Articles

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Dr. Scott Smith

Spindle bearing preload increases stiffness

Spindle bearings support the spindle in the housing and transmit cutting forces to the machine structure. The bearings are intended to hold the spindle accurately in position.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Keith Jennings

What goes around, comes around

Representing your company through community involvement accomplishes two goals. Hopefully, you're doing something positive and, in return, raising the reputation of you and your company. You may also gain access to another network of valuable contacts and potential leads.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Alan Richter

Unmanned machining with confidence

Eliminate part deviations when performing lights-out machining. CAM software with the properly adjusted post-processor for automatically measuring parts on a machine tool.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Alan Richter

Light trumps water

Reduce energy costs as part of a sustainability program. Replace a waterjet cutting machine with a fiber optic laser cutting machine.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Alan Richter

Replace an outdated vertical machining center with a new one

Boost productivity when machining hubs and other parts. Replace an outdated vertical machining center with a new one.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Tom Lipton

Even more tips for operating a CNC mill

Continuing the theme of the previous three columns, here are additional tips for enhancing the operation of a CNC milling machine from Shop Operations columnist Tom Lipton.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Christopher Tate

Adding value with single-piece part flow

Since the May issue, I have been writing about our combustion shop's migration from batch processing to single-piece flow, or machining one part at a time. Single-piece flow eliminates work in process. This is desirable because WIP hides part defects and increases lead times and inventory levels.

Articles • August 1, 2013 • Kip Hanson

Give CNC lathes an uptime makeover

I once thought nothing of boring a new set of top jaws. Just remove half a dozen cap screws, take the old jaws out, bolt on fresh jaws, attach a spider or boring ring and crank the hand wheel until the part fits. Setups were long in the 1980s and my boss considered 2 or 3 hours of downtime each day a normal cost of business.

Articles • July 1, 2013 • Karlo Apro

Cut the crashes

Machine simulation is the 5-axis programmer's constant companion.

Articles • July 1, 2013 • Kip Hanson

Let’s chat

Are machine shops ready to use MTConnect, an open and royalty free standard intended to foster greater interoperability between manufacturing devices and software applications?

Articles • July 1, 2013 • Dr. LaRoux K. Gillespie

Smoothing edges

Four deburring methods for mass finishing microparts.

Articles • July 1, 2013

Pulling through

A Chicago broaching shop remembers its past to invigorate its future.r