This article looks at different machine tool components and their impact on the machine's ability to operate at high speeds and feeds. Components covered include motors, drives, bearings, spindle coolant mechanisms, toolholders…
Managers at California's Dowty Aerospace take full advantage of computers to design parts, program machines and track jobs from beginning to end. This shop profile talks about how Dowty has combined this…
Deep-hole tapping raises chip evacuation, lubrication, and torque risk. This guide covers practical depth limits, tap selection, and process controls for deeper threaded holes. Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion…
Roll-forming taps produce internal threads by displacing the metal under pressure rather than cutting it. This article explains how to perform the operation to achieve good quality threads. Formulas and charts help…
The choice of tapping driver, the component between the spindle and the tap, can affect the quality and accuracy of the threads as well as the rate of wear on the tap…
Thread rolling produces external threads by forming the profile instead of cutting it. This guide covers where CNC thread rolling fits, why it can outperform cutting, and what shops should watch in…
This article compares hard turning to grinding for finishing hardened steel parts and discusses which operation would be more appropriate for various situations. The article also looks at the machine tool, insert…
This article reviews the nomenclature that toolmakers use to identify inserts. Both ANSI and ISO codes are described character by character. A chart lists all of the possible choices for each position…
A shop supervisor and education manager recount the evolution of a job that didn't proceed exactly as planned. Because the powder-metal part was harder and its as-pressed dimensions were not as accurate…
Copper can be difficult to EDM because its thermal conductivity changes electrode wear and process behavior. This guide covers the settings and strategy shops should review first. Imported from the CTE archive…
The efficiency of a die-sinker EDM operation can be enhanced by automating at least part of the work handling or tool handling. This article describes the automation that is available, from the…
According to this article, the short-bar barfeeders that are on the market today are not plagued by the drawbacks that have become associated with barfeeding. The units load 5-foot bar stock into…
Honing was originally a surface finishing operation that did not remove significant amounts of material. This article discusses brush honing, a process the authors say produces results similar to what honing was…
A clear and intact substrate surface is important to the success of a coating deposited on a carbide insert. This article looks at the surface problems and contamination, introduced by the insert…
Three different problems can cause a laser to make beveled cuts. As these problems interact, they create distinct patterns of bevel angles that require sophisticated mathematical analysis to sort out. This article…
It took years to perfect, but manufacturers finally found a way to economically coat carbide inserts with a diamond film. This article describes the coating process and looks at that companies that…
This article discusses the trend among insert makers to consolidate chipbreaker designs and carbide grades. The result is the three-chipbreaker/three-grade matrix many insert makers have adopted in some form. The evolution of…
Advancements in bandsawing are allowing shops to closely control the cost and precision of the operation. This article looks at such innovations as informational computer programs that provide advice on workpiece positioning…
In 1995, the Big Three automakers dropped their individual quality programs and requirements for suppliers and adopted a common program based on ISO 9000. This article discusses how the automakers' standard, called…
When hole depths exceed four times the drill diameter, problems with cooling and chip evacuation can arise. This article discusses these problems and the drill geometries, machining parameters and coolant options that…
For drilling standard holes in metal, there are three primary types of drills: twist, spade and indexable insert. This article discusses the pros and cons of each design and the applications for…
Ion implantation bombards a tool's surface with accelerated metal ions. According to this article, the process increases tool life and the performance of tool coatings. Two theories explaining why the process works…
Guide bushings are used in difficult holemaking applications to ensure that the drill produces round straight holes. This article discusses the types of bushings commonly used and the materials they are made…
