Has the reshoring train left the station or not? According to the second annual U.S. Reshoring Index from global management consultants A.T. Kearney, the answer is a resounding “no.” In 2015, the index, at -115, indicates that reshoring of manufacturing activities to the U.S. has not kept up with offshoring. The index measured -30 in 2014. A positive number indicates net reshoring, while a negative value indicates net offshoring.

The array of configurations is vast, but angle heads typically serve a common function: eliminate having to perform a separate operation to access a part feature when the
workpiece can’t be indexed.

CTE Editor Alan Richter visited the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute at Chicago’s Goose Island in September for a peek into the future of manufacturing at an event coordinated by Blaser Swisslube Inc.

Running a successful machine shop takes more than having advanced machine tools, high-performance cutting tools and machinists that boost productivity. A manufacturer of precision metal parts might also need a strategic partner that has the network, expertise and — last but not least — capital to penetrate new markets, overcome capacity constraints and make investments to help the business grow.

Milling metals hardened to 52 HRC and harder with solid-carbide cutters doesn't require a heavy-duty, high-performance machine tool when a machinist employs trochoidal milling and applies cutting tools with an appropriate substrate, coating and geometries. (With Video.)

Apply modern manufacturing methods to grow a custom motorcycle business. Automate production and improve part quality and machining efficiency with a CNC machine tool and CAM software.

Fallbrook Technologies' shop continues to produce prototypes for licensees of the company's continuously variable planetary technology while performing commercial jobs.

Minimize tool runout, extend tool life, reduce scrap and prevent fixture damage. An offline cutting tool presetter.

Time for a literature review.

Increase wire EDM capacity and cutting speed. Replace two old, technologically obsolete wire EDMs with two new ones.

Efficiently deburr machined hydraulic manifolds. A machine that deburrs via thermal energy.

World-class manufacturers expand their production space for anticipated demand rather than attempting to catch up with current needs. This effort to always be ahead of the times was on display at Horn Technology Days, which took place June 17-19 and was hosted by Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrik Paul Horn GmbH at its headquarters in Tübingen, Germany.

An interview with Michael Nahum, Micro Encoder Inc.

Abrasive waterjet machines become easier to use and more affordable as equipment evolves.

Reduce workload on Swiss-style and mill/turn machines. A machine tool that bridges the gap between Swiss-style and multitask machines.

A laser arc method to coat engine and other parts with a diamond-like coating.

Reduce the time to rough bore bearing pockets. Twin roughing heads.

An aluminum-magnesium-scandium powder for additive manufacturing that exhibits the specific strength of titanium and the positive properties of aluminum.

A method of lubricating and cooling a machined workpiece using supercritical CO₂.

New aluminum alloys can pose machining challenges, but they can be mastered with sound cutting strategies.

Bring damaged components back into spec. A flexible cylinder hone.

A direct-drive, servomotor robotic finger.

Improve productivity for a repeat job. A multifunctional, 90° indexable-insert shoulder cutter.

Reduce cycle times when machining hydraulic components. A solid-carbide, through-coolant drill that orients the margins radially.

The Look Ahead section in the May 2015 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine features an asymmetric line boring bar.

Steelville Manufacturing Co. uses flexible manufacturing systems to enhance machine tool productivity and continue growing.

Eliminate a bottleneck when inspecting parts. Work cells equipped with coordinate measuring machines and dedicated, quick-change fixtures.

The Look Ahead section in the May 2015 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine also presents a sensory toolholder for wireless, in-process measurement of cutting forces.

A new process for strengthening metals while making them more resistant to corrosion.

Increase part quality and productivity when deep-cavity micromachining while achieving tight tolerances. A heat-activated, wax-based compound for holding parts.

A PCD milling cutter that combines a patented chipbreaker and direct cooling through the cutting face.

Vertical machining centers play a central role in the growth of S&S Machine Shop.

Enhance precision and shorten changeover time when machining retention knobs. Quick-change collet chucks.

Software for high-efficiency roughing makes moldmaking faster, more efficient.

Eliminate excess coolant to improve shop floor safety and cleanliness. Minimum quantity lubrication systems.

New metamaterials that 'bend' acoustic and elastic waves.

Overcome excessive tool wear and poor surface finishes when machining flats on a steel truck shaft. A milling tool that exerts all cutting forces downward and cuts freely.

The creation of superhydrophobic metals using femtosecond lasers.

Efficient removal of heat from the tool/workpiece interface is the main route to high-productivity machining. Several conventional methods are available to accomplish that -- dry machining, minimum-quantity lubrication, flood coolant and high-pressure coolant -- but cryogenic machining can be added to the list.

Cast beryllium-aluminum parts.

When an endmill efficiently makes chips, everybody is happy: the end user, the parts buyer, and the cutting tool manufacturer and distributor. Achieving that by having the tool follow the correct toolpaths and run at productivity-boosting parameters, however, requires an endmill with optimized geometry, substrate and coating.

Efficiently machine stainless steel parts without breaking endmills. 6-flute, solid-carbide endmills.

Ceramic core material that improves jet engine fuel efficiency.

Accurately machine EDM electrodes used to produce micromolds for medical parts. A high-speed, high-precision, 3-axis micro milling machine.

New hybrid cermet inserts that significantly enhance abrasion and fracture resistance.

Imagine building a ship in a bottle, but instead of using a preexisting bottle, you build the ship along with the bottle while machining the ship's and bottle's surfaces as you go.

Streamline the digital parts library used to produce workholders. Strategic parts management software.

An off-the-shelf robotic gripper that conforms to a variety of parts shapes without reprogramming.

Increase threading productivity while reducing scrap. High-performance, through-coolant thread formers.

The cover story for the December 2014 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering examines the unique requirements of machine tools used for cutting composite materials.