at a certain angle to plan the inclined surface. The crossbeam can be raised and lowered along the column guide to adjust the relative position of the tool and the workpiece.
Features: Suitable for processing planes or grooves on large parts, or processing multiple medium-sized parts at the same time, especially suitable for processing narrow and long planes. The gantry planer has good rigidity and high power, and its processing accuracy and productivity are higher than those of the planer. Its maximum planing width is the main parameter.
(III) Slotting machine
Structure and movement: The slotting machine is actually a vertical planer. Its slide moves linearly in the vertical direction as the main movement, and the worktable can move intermittently in the longitudinal, transverse or circular motion.
Features: Mainly used for the inner surface processing of parts, such as square holes, rectangular holes, various polygonal holes and keyways in holes, etc., and can also process certain outer surfaces.

3. Selection of planing process parameters
(I) Cutting speed
The cutting speed refers to the speed at which the planer tool cuts the workpiece per unit time, usually expressed in meters per minute or meters per second. The selection of cutting speed depends on factors such as the workpiece material and chip type. For example, when processing materials with higher hardness, the cutting speed is relatively slow; while when processing soft materials, the cutting speed can be appropriately increased.
(II) Feed rate
The feed rate refers to the amount of movement of the planer relative to the workpiece in each reciprocating stroke. The size of the feed rate directly affects the roughness of the machined surface and the processing efficiency. Generally speaking, a larger feed rate will lead to an increase in the roughness value of the machined surface, but it can also improve the processing efficiency. However, too large a feed rate may cause the planer to bear too much impact force, affecting the processing accuracy and tool life.
(III) Cutting depth
The cutting depth refers to the depth of the planer into the workpiece surface. When rough planing, the cutting depth can be appropriately increased to improve the processing efficiency; while when fine planing, the cutting depth should be reduced to ensure the processing accuracy and surface quality.

4. Planing process
(I) Workpiece clamping
The clamping method of the workpiece should be selected according to factors such as the shape, size and processing requirements of the workpiece. Common clamping methods include flat-nose clamping, pressure plate and bolt clamping. When clamping, ensure that the workpiece is clamped firmly and reliably to prevent loosening during processing and affect the processing quality and safety.
(II) Planer installation
The correct installation of the planer has a direct impact on the processing quality of the workpiece. When installing, the turntable needs to be aligned with the zero line to accurately control the cutting depth. The lower end of the tool holder should be basically opposite to the bottom side of the turntable to increase the rigidity of the tool holder. The extension length of the straight planer is generally 1.5-2 times the thickness of the tool bar H. When clamping the planer, the tip of the tool should be away from the surface of the workpiece to prevent damage to the tool and scratches on the workpiece surface.
(III) Tool setting
The purpose of tool setting is to determine the correct position relationship between the planer and the workpiece to ensure the accuracy of the processing size. When planing a plane, the tool can be set by trial cutting, that is, first let the planer lightly touch the surface of the workpiece, observe the cutting situation, and gradually adjust the position of the planer until the required processing size is reached.
(IV) Planing processing
After starting the planer, the planer begins to reciprocate in a straight line to cut the workpiece. During the processing, pay close attention to the cutting condition of the planer and the surface quality of the workpiece, and adjust the cutting parameters and machine tool status in time to ensure the smooth progress of the processing.

5. Planing quality control
(I) Factors affecting planing quality
Tool factors: The geometry, grinding quality and installation accuracy of the planer will affect the planing quality. For example, tool wear will increase the roughness value of the processed surface, increase the cutting force, and affect the processing accuracy.
Cutting parameter factors: Unreasonable cutting speed, feed rate and cutting depth selection will cause defects such as ripples and scratches on the processed surface, reducing the processing quality.
Machine tool factors: The accuracy, rigidity and stability of the planer have an important influence on the planing quality. The guide rail error and transmission error of the machine tool will cause the relative motion error between the planer and the workpiece, thereby affecting the processing accuracy.
Workpiece material factors: The hardness, toughness and other properties of the workpiece material are different, and the impact on the planing process is also different. Materials with high hardness are more difficult to plan, which is easy to cause tool wear and reduced surface quality.
(II) Quality control measures
Tool management: Rationally select tool materials and geometric parameters, strictly control tool grinding quality, and replace worn tools in time to ensure tool cutting performance.
Optimize cutting parameters: Rationally select cutting parameters such as cutting speed, feed rate and cutting depth according to workpiece materials and processing requirements to improve processing quality and efficiency.
Machine tool maintenance and care: Regularly maintain and care for planers, check and adjust the accuracy of machine tools, and ensure the normal operation of machine tools.
Workpiece pretreatment: For workpiece materials with higher hardness, appropriate heat treatment, such as annealing, can be performed to reduce the hardness of the material and improve planing performance.

