DESIGNER'S GUIDE TO MACHINE TOOLS.

The mysteries of metalcutting machinery are a good deal easier to grasp once it is acknowledged that the terminology is often inappropriate or misleading. Even the term ″machine tool″ can be a bit misleading. All metalcutting machines employ cutting tools, which are hard carbides, very hard steels, or diamond-containing composites which actually shave the metal. Nevertheless, the entire machine itself is often referred to as a tool, as in the term machine tool. In addition, the fixtures (work-holding devices) or jigs (guiding devices) used on machine tools are sometimes referred to as tooling. Thus, use of the term ″tool″ may lead to ambiguity concerning whether the cutting implement, holding and guiding devices, or entire machine is being referred to.