Articles

Articles • October 1, 1997 • Alan Baker

Workholding Goes to Great Lengths

When shouldered parts are held for turning with a draw-in collet, length-control problems can result. This article provides directions for making collet add-ons that allow the machinist to locate the part against the spindle face, providing a consistent length from part to part.

Articles • October 1, 1997 • William Cleveland

Countersinking Aircraft Materials

This article traces the changes in countersink design and materials that have been made to satisfy the demands of the aerospace industry. The advantages and disadvantages of different types of modern countersinks are discussed.

Articles • October 1, 1997 • Brent Lindsey

On Boring’s Cutting Edge

Although machinists are using cermet and ceramic cutting tools for an increasing number of applications, they have been slow to adopt them for boring. This is beginning to change, however. This article describes some of the ways a boring operation can benefit from the use of these tools.

Articles • September 1, 1997 • Brian Gedlinske

Coolant Care

By recycling used metalworking fluids, shops can realize considerable savings in fluid and disposal costs. This guide takes the reader through the fundamentals of fluid recycling and management. Excerpted from a manual on the subject, the piece covers both the care and cleaning of fluids and fluid-handling equipment.

Articles • September 1, 1997 • David Miskinis

Know What You’re Tapping

Traditional tap/drill charts recommend drill diameters for each size of tapped hole. But, according to this article, these recommendations are based on the size holes that were typically produced by less-accurate tools and processes used in the past. This article suggests guidelines for producing holes that will, in turn, produce correctly sized tapped holes.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • Phillip Craig

Behind the Carbide Curtain

Many end users would like to see carbide tool standards that would ensure consistent quality in tools from shipment to shipment or between manufacturers. Today's C and ISO designations do not provide this assurance, according to this article. The article looks at the problems that arise because of a lack of standards and the attempts being made to guarantee consistent quality in the shop.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • Richard Horsfall

Amorphous Diamond Shapes Up

Amorphous diamond coatings can offer performance close to that of CVD diamond film at a fraction of the cost. This article describes the amorphous diamond coating process and the coating that is produced. A comparison to CVD diamond coatings is also presented.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • Bernard Nadel

Seats of Knowledge

In the lab, researchers are using artificial intelligence to turn CAD and CAM programs into systems that can think and make decisions. This article looks at several of these efforts and the capabilties of the systems that have been developed.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • Todd J. Schuett

Cutting-Edge Control

Modern control technology makes extremely fast milling speeds possible. But the top speed can only be as fast as the slowest link in the chain between controller and machine. This article looks at some of the bottlenecks that can prevent a mill from running at full speed.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • Mike Lynch

Use Your CNC Wisely

CNCs have the power to dramatically increase productivity, yet many shops fail to make use of their controllers' full potential. This article suggests ways that a shop can fine tune its CNCs to create controllers that are optimized for the type of work being performed. The tips include many CNC features, capabilities and options that users often overlook.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • David Doyle

Burning Brightly

The more sophisticated die-sinker EDMs on the market today possess enough intelligence to monitor cutting conditions and make necessary adjustments on the fly. This article describes the technology that drives these smart machines and the "fuzzy logic" they use to maintain an optimal spark.

Articles • August 1, 1997 • D. Fred Smith

Ball-Drive Superiority

This article makes the argument that ball-drive quick-change tapholders, which transfer torque through hardened-steel balls fitted into mating detents, are more reliable than tang-drive units. The technology behind ball-drive tapholders and the design's benefits are explained.