Articles

Articles • December 1, 2012 • Jeffrey A. Badger, Ph.D.

Achieving reasonable wheel wear

Dear Doc: I grind fine threads into hardened stainless steel with a fine-mesh aluminum-oxide wheel. The threads are 0.8mm deep in a 5mm-dia. ID. There are three threads per part. This operation just chews through the wheel, and I get only one part before I have to dress a 0.2mm depth in my 4mm-dia. wheel. What am I doing wrong?

Articles • December 1, 2012 • Dr. Scott Smith

Apparent mass of moving machine elements

The moving elements of a machine tool have mass. Forces from the actuators cause the masses to move and accelerate. As the speed of the machine tool motion increases, the ability of the actuators to cause acceleration becomes more important.

Articles • December 1, 2012 • Joe Mason

Meeting the workholding challenge

In my August column, I described several common applications for workholding when turning, where the cutting tool is static and the workpiece spins. There are several standard workholders for turning, which were illustrated.

Articles • December 1, 2012 • Alan Richter

Inside and out

Similar to a multitask machine, a machine tool that combines ID and OD grinding enables producing a part in one chucking.

Articles • December 1, 2012 • Kip Hanson

Trending to turning

Holding a few tenths tolerance on a piece of 60-HRC steel was once the domain of expensive grinding equipment. Today, it's no big deal.

Articles • December 1, 2012

The write stuff

The pros and cons of marking parts with laser, micropercussion and scribing technologies.

Articles • December 1, 2012

Mixed signals

Manufacturing faces more uncertainty than usual in 2013, but the year ahead could be a good one.

Articles • December 1, 2012

Good connections

The combination of rigid machine tool and strong spindle connection is ideal for cutting titanium.

Articles • December 1, 2012

Extreme tools for an extreme sport

END USER: David Buchberger, (585) 208-7382, www.hispeedcorp.com. CHALLENGE: Efficiently machine lightweight components for an "extreme" racecar. SOLUTION: High-performance cutting tools, including a drill and endmill. SOLUTION PROVIDER: WIDIA Products Group and Services, (724) 539-5000, www.widia.com

Articles • December 1, 2012

Faster facemilling

END USER: Continental Motors Inc., (800) 718-3411, www.genuinecontinental.aero. CHALLENGE: Boost productivity when rough and finish milling cast aluminum crankcases. SOLUTION: PCD-tipped, cartridge-type facemills. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Ingersoll Cutting Tools, (866) 690-1859, www.ingersoll-imc.com

Articles • December 1, 2012

Dialing up precision holemaking

END USER: 1-866-Dial-EDM, (866) DIAL-EDM, 1866dialedm.com. CHALLENGE: Produce a high volume of 0.006"-dia., 1/16"-deep blind-holes in an exotic material. SOLUTION: An EDM drill. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Britton Machinery Sales Inc., (585) 241-3267; GF AgieCharmilles, (800) 282-1336, www.us.gfac.com

Articles • December 1, 2012 • Alan Richter

Armed with automation

Lightweight and easy-to-program robotic arms.