6. Planing application examples
(I) Planing
Plane planing is one of the most common applications in planing. For example, when processing the guide surface of a machine tool, a gantry planer is used for planing to obtain higher flatness and straightness, meeting the accuracy requirements of the machine tool. During processing, according to the size and precision requirements of the guide rail, select the appropriate planer and cutting parameters, and go through multiple processes such as rough planing, semi-fine planing and fine planing to gradually remove excess metal materials, and finally obtain a high-quality guide rail surface.
(II) Groove planing
Groove planing can be used to process various types of grooves, such as T-slots, V-slots, dovetail grooves, etc. Take T-slot planing as an example. On a planer, first use a flat planer to plan out the straight groove part of the T-slot, and then use a T-slot planer to plan the T-slot. During the processing, the feed rate and cutting depth of the planer need to be accurately controlled to ensure the dimensional accuracy and surface quality of the T-slot.

7. Comparison of planing with other processing methods
(I) Comparison with milling
Productivity: The productivity of planing is generally lower than that of milling. Because the main motion of planing is reciprocating linear motion, it is affected by inertia when reversing, and there is impact when the tool cuts in and out, which limits the increase in cutting speed. However, when processing narrow and long surfaces, and when performing multi-piece or multi-tool processing on a planer, planing may have a higher productivity than milling.
Processing accuracy: The accuracy of planing can generally reach IT9-IT7, and the surface roughness Ra value is 3.2μm-1.6μm. When using a wide knife for fine planing on a planer, the surface roughness Ra value can reach 0.4μm-0.8μm, which is comparable to the milling accuracy.
Tool cost: The shape of the planer is simple, and it is convenient to manufacture, sharpen and install, and the cost is relatively low. The structure of the milling cutter is relatively complex, especially for large milling cutters, and the manufacturing cost is relatively high.
(II) Comparison with turning
Processing range: Turning is mainly used to process the outer circle, inner hole, end face and other surfaces of rotating parts, while planing is mainly used to process non-rotating surfaces such as planes and grooves.
Cutting motion: During turning, the workpiece rotates and the tool makes a linear or curved feed motion; during planing, the planer makes a reciprocating linear motion and the workpiece makes an intermittent feed motion.
Processing efficiency: The cutting speed of turning is high and the processing efficiency is relatively high. However, in certain specific cases, such as processing large planes or grooves, planing also has certain advantages.

8. Maintenance and care of planers
(I) Daily maintenance
Cleaning work: After each use of the planer, the chips and dirt on the surface of the machine tool should be cleaned in time to keep the machine tool clean. This helps prevent chips and dirt from wearing the machine tool guide rails and transmission parts, and prolongs the service life of the machine tool.
Lubrication work: Regularly lubricate the machine tool’s guide rails, lead screws, bearings and other transmission parts, and add an appropriate amount of lubricating oil or grease. Good lubrication can reduce friction between parts, reduce wear, and improve the operating efficiency and precision of the machine tool.
(ii) Regular maintenance
Inspection and adjustment: Regularly inspect and adjust the various components of the machine tool, such as checking the accuracy of the spindle, the straightness of the guide rail, the meshing of the transmission gear, etc. If any problems are found, they should be adjusted and repaired in time to ensure the normal operation of the machine tool.
Parts replacement: For severely worn parts, such as tool holders, slides, bearings, etc., they should be replaced in time. When replacing parts, accessories with the same specifications or equivalent quality as the original should be selected to ensure the performance and accuracy of the machine tool.

9. Development trend of planers
(i) Development of CNC planers
With the continuous advancement of CNC technology, CNC planers are increasingly widely used. CNC planers have the advantages of high precision, high efficiency, and high degree of automation. They can realize the processing of complex-shaped parts and meet the personalized needs of different users. In the future, CNC planers will continue to develop in the direction of high performance, high reliability, and intelligence.
(ii) Composite processing of planers
In order to improve production efficiency and processing accuracy, composite processing of planers and other processing technologies will become a development trend. For example, the planing and milling machine tool combines planing and milling, and can complete multiple processing procedures in one clamping, reduce clamping errors, and improve processing efficiency and quality.
(III) Green planing technology
In the context of increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements, green planing technology will receive more attention and application. Green planing technology includes the use of environmentally friendly cutting fluids, optimization of cutting parameters to reduce cutting force and cutting heat, and the use of efficient chip removal systems to reduce the impact of planing on the environment.
In summary, the production process of planers is a complex and systematic process involving planing principles, planer types, process parameter selection, planing process, quality control and other aspects. By deeply understanding the production process of planers, international wholesale buyers can better evaluate the quality and technical level of planer products, and thus make wise purchasing decisions. At the same time, with the continuous advancement of science and technology and changes in market demand, the production process of planers is also constantly developing and innovating, bringing more efficient and more accurate processing solutions to the field of mechanical processing.