What is Slotter Machine? Working, Main Parts And Pros And Cons of Slotter Machine

In this article we will discuss what is a Slotter machine, what principle did it work on, and discussing the main parts of the slotter machine as well as the advantages and disadvantages of the Slotter machine.

What is Slotter Machine?

A slotting machine is a reciprocatory form of machine that operates on a constant principle as that of a shaper, except that the ram of the slotter reciprocates in a vertical direction. A slotter machine is known to use for removing unwanted materials from metals so to give it a proper shape in form of grooves and splines. As a mechanical engineer, you might have used different machines in your life like lathe machines, shaper machines, and drill machines; Slotter machine is one of the types of machine that you can learn about if you are interested in metal shaping and cleaning from unwanted chips.

Main parts of a slotter Machine

1. Base: it’s additionally called bed and it’s an important forged iron construction, It acts as a support for a column, table, and alternative fittings and therefore the driving mechanism of ram.
2. Column: it’s a product of forged iron & it acts as a housing for the entire driving mechanism
3. Table: T –slots are provided on high of the table to clamp the work, typically a circular table is provided in the slotter.
4. Ram: The ram supports the tool head so that the tool is connected & throughout the downward movement of the ram i.e once it moves in the vertical direction the cutting action takes place.

Also read: Types of Lathe Machine Full Explained

Types of Slotter Machine

Slotting machines are of four types:

1. Exactitude Tool area Slotter
2. Puncher Slotter
3. General Production Slotter
4. Keyseater Slotter

1. Exactitude Tool area Slotter

Precision Tool area SlotterTool is a lighter machine and is operated at high speeds. It’s an exactitude kind that is used for terribly precise machining. By using, a special jigs machine will handle a variety of equal works on a production basis.

2. Puncher Slotter

It is a weighty machine and operational with a powerful motor. Its purpose is to get rid of lots of abundance of metal such as huge castings or forgings. The length of the stroke is simply too giant.

3. General Production Slotter

It is a general form of slotter that is employed for general production work. Flywheel is employed to forestall shock at the top of the stroke. A slotted disc with a rod causes the reciprocating action of the ram.

4. Keyseater Slotter

Keyseaters are called keyseating machines with keyway cutters, they’re special machines designed to chop keyways. A key seater cuts on down-stroke. Keyseater encompasses a guiding system to scale back deflection, which ends up in an exceedingly nearer tolerance cut.

Other than keyways, Keyseater will cut alternative straight-sided options.

Also read: Drill Machine: Parts, Types, And Applications of Drill Machine

Working of Slotting Machine

Its main operation is to get rid of metal from a chunk of a piece to induce the desired form and size. The one-purpose tool moves in a vertical direction over the workpiece. The pinion in mesh with main gear gets its drive from a block connected through a belt by the motor. The circular motion of the slotted disc is regenerated into the reciprocatory one with the assistance of the rod. The crankpin will be formally set within the slot of the slotted disc at totally different distances from the center for substantive the length of the ram stroke.

The position of the stroke is adjusted with the assistance of the hand lever provided for the stroke adjustment. The slotting machine is sometimes given a horizontal circular work table, however, coordinate tables are provided sometimes. The table is mounted directly over a bed casting and serious work is also placed on that. The circular table is graduated around its outer edges so work will be mounted and turned to a planned position, relying upon the operation that it’s designed.

Slotter Machine Operations:

• Flat surface machining.
• Machining Irregular surface
• Cylindrical surface machining
• Machining slots, keyways, and grooves.

1. Flat Surface Machining:

Both internal and external flat surfaces are going to be generated merely by exploitation slotter machines. The First step is that the work is machined on parallel strips therefore the tool has the clearance with the table once it’s in an extreme downward position of the stroke.

The work is then fastened properly on the table. Length and position of the table unit adjusted. Before the beginning of the cutting stroke clearance of twenty to twenty 5 metric linear units is provided, therefore the feed movement can occur throughout the idle stroke. Roughing and a finishing tool is used for the Work.

For the internal surface to be machined, in work a hole is trained through that the slotter tool can pass at the time of initial cutting stroke. By rotating the table through 100 and eighty degrees, the second surface parallel to the first machined surface is going to be machined.

2. Machining irregular surface:

The work is clamped on the table and necessary changes of the tool and machine unit created for machining irregular surfaces, irregular surfaces are going to be machined by combining fully totally different feed movements like a cross.

3. Cylindrical surface machining:

Cylindrical surfaces are going to be merely machining exploitation slotter Machines. Internal equally as the external surface of a cylinder is going to be machined.

The tool is regarding radially on the work and necessary changes of tool, table,cross-slides, saddle unit created.

The machine is started within the finish of the adjustments, and exploitation rotary table feed screw machining feed is provided to rotate the table through a tiny low arc once each cutting stroke.

4. Machining slots, keyways, and grooves:

A special kind of slotter is used as a key seater slotter for machining slots, keyways, and grooves. Internal and external grooves unit cut really merely. Specially created for cutting internal grooves, that unit is really robust to produce within the alternative machine.

For cutting internal grooves a slotter is specially created as they are really robust to produce within the alternative machine.

Advantages and disadvantages of a slotting machine:

Advantages

The following stated below represent the benefits of a slotter machine:

• A single-point cutting tool is used.
• Low-cost machine.
• Accurate surface finish.
• High machine efficiency.
• Low maintenance.
• The machine is light.

Disadvantages

Despite the good advantages of a slotting machine some limitations still occur. The following stated below are the disadvantages of slotting machines:

• Required a skillful person to operate it.
• Rigid in construction.