February 2017
Articles in this issue
Design-software leader (and good talker) resigns as CEO of Autodesk
Forward-looking, funny, Cornell University mathematics major Carl Bass resigned his Autodesk post as CEO on Feb. 7, but he remains on the company's board.
Metalworking Product Review: February 2017
The Metalworking Product Review in the February 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering features: Heller Machine Tools, FP 4000 5-axis HMC with twin drives in t…
Thrufeed centerless OD grinding: Parameter relationships and troubleshooting
On many work parts, the outside diameter (OD) needs to be highly accurate. Tight tolerances are required for OD size, roundness, high and low frequency lobe pa…
AI to guide cutting tool selection in the future
Engineers who currently ask humans for advice about cutting tool selection will one day direct their questions to advisers derived from artificial intelligence…
Look Ahead: Calibration celebration
Calibrating a multiple-axis machining center is one of those time-consuming but necessary tasks that parts makers have to accept. The task has gotten easier in…
Look Ahead: Low-temperature PVD coating
The Look Ahead department covers a low-temperature PVD coating, free of charge, in the February 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.
A mountain (bike) of chips
END USER: North Bucks Machining Ltd., +1908-611-669, www.northbucksmachining.co.uk. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Open Mind Technologies USA Inc., (888) 516-1232, www.ope…
Successful threadmaking requires the right gages
Thread cutting is as close to artistic expression as one typically gets in a machine shop. Watching a machinist or toolmaker peel off perfectly formed chips wi…
The age of aqueous cleaning
U.S. manufacturing industry is transitioning from solvent-based cleaning to water-based cleaning products.
Broaching a blind keyway with an inserted tool
Being able to broach a blind keyway while keeping the part on the same CNC machine tool used to perform the other machining operations provides a significant i…
Live tooling capabilities on the rise
Live tooling's capabilities have increased greatly in recent years. From the start, live tooling was added to increase a lathe's usefulness. What many users of…
Pint-sized precision
If you enjoy the growl of heavy milling cuts, the machine-gun sound of chips striking glass and the heady odor of superheated cutting fluid, a compact machinin…
Ask The Grinding Doc: Decrease diameter, increase speed
Dear Doc: I installed a variable-speed drive on a cylindrical grinder. The wheels start at 18" and stub-out at 15". Should I increase the rpm as the wheel diam…
Shop Operations: Becoming familiar with a machine
Have a person familiar with a machine go over it with you. A person showing you how to do something can filter unneeded information, according to the Shop Oper…
Workholding: Secured by suction
Vacuum workholding can securely grip difficult-to-hold parts, according to the February 2017 Workholding column in Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.
Machine Technology: Alternatives to hand-feeding machines
More lathe purchasers are choosing automated material handling options, according to the February 2017 Machine Technology column by Bill Leventon.
Manager’s Desk: Inspiration from immigration
There have been days when it was easy to be a pessimist and see the glass as half-empty. But eventually, perhaps when least expected, something provides inspir…
Automating thread inspection on tubular goods
According to Autonetics LLC, automated gaging units (AGUs) for threads are hot. The Cary, N.C.-based AGU manufacturer reported that it shipped 10 systems in th…
Prize turns quick profit for waterjet machine winner
What would you do if you won a waterjet cutting machine? In John Mullett's case, he asked for a bigger one. Mullett is owner of Laureate Machine & Automation L…
3 views of manufacturing
It's been a long crusade for many manufacturers: the battle against an out-of-date public perception of manufacturing as dirty, repetitive work that's possibly…
Sounds of the season
Working in the bleak midwinter while the metalcutting sector transitions through a downturn sounds like a recipe for the blues. But it doesn't have to be. When…