August 2017
Articles in this issue
Productive Times: 5 days to ROI
END USER: Northeast Tool & Manufacturing, (704) 882-1187, www.northeasttool.us. SOLUTION PROVIDER: MachineMetrics, (413) 341-5747, www.machinemetrics.com. CHAL…
Productive Times: Getting a grip on automation
END USER: Lowercase, (212) 510-7621, www.lowercasenyc.com. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Axis Inc., (908) 429-0090, www.axisnewjersey.com; Robotiq, (888) 762-6847, www.r…
Choosing a parts-marking method depends on the application
Until a couple of years ago, the Food and Drug Administration required a unique identifier on each distinct assembly of a medical device in human- and machine-…
Look Ahead: Trochoidal endmill (over)laps competition
Trochoidal milling is a relatively new cutting strategy that involves the overlapping of circular toolpaths with linear movement. It is well-suited for difficu…
Look Ahead: Titanic robot, tiny tolerances
An item in the Look Ahead department of the August 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine features large-volume, high-accuracy robots.
Low-wattage lasers: faster, gentler, eco-friendly
Low-wattage lasers are faster, gentler and more eco-friendly than traditional parts-cleaning methods. So why aren't they more prevalent?
Factors affecting proper coolant application when grinding
Grinding is a thermally dominated process, meaning a high percentage of process heat initially enters the part before coolant quenches it. Unless the coolant i…
Lessons learned from threading nuts, bolts for gas turbines
Spindle bolts are made from difficult-to-machine, high-strength superalloys. They have very tight dimensional tolerances, which makes thread cutting a challeng…
Process creates steel that’s a-peeling
If you've ever watched a bar of red-hot metal emerge from the furnace at a rolling mill, you might wonder how that scaly chunk of material became the smooth, s…
CAD/CAM software for ultraprecision machining
The primary application for ultraprecision machining is optical-grade surfaces for injection molds, which are used to make contact lenses, LEDs for TVs and hea…
Explosive deburring ideal for complex parts
Machining manifolds generates numerous burrs, and removing them is no simple task. Basin Precision Machining attempted a variety of deburring methods, includin…
Ask the Grinding Doc: Loading the wheel
In the August 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering, Ask the Grinding Doc Columnist Jeffrey Badger, Ph.D., fields questions about spotting wheel loading, whit…
Shop Operations: Consider a 4-jaw independent lathe chuck
In the August 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering, Shop Operations Columnist Tom Lipton challenges readers to take a good look at the venerable 4-jaw indepe…
Machine Technology: Hybrid upsides and design considerations
A milestone in the 3D printing revolution is the appearance of CNC metalcutting machine tools incorporating additive-manufacturing capabilities. Manufacturers …
Manager’s Desk: Time to awaken the shop
Much of 2016 and 2017 has been a stressful roller coaster ride for our shop and me and my family as we have fought through a difficult economy—the worst in 30 …
Manufacturing and its myths
Since the time CTE Editor Alan Richter started covering manufacturing for CTE in 2000, industry professionals have frequently informed him that manufacturing j…