Articles

Articles • September 1, 1999 • Kip Hanson

Small Wonders

Small-diameter drills designed for drilling circuit boards can be used as a low-cost alternative for producing holes in other materials as well. Their fragility is the only drawback. This article describes these tools and the special handling they require. n

Articles • September 1, 1999 • Brent Chandler

Crib Control

An organized toolcrib is necessary to ensure that tools will be available when needed. This article reviews the techniques and equipment different shops have used to keep track of their tools.

Articles • September 1, 1999 • Mike Principato

A Cut Above

Toolmakers are constantly introducing advancements to improve the metalcutting process. This article examines trends in five key areas where toolmakers are concentrating their research and development efforts.nn

Articles • August 1, 1999 • Lisa Mitoraj

X-Treme Machinists

The latest generation to enter the workforce comes to the shop floor with a different set of skills and experiences than their predecessors. This article explores how these differences are forcing shop owners and supervisors to rethink their management strategies.nn

Articles • August 1, 1999 • Michael Baczkowski

Supplier in Demand

This article describes how one aerospace manufacturer boosted production capacity by partnering with a supplier, which began machining parts formerly made in-house. The article tells how the manufacturer shared its processes and manufacturing expertise with the supplier in order to ensure that quality and productivity were maintained.n

Articles • August 1, 1999 • Kip Hanson

Get it Straight

Spot drilling is a time-consuming process, but sometimes it is necessary to prevent drill walk. This article describes the reasons for spot drilling and the economic impact of adding the operation to a job. It also explains why a spot drill is a better choice for the operation than a center drill.

Articles • August 1, 1999 • Dennis Esford

Internal Decision

Tapping and thread milling can both produce internal threads in a variety of sizes, pitches and materials. This article discusses the factors that will dictate which process makes the most sense for a given job.nn

Articles • August 1, 1999 • Michael Gugger

Putting Fluids to the Test

A machining research institute describes the testing method it developed to quantify and compare the performance of metalworking fluids. The test, which compares cutting forces generated when machining with a test fluid to a baseline fluid's performance, is simple enough for any shop to use.nnn

Articles • August 1, 1999 • Dennis Myers

Freer Thinking

This article describes a self-contained micromachining center. The unit uses PC-based controls and a video system to machine small parts with precision, while giving the machinist a magnified view for setup and prototyping.

Articles • June 1, 1999 • Kip Hanson

Ready, Preset, Go

This article reviews the basics of coordinate systems and machine programming as a basis for presetting tools. The process for setting tool offsets is described with an explanation of the G-codes involved. In an accompanying article, the author tells how his company built its own presetter.

Articles • June 1, 1999 • Tory Gallier

Hone Improvement

This article describes reconditioning tools through hand honing, a process that can help a tool produce 20 percent more parts. In explaining the art of hand honing, the author reviews the hone materials and honing techniques to be used.

Articles • June 1, 1999 • Don Nelson

Desktop Machining

Machinists can now find machining simulators on the Web that can tell them what the results will be for a given set of conditions as well as what set of conditions will produce the results they are looking for. This article describes these simulators and the research consortium that developed them.