Articles

Articles • June 7, 2018 • Greg Bartlett

Technological advances make laser machining more practical

Over the past 30 years, laser machining has evolved into a formidable industrial practice. Gone are the large, expensive, finicky machines. Now fiber lasers, with their compact size, high reliability and affordable cost, have taken hold.

Articles • June 5, 2018 • Alan Richter

Grinding ceramic medical parts requires (diamond) grit, patience

Grinding ceramics is unlike most other grinding operations. These superhard, brittle materials need a slow and steady hand.

Articles • June 4, 2018 • William Leventon

Machine tool controls with AI learn on the job

Advanced machine tool controls infused with artificial intelligence (AI) can learn about your machining processes. With this knowledge, a CNC can automatically take action that boosts machining speed and accuracy, as well as slash unplanned downtime for maintenance.

Articles • June 1, 2018 • Keith Jennings

Working less can boost productivity

With fewer employees handling more duties, workplace stress can take a toll on productivity. Keith Jennings finds a simple solution.

Articles • May 23, 2018 • Robert Weinstein

Changing workflow: Bringing work to the workpiece

Picum MT, a startup at Leibniz University in Germany, is collaborating to redefine the manufacturing workflow, which traditionally has involved moving a workpiece from machine to machine or from station to station.

Articles • May 21, 2018 • Robert Weinstein

Innovative turning process for vertical lathes

Competition in the automotive industry is driving the need for higher-quality parts and lower manufacturing costs. All aspects are affected, including turning.

Articles • May 17, 2018

Material-specific taps continue to evolve

A look back at the use and evolution of sintered powder metal and the PM process that results in a tool substrate that consists of finer, more consistent particles, and yields a stronger, longer-lasting cutting edge.

Articles • May 16, 2018 • William Leventon

New approaches to machining microscale medical parts

Though machining medical microparts presents many challenges, shops that tackle the task are meeting these challenges thanks to a combination of ingenuity and technology, along with a dose of effective machining practices.

Articles • May 15, 2018 • Christopher Tate

Deburring: an essential but often overlooked process

With so much attention given to improving machining processes, machinists, programmers and engineers at times forget about simple, but necessary, processes like deburring.

Articles • May 14, 2018 • Michael Deren

When suppliers are the weakest link in the chain

CTE Machinist's Corner Columnist Michael Deren bemoans industrial suppliers who don't care about their customers, or know how to treat their customers. This is not the '60s and '70s, when OEMs had a take-it-or-leave-it mentality.

Articles • May 10, 2018 • Kip Hanson

Do you tap or thread-mill?

For many in the machining community, tapping is the preferred method of threadmaking on a CNC machining center. Yet others contend that thread milling is better. Kip Hanson breaks down the long-running argument.

Articles • May 9, 2018 • Ivan Mikesic

Post-programming fixture design

Carefully plan machine setup to virtually eliminate problems that could lead to such tasks as replacing the setup with a new one, reprogramming toolpaths, or even transferring the job to another machine.