Tool holders and tool presetters are integral parts of CNC machining, and their correct assembly and nuanced selection requires significant knowledge of the machinery and the process by which the product is formed. A CNC machine utilizes machine tools and computer programming to automatically execute a series of operations to create a certain product. This machining equipment consists of a number of pieces that must be correctly assembled in order for the machine to work right, including tool holders, tool posts, form tools, shanks, and more. Shanks are long rectangle pieces of the toolholder that get clamped into the turret, while tool holders are the pieces that hold the drill bit or other working tool. Tool presetters are used to measure and exact the position of the piece to be worked on, which is determined by the form tool. A form tool is, quite simply, a template for the product that is to be made once the program is implemented. With all of these intricacies of CNC machining, it is easy to see the need for vocational training, and CNC machining has seen exponential growth in the US in recent years. More on this.
