Articles

Articles • October 26, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: All together now

The toii Platform, created by thyssenkrupp Materials Services GmbH, is said to effectively communicate with a wide array of systems and devices that will help fulfill the promise of the industrial internet of things (IIoT).

Articles • October 25, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: Securing robots’ ‘personal space’

Collaborative robotics has three aspects: the human, the robot and the workspace where the task is to be completed. Much of the media coverage has focused exclusively on the robots themselves.

Articles • October 23, 2017 • Alan Richter

Productive Times: Slicing through the challenge

End User: DoubleStar Corp., (888) 736-7725, www.star15.com; Solution Provider: DP Technology Corp., (800) 627-8479, www.espritcam.com; Challenge: Write CNC programs to efficiently machine knives. Solution: 3D milling strategies in a CAM program.

Articles • October 19, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Modular fixturing pros and cons

Modular fixturing at its best offers the stability and accuracy of dedicated workholding with the flexibility to be reconfigured quickly for a variety of parts. But sometimes compatibility issues arise.

Articles • October 18, 2017

Navigating safety regulations

Navigating and complying with OSHA regulations can frustrate companies, particularly when the regulations are inconsistently enforced.

Articles • October 17, 2017 • Christopher Tate

Shop considers investing in 5-axis machining

If your shop makes parts that demand multiple setups, parts that have challenging geometry or parts with difficult GD&T requirements, 5-axis machining could provide significant benefits. Do not let the potential cost of the investment prevent you from conducting a thorough cost analysis of your current machining methods.

Articles • October 16, 2017 • Alan Levine

Get With the Program: Right from wrong

Advanced CAM software provides the additional modeling that is needed to achieve total part quality, according to the Get With the Program column in the October 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Articles • October 12, 2017 • Tom Lipton

Perpendicularity: key to machining good parts

Checking perpendicularity is a recurring theme on the shop floor—one that deserves detailed discussion and special tools, according to the Shop Operations column in the October 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Articles • October 11, 2017 • Michael Deren

Machinist’s Corner: A look at D-O-W-N-T-I-M-E

The October 2017 Machinist's Corner column explains the "eight wastes of lean," for which there is an acronym known as DOWNTIME: Defects, Overproduction, Waiting, Nonutilized talent, Transportation, Inventory, Motion and Extra processing.

Articles • October 10, 2017 • Marlon Blandon

Chamfers and countersinks halt burr formation

The vast majority of threaded holes require some type of chamfer or countersink, which makes it one of the most common machining operations, and, more to the point, one that usually can be improved.

Articles • October 9, 2017 • Michael Cope

Machine Technology: Manually measuring 5-axis centerlines

In 5-axis machining, accurate rotary axis centerlines are critical, so regularly measuring and verifying these values is also critical. While the best course of action is to measure the machine using a high-tech system intended for this purpose, in a pinch you can use a manual process.

Articles • October 5, 2017 • Steve Bruno

Understanding relationship between air pressure and flow

"Pressure" and "flow" are common terms when discussing air compressors, but the relationship between the two is often misunderstood.