Oscillation cutting is a cutting technique that deliberately breaks chips into small pieces by vibrating the tool or spindle slightly while machining.
It is also called "low-frequency vibration cutting."
It prevents the problems caused by long, stringy chips, and pairs naturally with automatic lathes.
A Closer Look
Gummy materials such as stainless steel, aluminum, and copper can produce chips that do not break but come off as long, continuous strings.
When these long chips wrap around the tool or workpiece or clog the machine, they scratch the machined surface or bring unattended operation to a halt.
Oscillation cutting applies a small vibration in the feed direction, periodically creating instants when the tool separates from the workpiece, breaking the chip before it can grow long.
This improves chip evacuation and stabilizes long unattended runs.