What machining process involves creating a channel in a cylindrical workpiece?

The process that involves creating a channel in a cylindrical workpiece is grooving. Grooving is specifically designed for cutting a narrow groove into the surface of a workpiece, which is often cylindrical. This procedure utilizes a specialized cutting tool that can effectively remove material to form a channel, providing the necessary depth and width for various applications.

In contrast, drilling involves creating a hole by removing material in a straight path perpendicular to the workpiece’s surface, which does not necessarily form a channel as grooving does. Reaming is a finishing process used to slightly enlarge and improve the accuracy of an existing hole, rather than creating a channel. Tapping is the process of cutting internal threads into a pre-drilled hole, which also does not relate to the creation of a channel. Each of these processes serves unique purposes in machining, but grooving is the only one specifically intended for channel formation in cylindrical workpieces.