January 2016
Articles in this issue
From hard gaging to noncontact
CHALLENGE: Upgrade QC to reduce the amount of time required for dimension measurements. SOLUTION: Utilize an image-dimension-measuring system that enables hund…
Streamlining work flow
CHALLENGE: Reduce setup and cycle times while meeting customers' demands for high-quality parts. SOLUTION: Two horizontal machining centers. END USER: Reinhold…
A new bonded superabrasive material
PCD oxidizes when cutting materials such as iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium and vanadium because of the high temperatures generated while cutting. Although not …
A 5-axis wireless, indexing tombstone
KME CNC developed a 5-axis tombstone 8 years ago for horizontal machining centers that allows milling on five or more sides of a workpiece and on four differen…
The CAD/CAM user experience
CAD/CAM software developers are no longer competing only with each other. They are also competing with their customers' expectations of what a satisfying user …
Plan ahead
Presented here are more tips and tricks for proper planning when CNC machining. One of the first and simplest things to look for when performing operations tha…
Rise of multitasking
The drive to reduce setup times and operator intervention has led to the proliferation of multitask machines. Multitask machines range in price and complexity …
A Machine Tool for Industry 4.0
Are visitors to a bearing manufacturing facility in Hoechstadt, Germany, getting an early glimpse of what Industry 4.0 looks like? That's the hope of Schaeffle…
Are You Just Another Resume?
I typically keep my resume online at all times on the major job search engines and update it annually to keep recruiters I've worked with in the past abreast o…
A long view on innovation
The view from Jungfraujoch inspires awe. So does the railway that transports visitors to the site—a ridge located 11,332' above sea level in the Swiss Alps. I …
Closer inspection
Metrology is evolving to allow inspection to be moved closer to the production area. Is it time to remove your inspection lab and retire your old, reliable coo…
Hold tight, and right
Your shop just bought its first 5-axis machining center. Now what? Not only are there new and more complex programming techniques to learn—never mind the mind-…
How Angle Heads Streamline Multi-Axis Machining Operations
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 featu…
Conventional thinking
Anyone who's drilled a deep hole on a CNC lathe or mill knows it's not easy. Go much deeper than 10 or 20 diameters and out-of-tolerance hole straightness, chi…