Chapter 6: Job Planning
Overview
Creating a job plan is analogous to preparing for a trip. Have you ever gone on a camping trip and forgotten something important? Maybe you didn’t bring matches, arrived too late to get a good camping spot, or didn’t bring marshmallows for roasting. When you don’t have a detailed plan, it is easier to forget important supplies that make your trip relaxing and enjoyable. As the old adage goes, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” In machining, a good job plan is necessary to optimize your material, tools, time, labor, and effort in making the parts. A job plan will help you visualize the steps needed to make a specific part. Planning will enable you to work more efficiently and productively. Sometimes, an eager new machinist will fail to plan and make initial cuts that end up creating more work later. This chapter will describe the process of job planning and demonstrate how to make a job plan for a specific part.
Objectives
- Identify and analyze the required features and specifications of the part.
- Develop a comprehensive plan for making the part, considering dimensions, tolerances, and key features.
- Determine the optimal machining sequences for cutting and shaping the identified features.
- Choose the necessary tooling based on the selected processes.
- Select the appropriate machine, equipment, and/or material that aligns with the chosen processes.
- Establish a strategy for securely holding the part during machining.
- Organize the machining steps logically to minimize downtime, and optimize production flow.
- Create detailed documentation that captures all aspects of the machining process.
Key Terms
- Technical drawings
- Tolerance
- Platting
- Features
- Heat treat
- Surface quality
- Subtractive manufacturing
- Machine capability
- Layout
- End mill
- Drill
- Face mill
- Turning tool
- Knurling tool
- High-speed steel
- Carbide
- Insert
- Mild steel – 1018
- Stainless Steel – 304
- Aluminum – 6061
- Cold drawn steel bar – 12L14
- Acetal
- Band Saw
- Manual Mill
- Manual Lathe
- Surface Grinder
- Vise
- Strap clamps
- Collet chuck
- Three jaw chuck
- Four jaw chuck
Attributions
- Chapter opening image: Map for travel planning by Rawpixel Ltd is released under CC0 1.0
