Articles

Eliminate excess coolant to improve shop floor safety and cleanliness. Minimum quantity lubrication systems.

Machine shops need lots of tangible assets to make parts: machine tools, cutting tools and real estate, among other items.

What is your company doing to replace its retiring workforce?

In a typical machine-tool-axis positioning system, the workpiece is mounted on a table that slides along flat, straight guide ways. The table may be supported on the guide ways by rolling elements or by a thin film of oil or grease. A screw controls the table position along the guide way.

The creation of superhydrophobic metals using femtosecond lasers.

New metamaterials that 'bend' acoustic and elastic waves.

Most manufacturers have made great strides in optimizing operations. Many have even standardized multiple facilities with the same on-premise software to create consistency across the enterprise. However, no matter how many procedures are put in place, each plant has its own idiosyncrasies, making it nearly impossible for systems to communicate with each other.

There comes a time when some chipmaking shops add wire EDMing to their repertoire. This is often done to reduce costs, because bringing what were once subcontracted, secondary EDMing operations in-house often makes good financial and logistical sense.

Software for high-efficiency roughing makes moldmaking faster, more efficient.

Modular automation increases productivity and flexibility at a lower price point than custom solutions.

Small shop becomes a big aerospace manufacturer -- with a little help from its friends.

Every lathe and grinder operator has, at one time or another, struggled with workpieces that are out of round, tapered or have poor finish. The "quick fix" is typically replacing centers. The more involved fix requires replacing spindle bearings that appear to have failed prematurely.