What is reaming?
Reaming is a finishing process that is performed with the multi-edged tools that provide high precision holes and also used for enlarging or finishing a hole previously drilled without changing the chemical and physical properties.
The reaming process took after the drilling process it removes a relatively small amount of material.
No specific machine is used for reaming can be performed on drilling machine, lathe machine, milling machine, and machining centres or by hands.
Purpose of reaming :
Reaming is applied to accurately finish drilled holes with a good surface finish and size. It offers the advantages that a greater number of holes can be produced with consistently good quality.
- Reaming required which has exact diameter required.
- It requires has an adequate edge profile.
- It is required where the well-sharpened surface needed.
- Reaming calls for a hole that has been exactly pre-machined.
- The use of lubricants will prolong the life tool so reaming is applied for fitting holes and taper holes.
Design and types of reamer :
There are two types of reamers one is hand reamers and another one is machine reamers. Both are mainly differing with respect to the shank and to the cutting portion.
Hand reamers are used primarily for assembly work to improve the fitting of parts. A long taper lead is the main features of this reamers. This ensures that the hole is well guided and prevents canting. Through the milled square and a tap wrench with clockwise rotation and slight pressure, the reamers are inserted into the hole.
Machine reamers are used for reaming on drilling machines and lathe machines. The work spindle guides them. Lead, therefore, does not need to be as long as hand reamers. Cutting is by the lead with reaming, while the straight portion is used to smooth the hole.
Any components requiring precise, cylindrical or tapered holes with good surface finish, either blind or through, such as drilling, after primary hole-making.
Advantages of the reaming process :
- The rates of production range from 10-500/h.
- Low cost of tooling and equipment.
- Finishing costs low and also required cleaning and deburring as well.
- Decreasing feed rate improves surface finish.
- Reaming is carried out for optimum conditions at one-third of the speed and two-thirds of the feed rate of drilling.
- Most precise holes are centre drilled, drilled, bored and reamed to finished size.
- It is possible to obtain surface roughness values of 0.4–6.3 μm Ra.
Reaming and boring is a similar type of process but there is some difference between reaming and boring but for the purpose of both this process are same, a similar type of working so both of them are useful in manufacturing industries.