Have you ever wondered why some parts are perfect when machined while others have problems time and time again? In reality, it requires us to understand the difference between the process used and the actual machining.

If you are a beginner in sheet metal working, it is easy to confuse these two terms. But don't worry, we're going to give you a quick overview of what each of them is and how they relate to each other, as well as the importance of distinguishing between them, by explaining the punch press and laser cutter menus. Let's start by reviewing process and machining.

Understanding the Concepts of Processes and Machining
Before we dive into process and machining terminology, recall if you've ever made a cake according to a recipe without actually knowing how it was made? The same is actually true for parts machining. You need to be aware of the equipment you have, then go to the factory and talk to the operators, observe the entire sheet metal working process together and listen to their ideas and suggestions. This is the first step to understanding the process and getting it right.

In the “System” tab, you can configure the machine to suit different process values, which is easier than selecting the process and/or setting up the machining on a single part when nesting and machining.

Lantek Process and Machining Menu
Punching Machines
The Punch Press process menu has several frequently used options for configuring the stamping process of a part.

First of all, we find the option “Co-Edge Stamping/Non-Co-Edge Stamping”. This option allows us to determine if we want the part to be co-edged with the part next to it. In other words, do we want the parts to have the same cut, or do we want to leave a gap between each part so that they have separate cuts.