Articles

Articles • March 1, 2015 • Tom Lipton

Lost art of flame straigthening

>Flame straightening is one of those old-timer skills everybody has heard of but few have had the opportunity to witness. The ability to straighten bent plates and shafts is almost magical in its simplicity. It's definitely a valuable skill if you intend to spend any time around a welding shop, unless you relish the thought of beating a stubborn shaft or plate into submission with a mallet

Articles • March 1, 2015 • Christopher Tate

Selecting and using the best gages

Tiny medical parts, mass-produced automotive components and multiple-ton power generation parts share a common activity: inspection. Generally, inspection is seen as a nonvalue-added activity and most companies encourage the reduction of inspection time. However, because verifying that parts are made correctly is critical to maintaining profitability, inspection will never go away.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Jeffrey A. Badger, Ph.D.

Battling grinding burn

Dear Doc: I battle burn and long cycle times when grinding ODs in bearing. The wheel manufacturer has specified a series of wheel changes to solve the problem, but it means buying a lot of new wheels. What's your take?

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Kip Hanson

Leaning towards lean

A journey of waste reduction and continuous improvement for machine shops.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Evan Jones Thorne

Setting the table

Table-type horizontal boring mills add versatility to machine shops.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Alan Richter

Cryogenic machining systems can extend tool life and reduce cycle times

Efficient removal of heat from the tool/workpiece interface is the main route to high-productivity machining. Several conventional methods are available to accomplish that -- dry machining, minimum-quantity lubrication, flood coolant and high-pressure coolant -- but cryogenic machining can be added to the list.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Alan Richter

Elements for successful endmilling

When an endmill efficiently makes chips, everybody is happy: the end user, the parts buyer, and the cutting tool manufacturer and distributor. Achieving that by having the tool follow the correct toolpaths and run at productivity-boosting parameters, however, requires an endmill with optimized geometry, substrate and coating.

Articles • February 1, 2015

Look out below

I don't like bringing this up, but two key metalworking markets -- defense and energy -- are in a bit of trouble.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Alan Richter

Fine and stable core

Ceramic core material that improves jet engine fuel efficiency.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Alan Richter

Meeting a challenge

Cast beryllium-aluminum parts.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Dr. Scott Smith

A clear view on vision panels

The cutting zone in a machine tool is dangerous. Hot chips and large quantities of coolant are often safety threats, but a tool rotating at a high speed is an even greater one.

Articles • February 1, 2015 • Keith Jennings

Discounts and increases

I strive to start each year on a positive note, but 2015 sure hasn't taken long to throw us our first challenging management scenario. It requires immediate oversight of rapidly changing economic conditions.