Articles

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

In my October column, I explained how the design of manual milling machines could be improved. This month, I share some tips for enhancing the operation of a manual mill.

Combustion components from Mitsubishi Power Systems had never been built outside of Japan until Savannah Machinery Works opened its doors in November 2010. We were in the unique and challenging position of having to develop every manufacturing process from scratch while maintaining a tight production schedule.

A machine shop can become a messy place if you don't stay on top of it. If you've visited other shops, you've probably observed what I've seen over the years—a few that are spotless and well-maintained, and others that look like a cave, with little thought or care given to the work environment. Most shops are somewhere in between. We maintain a decent shop, which consists of machining and fabrication departments in separate areas, but it takes constant effort to keep it that way.

Many reasons are given, including the bad image of manufacturing, lack of training in high schools and competition from other economic sectors. All of these reasons seem plausible. But now comes a study by The Boston Consulting Group, a management consulting firm, that seems to throw cold water on the idea of a serious skills gap. According to the authors, the skills gap in U.S. manufacturing is more limited than many believe. The study is part of BCG's ongoing "Made in America, Again" study, which examines the changing economics of manufacturing.

A metalworking products review, as published in the October 2012 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: K-Fab Inc., (408) 727-5311, www.k-fabinc.com. CHALLENGE: Increase spindle utilization for a vertical machining center while reducing labor requirements. SOLUTION: A nonrobotic automation system for VMCs. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Simons Design Innovation, (408) 398-3296, www.simonsdesigninnovation.com