Articles

Articles • March 1, 2014 • David Conigliaro

Reaping benefits of radial chip thinning

The well-established concept of radial chip thinning (RCT) provides compelling productivity-enhancing benefits, but is still not widely applied.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Alan Richter

Vaporizing saw

An electrical discharge saw attachment for a manual lathe.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Alan Richter

Why Precision Is Critical in Micromachining Systems

A unique collet-and-cartridge workholding system for machining small parts.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Dr. Scott Smith

Lubricating spindle bearings

Spindle designers deal with lubrication and heat problems in three common ways: chilled oil, oil mist and air/oil injection.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Kathy Deren

Open letter from machinist’s wife

It's 6 a.m. and the wind chill is -45° F. As I watch you get ready for work, your gait is a little slower these days, and I have to talk a little louder because your hearing is not as good after being around loud machinery for more than 30 years. After you go, I settle down with my tea and peruse your latest CTE column. I always try to read them, because you discuss your career, the places you've gone and the marvels you've seen. I come across the line, "I can't wait to get to work each day."

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Keith Jennings

More on smart online marketing

Presented here is the second part of the Manager's Desk column about Web-based marketing. The first part appeared in the February issue.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Alan Richter

Robot colleagues boost the bottom line

Up productivity without increasing payroll. Adding robotic production.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Alan Richter

Shaving tool-change time saves big bucks

Reduce setup and changeover time on lathes with live tooling. A modular quick-change collet system.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Alan Richter

Refurbishing toolmaking productivity

Reduce equipment uptime and improve productivity when friction welding cutting tool shanks to heads. Replacing an old friction welding machine with a refurbished one.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Tom Lipton

Still more CNC lathe tips

Following the theme of the past two Shop Operations columns, here are some additional tips and tricks for operating a CNC lathe.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Christopher Tate

Justifying custom cutting tools

When possible, manufacturers should avoid applying custom cutting tools because they typically cost more than standard catalog items and can be used only for a single purpose. In addition, it is difficult to substitute other tools in place of a special when it is out of stock, and lead times for new custom tools can be long.

Articles • February 1, 2014 • Jeffrey A. Badger, Ph.D.

Abusive grinding

A shop seeks insight from our Ask the Grinding Doc columnist, Dr. Jeffrey Badger, regarding the premature fatigue failure of pistons that seem fine when they go out the door. Could grinding be the culprit for these pistons cracking after just 5 weeks?