Articles

Articles • January 19, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Hamilton sings praises of manufacturing

Government concerning itself with manufacturing? What would the Founding Fathers think? We know the answer: December marked 220 years since Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton submitted his "Report on the Subject Manufactures" to the House of Representatives. In it, he argued in favor of manufacturing as a contrast to the Jeffersonian vision of an agrarian society, and that action from the federal government was necessary if U.S. manufacturing was to thrive.

Articles • January 18, 2017 • Alan Richter

Telescope to look for earliest light

Although the James Webb Space Telescope isn't scheduled to be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana until October 2018, NASA announced that the 18th and final primary mirror segment was recently installed on what will be the biggest and most powerful space telescope.

Articles • January 17, 2017 • Evan Jones Thorne

HUNCH launches student manufacturing—literally

High school manufacturing programs teach students to create production parts, preparing them for careers in industry. Those parts are primarily for terrestrial applications. However, unique and exciting opportunities to produce parts for use above the earth are available to partner-schools in a 14-year-old government program called HUNCH (High schools United with NASA to Create Hardware).

Articles • January 16, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Robotics road map calls for increased investment

More than 150 U.S.-based robotics researchers contributed to the 2016 edition of the report titled "A Roadmap for US Robotics From Internet to Robotics." Released Oct. 31, the document calls for improving policy frameworks to safely integrate new technologies, such as self-driving cars and commercial drones, into everyday life. The document also advocates for increased research efforts in the field of human-robot interaction and for more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) courses for students.

Articles • January 16, 2017 • Kip Hanson

RFID tagging for toolholders

The tagging applications for radio frequency identification (RFID) are vast, including pets, property—and even people. Recently, Micro-Mechanics Inc., a Morgan Hill, Calif., machine shop, worked with process control equipment provider Caron Engineering Inc., Wells, Maine, to implement an RFID tagging system on its Okuma LB series CNC lathe.

Articles • January 13, 2017 • Bryan Jacobs

Optimization software saves time

Good optimization software must take into account all the known challenges to optimal machining, which include heat, vibration, deflection, chip buildup, material hardness and a machine tool's horsepower, torque, rigidity, spindle speed, maximum feed rate and accuracy. What's more, end users must also select the appropriate cutting tools and machining parameters.

Articles • January 12, 2017 • Keith Jennings

Being the face of your shop

Manager's Desk Columnist Keith Jennings discusses the benefits of being the face of your company in the January 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Articles • January 11, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Burning hard metal

The Look Ahead department covers electro-erosion metal removal with a 5-axis horizontal machining center in the January 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Articles • January 11, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

A combination tool for thread forming

The Look Ahead department includes a combination broaching and tapping tool for thread forming in the January 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Articles • January 10, 2017 • Alan Richter

High-pressure holemaking

END USER: Modern Machining Technology Inc., (303) 945-7570, www.destroked.com; SOLUTION PROVIDER: Industrial Coolant Systems LLC, (303) 968-1707, www.industrialcoolantsystems.com; CHALLENGE: Reduce the cycle time when drilling a large quantity of holes in a 1018 steel part. SOLUTION: A high-pressure coolant system.

Articles • January 9, 2017 • James Harvey

CNC training begins with changing tools

Shop Operations columnist James A. Harvey underscores the importance of his initial CNC training, which involved changing tools on a new mill. Just the act of changing a tool let him interact with the machine and controller in a way that gave him confidence.

Articles • January 6, 2017 • Kip Hanson

A custom grind

Sam Yu, president and owner of Corona, Calif.-based Machine Control Technologies Inc., said he builds specialty tool and cutter grinders in months—and at a fraction the price of competitors' custom grinders.