Sherline is a

machine tool builder A machine tool builder is a corporation or person that builds machine tools, usually for sale to manufacturers, who use them to manufacture products. A machine tool builder runs a machine factory, which is part of the machine industry. The machin ...

founded in Australia. and currently headquartered in

Vista, California Vista (; Spanish for "view") is a city in San Diego County, California. Vista is a medium-sized city within the San Diego-Carlsbad, CA Metropolitan Area and has a population of 101,638. Vista's sphere of influence also includes portions of un ...

, USA. It builds miniature

machine tool A machine tool is a machine for handling or machining metal or other rigid materials, usually by cutting, boring, grinding, shearing, or other forms of deformations. Machine tools employ some sort of tool that does the cutting or shaping. All m ...

s ( microlathes and micromills) and a wide range of tooling to be used on them. Within the miniature segment of the machine tool industry, Sherline is one of the most widely known brands. According to Sherline, their line of OEM accessories (

chucks Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All Stars (also referred to as "Converse", "Chuck Taylors", "Chucks", "Cons", "All Stars", and "Chucky Ts") is a model of casual shoe manufactured by Converse (a subsidiary of Nike, Inc. since 2003) that was ...

vises A vise or vice (British English) is a mechanical apparatus used to secure an object to allow work to be performed on it. Vises have two parallel jaws, one fixed and the other movable, threaded in and out by a screw and lever. A vise grip is no ...

rotary table A rotary table is a precision work positioning device used in metalworking. It enables the operator to drill or cut work at exact intervals around a fixed (usually horizontal or vertical) axis. Some rotary tables allow the use of index plates f ...

s, and so on) is more comprehensive than that of any other builder of machine tools, regardless of machine size.. Sherline tools are often used by hobbyists for making nearly any kind of part that can be

machined Machining is a process in which a material (often metal) is cut to a desired final shape and size by a controlled material-removal process. The processes that have this common theme are collectively called subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes ...

, as long as it fits within a miniature machine tool's limits of slide travel. Sherline's products are also used by industry. They provide an inexpensive way to build custom tooling using modular components (XY tables, machine slides, etc.). Sherline's sales are global. Its product line helps to put machine tools in places where traditionally they would be unlikely to go by lowering the threshold for market entry. Its turnkey

CNC Numerical control (also computer numerical control, and commonly called CNC) is the automated control of machining tools (such as drills, lathes, mills, grinders, routers and 3D printers) by means of a computer. A CNC machine processes a p ...

systems are some of the least expensive CNC machine tools on the market, making it possible for individual hobbyists to enter a market that in past decades was almost entirely industrial.

References

Bibliography

* {{citation , last = Martin , first = Joe , year = 2004 , title = Tabletop Machining: A Basic Approach to Making Small Parts on Miniature Machine Tools , publisher = Sherline, Inc. , location = Vista, California, USA , isbn = 978-0-9665433-0-8 . ''Originally published in 1998; content updated with each print run, similar to a "revised edition". Currently in the fourth print run.''

External links

Sherline's official site
Machine tool builders Vista, California Companies based in San Diego County, California