Articles

Articles • April 1, 2016

Small tools, big challenges

END USER: Greene Tool Systems Inc., (800) BUY-TOOL, www.greenetool.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: ANCA Inc., (248) 926-4466, www.anca.com. CHALLENGE: Produce microscale cutting tools more accurately while lowering setup times. SOLUTION: Two grinding machines designed to produce tools smaller than 2mm in diameter that feature robotic arms for loading and unloading tools and wheel packs.

Articles • April 1, 2016

Angle head for atypical prototype

END USER: Antron Engineering and Machine Co. Inc., (877) 225-2362, www.antroneng.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Eltool Corp., (877) 435-8665, www.eltool.com. CHALLENGE: Mill a long, interrupted slot in a small-diameter bore. SOLUTION: A coolant-driven angle head.

Articles • April 1, 2016

Shop wrangles runout challenge

END USER: Homeyer Precision Manufacturing, (636) 433-2244, www.homeyertool.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., (888) 866-5776, www.bigkaiser.com. CHALLENGE: Minimize endmill runout to extend tool life when producing aluminum-based forceps. SOLUTION: A collet chuck that provides minimal runout.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Kip Hanson

Better Threaders

When CNC wire EDMs came on the market in the mid-'70s, feeding wire from a spool through a machine's elaborate series of rollers and guides was a tedious manual exercise. Luckily, electrical discharge machining was an exceedingly slow process back then, so replacing wire had to be done less frequently than on today's machines, which erode conductive metal 10 to 20 times faster than earlier models.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Keith Jennings

Improving employee morale

Whether your shop is busy or struggling to survive a downturn, employees are your best asset. We've had to downsize over the past few months, but a good group remains. Many are handling new tasks, but a reengineering of employees' tasks can be beneficial, driving everyone to work smarter, not harder. It is working well so far, thanks to everyone picking up the slack created by the departed employees.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Michael Deren

Gaging nonconforming parts

Do you know why your last part run had a high defect rate, why parts from an outside supplier were nonconforming, and what you are going to do with those parts? If your company has a material review board, it can probably answer those questions.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Alan Richter

Chips Away

The chip collection bin at a shop's turning center is full, so a worker grudgingly begins the mundane task of moving the bin via a forklift to the chip collection station at the opposite end of the plant. Unfortunately, the bin leaks and coolant drips on the shop floor, causing the shop's biggest customer to slip and fall while visiting to check on his latest order. There's got to be a better way.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Christopher Tate

Controlling the process

Careful consideration when implementing inspection processes yields efficiencies. Manufacturers continually search for ways to increase profits and reduce costs. Trying to find cost savings where chips are made makes sense and is usually where the most-significant improvements are found. However, efficiency gains can also be made in nonvalue-adding areas, like inspection.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Evan Jones Thorne

Testing, testing …

How often should a metalworking fluid be tested? It depends. Metalworking fluid is used in most machine shops, because it aids in evacuating chips and cooling and lubricating the tool/workpiece interface. To optimize fluid performance, it must be maintained, which is done by testing a fluid for performance and chemistry.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • William Leventon

Spindle maintenance pays

Every machine tool owner can reap benefits from a good spindle maintenance program. These include reductions in costly unplanned machine downtime, longer spindle life and improved part quality. But effective spindle maintenance requires perseverance and the appropriate technology—plus a little common sense.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • James Harvey

Avoiding machine crashes, part 2

Presented this month are more programming tips to help prevent machine tool crashes.

Articles • March 1, 2016 • Pete Tecos

Measuring asset performance

In today's hypercompetitive, globalized economy, businesses are pressured to do more, do it faster, do it right the first time and do it all with fewer resources. The Internet of Things and Industry 4.0 have given birth to asset-monitoring software that should enhance competitiveness in this environment, but it can also be like turning on a waterfall of data that raises the risk of "task overload." Faced with task overload, most people focus on what they think is most important while a seemingly peripheral task is temporarily ignored.