Articles

You might think laser pulse lengths measured in nanoseconds—that is, billionths of a second—are short. But they're long compared to those of picosecond (a trillionth of a second) and femtosecond (a quadrillionth of a second) lasers, which are known as ultrashort-pulse lasers. Once confined mainly to laboratories and medical facilities, USPLs have become increasingly popular machining options over the last decade, thanks to lower prices and more-rugged designs intended for industrial settings.

Our supplier in Asia is grinding hardened-steel parts and sending them to us for final processing. Some of them are cracking, so we're going to visit the supplier. What should we be looking for?

If you're considering implementing a real-time machine monitoring system and looking for solid reasons to make the investment, you're in for a pleasant surprise. Real-time machine monitoring and overall equipment effectiveness software can help address many issues, whether they're obvious or not. There are a number of warning signs indicating that it might be time to investigate acquiring OEE software.

The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences is helping industry develop lightweight automotive parts from nontraditional materials.

This summer has been hectic, both professionally and personally. The business side has been a roller coaster, requiring intense management. Personally, I had the pleasure of seeing my third of four kids graduate from high school and begin developing an interest in our family business.

END USER: Special Quality Alloys Inc., (281) 548-1277, www.sqainc.net. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Industrial Diamond Products Co. Inc., (713) 991-1600, www.idp-tx.com; Simonds Saw, (800) 343-1616, www.simondsint.com. CHALLENGE: Extend bandsaw blade life while reducing cycle times. SOLUTION: Back-edge ramping technology to accelerate the sawing rate.

END USER: Wagner Machine Co., (217) 384-0072, www.wagner-machine.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: 5th Axis Inc., (858) 505-0432, www.fifthaxis.com. CHALLENGE: Reliably and cost-effectively grip parts during 5-axis machining. SOLUTION: A compact, dovetail-style, 5-axis clamping system.

Four major players involved in industrial automation are collaborating on the development of a platform that connects CNC machines, robots, peripheral devices and sensors. The purpose of the system is to deliver analytics that optimize manufacturing production.

A team of engineers from several California colleges has developed and tested a type of steel with a record-breaking ability to withstand impacts without permanent deformation. The new alloy, named SAM2X5-630, could be used in applications from drills to body armor to meteor-resistant casings for satellites. The material is an amorphous steel alloy, a subclass of steel alloys made of arrangements of atoms that deviate from steel's classical crystal-like structure, where iron atoms occupy specific locations.

Numerous factors determine whether a manufacturer is profitable or not. Lately, one of those factors for a U.S. manufacturer is whether it is is focused on the domestic market or pursuing a global approach.

The results from a recent SME survey of parents about their views relating to careers in manufacturing showed there is not enough accurate information about the opportunities a manufacturing career offers.

In last month's column, I discussed the value of communication between engineers and shop personnel. Here are some additional tips in that vein for engineers: