Reaching new heights: CMM Inspection
Measuring machined parts on a surface plate has long been a tedious job, one that requires mastery of dial indicators, a pocket calculator and an adjustable height gage that most in the…
General Manufacturing Discussion
Recent discussions
Three unexpected machine monitoring benefits
Like a broken record, decision-makers at parts manufacturers continually hear that monitoring machine tool utilization rates helps improve productivity. That's true, but the phonograph needle frequently skips over three other benefits of…
Autodesk: Constant cutting forces speed milling
Maintaining constant cutting forces provides a constant radial tool engagement throughout the entire cut, which eliminates spikes in the cutting forces. This approach allows the programmer to take a larger axial DOC…
Longtime precision-machining shop adds 3D printing
With its new EOS M 290 additive-manufacturing system, Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Cos. (ITAMCO) now 3D-prints medical devices. After obtaining the system in June, the company started shipping components in August. Imported…
New approach to cutting heat-resistant superalloys
Machining Inconel 718 and similar heat-resistant superalloys (HRSAs) at cutting speeds normally reserved for aluminum is not only possible but becoming an accepted practice at some aerospace OEMs. Imported from the CTE…
Shop owners help fellow shop owner after hurricane
Keith Jennings, who writes the Manager's Desk column for Cutting Tool Engineering, shares his thanks for being able to work after surviving the epicenter of Hurricane Harvey in August. Imported from the…
Lead Angle: Don't be scared to take five
CTE Editor Alan Richter highlights the 5-axis focus of the October 2017 issue. Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion on MFGAxis. Originally published on CTE: 2017-10-15 CTE source: https://ctemag.com/articles/lead-angle-dont-be-scared-take-five/ Legacy…
Look Ahead: Small advances in waterjet
Omax Corp. developed the MicroMax JetMachining Center with help from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which awarded the company a Small Business Innovation Research grant. The investment has paid off. Imported…
Productive Times: Sold on a cell
END USER: Niagara Gear Division of Gear Motions Inc., (716) 874-3131, www.gearmotions.com/locations/niagara-gear-division. CHALLENGE: Reduce lead times and enhance flexibility and control to meet customer delivery requirements. SOLUTION: A work cell with a…
Investing in streamlined plant operations boosts profit
Nowhere will you find more gold — i.e., profits — than by streamlining redundant or antiquated plant operations, according to Phillip Canipe, whose job it is to eliminate waste and redundancy at…
Shop credits timing for successful holemaking operations
At Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas Inc., holemaking success is about timing—finding the best sequence in which to perform manufacturing operations. Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion on MFGAxis. Originally…
High-pressure coolant breaks the vapor barrier
What would cause parts manufacturers not to want to extend tool life, increase speeds and feeds, enhance chip evacuation to avoid recutting, impart finer surface finishes and eliminate pecking when deep-hole drilling?…
Aerospace supplier lives up to challenges
Visioneering Inc. employees stay ready to adapt to change as the Auburn Hills, Mich., aerospace supplier opens a new facility and adopts a new way to apply coolant. Imported from the CTE…
Alternatives to steep tapers: Drilling Performance
Today's machine tool users have more spindle choices than just the steep-taper designs developed 40 years ago.n Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion on MFGAxis. Originally published on CTE: 2017-09-15…
Machinist's Corner: Show customers you care
How do you treat your a customer who received an order and has a problem with it? Maybe you shipped the wrong part or made a part according to an old revision.…
Get With the Program: Controlling the shop floor
Thinking of purchasing shop floor control software but don't know where to start? You might want to start by brushing up on the relevant jargon. Imported from the CTE archive to seed…
Shop Operations: A fresh look at 1-2-3 blocks
Many machinists fondly remember their early training or apprenticeships when they made 1-2-3 blocks from scratch under the watchful eye of a master toolmaker. These young machinists carefully machined the blocks oversize,…
Machine Technology: No-hands tool changing
When CNC milling machines were conceived some in the metalworking industry asked why a computer couldn't also manage tool changes. That question was the impetus behind the development of the automatic toolchanger.…
Manager's Desk: Shop owner deals with theft
Keith Jennings, who writes the Manager's Desk column for Cutting Tool Engineering, never experienced being sad and mad at the same time until recently, according to his September column. The cause? A…
Taking measures to improve metrology
Many — if not most — shops encourage employees to purchase their own measurement tools. Some even help by "financing" these purchases, allowing machinists to pay them off in small increments. And…
Three steps to optimizing machining
To profitably machine high-quality parts, many manufacturers follow a similar path, beginning with tool selection and application and then solving any problems that arise in a reactive way. However, research suggests that…
No-cost thread mill program generators
Numerous toolmakers provide free programs that will automatically generate G code for a specific thread milling application. The programs vary in sophistication and in whether they are online-only or downloadable, but all…
How to keep from scrapping parts
Scrap happens. By scrap, I mean parts that are out of tolerance and, therefore, useless. Unlike other by-products of the manufacturing process, such as chips, shavings and drops, you generate scrap only…
Swarf is telling you something
Swarf, which is the result of particles being removed when grinding hard or difficult-to-machine materials, tells a story. Imported from the CTE archive to seed discussion on MFGAxis. Originally published on CTE:…
3D-printed bone drill improves surgeries
Metal laser melting has made possible a number of groundbreaking developments in the medical field. One example is a 3D-printed bone drill that, unlike some traditionally manufactured drills, is designed not to…