Machine shops are responsible for manufacturing parts that demand an immense amount of precision. Many different tools are required in order to meet the rigorous quality standards requested by the customer. The overall process consists of three separate but equally important steps, each of which requires expertise and diligence to complete successfully. <\p>

The process almost always begins in the saw department, where raw material is cut down to a size that is workable for the machinists. The materials used vary, but the most commonly used are aluminum, steel and PVC, or Poly-Vinyl Chloride, a type of plastic that is used in a wide array of plumbing and irrigation systems. There are several different types of saws implemented in machine shops: the chop saw, table saw, band saw and horizontal saw are the most common.<\p>

The horizontal saw is used to cut thick, cylindrical pieces of aluminum and steel. Its blade operates in a continuous loop, very much like a car's fan belt. The horizontal saw cuts through material at a slow but steady pace while coolant flows over the blade in order to keep the temperature of the blade down. The coolant is recycled through the use of a pump. This system is similar to a decorative water fountain.

After it is cut down, the material moves on to the machinist, who uses a machine - usually a lathe or a mill - to work the part to the customer's exact specification. The parts must be incredibly accurate, usually allowing only 1-2 one-thousandths of an inch leeway. The tool most commonly used by the machinist to check these measurements is known as a micrometer, a sensitive instrument which resembles a keychain. In fact, the device is so delicate, that dropping it just once, even softly, can throw it out of calibration.

The last stop before completion is the inspection department, sometimes known as quality assurance. This is where the parts are checked for accuracy. If a part is discovered to be outside the acceptable range, it is returned to the machinist for correction. If the part cannot be fixed, it is discarded. As this quite often results in an angry boss, machinists try very hard not to let this happen.

Machine shops are exciting, fast-paced work environments that specialize in precision. From the saw department to the lathes and mills and finally to the inspectors, the part's journey to completion can be a long one. Machine shops are used to manufacture just about everything from automotive parts to Chinese knick-knacks. The modern world could not exist without them.