AUS
NGN110R-12
Group 4
MCE Lab Report
Threading a Steel Plate & CNC Demo
Abdulwahab H. Sahyoun(47562)
Hakam AbdulQader(49431)
Jad Abdulsamad(47719)
Moath Abu Qaoud(48225)
Hassan Bassem Saleh(48302)
Instructors: Mr. Sayem & Mr. Rami
Date: 3/10/12
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Abstract
In mechanical engineering labs students practice how to use certain types of equipment to lay
out and produce certain objects that are used in our daily life. For instance, steel is an
essential element used in those kind of labs, where we had to construct tools from that
interesting element using basic illustrations and techniques. We started off by five simple
procedures (Measuring, Marking, Punching, Drilling and Threading) which resulted in a
remarkably helpful tool using nothing but basic equipment and our bare hands. We had minor
troubles with the measurements and markings due to the lack of experience using such tools.
Towards the end of this lab we got accepted results that soothed us after all the work we have
done not knowing if we were on the right track. We concluded this lab by getting a
presentation on the CNC machine and a general view on how to work the CNC program.
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Table of Contents
Abstract ...................................................................................... 2
Introduction ................................................................................ 4
Procedure ................................................................................... 5-6
Results ........................................................................................ 7
Conclusion .................................................................................. 8
References ................................................................................... 9
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Introduction
Steel is probably found everywhere and its main uses differ from one place to another as it
has various properties. When we say steel, many think it's a type of metal, steel is actually a
combination of different elements, such as iron and carbon. There are, however, different
types of steel which include: carbon steel, stainless steel, high speed steel, cobalt steel, and
many more. Carbon steel and stainless steel are the most common types which are mostly
used to make woodworking tools and flatware.(1) In order to make such materials, steel
should go through several processes first. some of these process involve cutting, drilling, and
threading. The processes we used in this experiment were: Measuring, marking, punching,
drilling, and finally threading. The measuring process involves taking height and length
measurements, after that the intersection of the middle points of each measurement is marked
and punched. Drilling is the process in which the metal is pierced using a drilling machine.
Then comes the threading which is basically using a tap along with tap handle to make screw
threads within the object. The purpose of this experiment was mainly to introduce some of
the steps involved in making tools out of steel using simple methods and calculations and
teach us how to use other tools such as the CNC. The CNC which stands for Computer
Numerical Control, is a machine that allows drilling, cutting, and many other process to be
done through a computer software. The program is first given the model along with the axes
and commands, the program then verifies the output and executes the commands. The
methods involved in the experiment were easy to comprehend and the results were obvious.
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Procedure
1) Measurement:
Using a precise and an accurate tool
to measure the length and width of
the steel plate is important, that’s
why we used the Vernier Caliper.
Basically we placed the steel plate
Vernier Caliper
(2)
on a flat surface, and then using the outside measuring faces on the bottom of the
scale, we measured the length. Using the same method we measured the width.
However since we needed to be accurate, we measured to three signifigant figures. To
read the scale we first looked at the guide bar and marked down the measurement in
cm. Then we took a look at the ten marks on the the vernier scale, that’s attached to
the moveable jaw, and the graduated millimeter marks on the guide bar, to find two
lines on the scale that is nearly lined up. That will be the measurment.
2) Marking:
To find the center on the steel plate we divided the
length and width in half and marked that center with a
height gauge. To use the height gauge properly,we set
it on a flat surface, then by turning the height gauge all
the way down, we made sure it was set on zero. We
turned the height gauge to the desired height and then
locked it. With the steel plate safely place on its side
we slowly moved the scriber towards the steel plate and
Height Gauge
scratched a light line across the steel plate. We repteated this process for the width of
the steel plate marking the exact center of the steel plate.
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3) Punching:
To prepare the steel plate to get drilled in the correct location, we marked the center
on the plate with a nail and hammer to slightly punch the steel plate.
4) Drilling:
Using a 8.5 mm drilling bit we drilled the center using a drill
press workstation. We safely placed the steel plate between a
clamp and underneath the steel plate we place a wooden
piece to catch the drill bit when it goes through. We adjusted
the position of the clamp so that the head of the drilling bit
comes into the punch we made on the plate.
5) Threading:
Finally to insert a screw safely through the drilled hole we
Drilling workstation
had to thread. To thread, we fit a tap that is perpendicular to the hole. To begin the
threading we installed the tap onto a tap wrench, with firm pressure we turned the
wrench clockwise and turned the wrench all the way until the tap threads all the way
to the bottom of the hole. Finally, we took out the tap by turning the wrench anticlockwise and inserted the screw into the hole.
Final Product
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Results
Measurements
Value
Length of steel plate
Width of steel plate
Hole Diameter
99.4 mm
60.1 mm
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𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞
𝟐
49.7 mm
30.1 mm
8.5 mm
Conclusion
Steel, as we came to know previously in this report, is a combination of different elements
such as iron and carbon. Various types of steel are abundant and a few examples of them
would be carbon steel, stainless steel and cobalt steel. In this experiment, the objective was to
show us how to make tools out of steel using simple illustrations and procedures. In our
experiment we used five simple processes that are, measuring, marking, punching, drilling,
and threading. We started by taking measures of the plate to mark and punch an accurate
position to the center of this plate and then drill it, making it eligible for threading to
eventually make a whole where a screw can fit in perfectly. We experienced minor errors
using the Vernier Caliper the first trial because we held it with our hands instead of placing it
on a straight surface, but later on we fixed the errors by taking new measurements that are
more accurate and precise by placing the Vernier Caliper on the table and deleting the
previous results. During this lab session, we were introduced to CNC, which when certain
computer codes are executed, can do various procedures (such as drilling and typing on
objects such as steel and wood) automatically. This lab session was extremely helpful in
demonstrating ways to make tools out of raw materials and eventually made us better
oriented about the tools and machines used in the mechanical engineering lab.
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References
(1) Fuller, Warren. W.L. Fuller Inc.."Steel Types", 2005. Web.29 Sept. 2012
<http://www.wlfuller.com/html/steel_types.html>
(2) N.d. Photograph. 1 Measurement of Length. Web. 28 Sept. 2012.
<http://www.hasorc.com/hasoha/physic1/VernierCaliper.jpg>
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