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By integrating laser-based cutting and, in some cases, welding heads onto their already-capable equipment, Swiss-style lathe builders are taking these machines into bold new territory.

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.

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.

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.

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.

By packaging both turning and milling functions in a single machining center, machine tool builders believe they've hit on a winning combination that can boost part quality while also slashing cycle times, space and costs.

Repeat work is great, but shops have to guard against the comfortable complacency that such work can generate at the expense of diversifying its customer base. Said diversification is essential to a shop's growth.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, Chemnitz, Germany, wanted to study the impact of climate change on machines without having to ship them to far-flung locales. Therefore, the institute developed a climate chamber at its newly inaugurated test lab in which it could expose machines to various climates around the world.

Coatings for metalcutting tools have made tremendous advances since their introduction more than 40 years ago. As coatings have improved, our understanding of their behavior in a variety of cutting operations has increased, and this has led to further developments to enhance performance. A technology that has made big strides in the past few years is post-coating treatment.

When productivity decreases, some leaders assume that machinists are not adequately doing their jobs. After all, they directly operate the machines. Before jumping to this conclusion, however, ask if you are being fair to these skilled workers who are the backbone of the manufacturing industry.

When Nippon Bearing Co. Ltd. started developing its EXRAIL roller guide, it wanted to strengthen its overall line. The result, according to the company, has 1.5 times the rigidity of a conventional roller guide.

Mitsubishi Electric Automation "has created a revolutionary leap" with its stand-along M80W CNC, which features a Windows-based display that is separate from the control unit.