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In the first part of this two-part series, I looked at what actually happens in the cutting zone and how that knowledge allows end users to select the best possible cutting tool and CAD/CAM strategy for a particular material to optimize material removal.

Are you about to scrap an old machine tool and replace it with a new one? Before you do, consider what could be a much less expensive way of getting a better machine: having the old one remanufactured.

While attending IMTS in September, it was nice to meet fellow machine shop owners and managers, many of whom expressed optimism and reported a robust year for their businesses. That was good to hear, considering our market is in the midst of a downturn and requires aggressive management to persevere.

The Grinding Doc fields the following questions: 1. The grinding wheel manufacturer I work for wants to set up a basic lab for testing wheels and different Al2O3 grits. What's the best, most-economical way to do this? 2. I'm getting chatter on parts and am trying to determine if it's from grinding forces that are too high or from an out-of-balance wheel.

Electrical discharge machining (EDMing) goes by many names—burning, spark machining, spark eroding, vaporizing—but they all refer to variations on the same process: removing material by running an electric current between an electrode and a negatively charged workpiece material submerged in a dielectric fluid.

Often dictated by the production environment, part quantities and part function, the selection of a parts marking method presents a variety of choices—each of which comes with pros and cons.

Opinions vary on the definition of hard turning. Some industry experts say it's the single-edge cutting of hardened steels from 58 to 68 HRC, while others suggest hard turning begins at 45 HRC and includes hardened irons and superalloys. All, however, agree it presents difficulties but is quite manageable provided the right cutting tools, machine and process parameters are used.

Industry experts predict better, if not yet spectacular, times for manufacturers in the coming year.

There was plenty to see, eat, drink, hear and learn at the United States Cutting Tool Institute's 2016 Fall Meeting, held in New Orleans Oct. 15-17.

END USER: Windings Inc., (800) 795-8533, www.windings.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: West Ohio Tool Co., (937) 842-6688, www.westohiotool.com. ​CHALLENGE: Extend tool life when drilling a high-silica part. SOLUTION: A solid, cross-center PCD-tipped drill.

END USER: Toolcraft Inc., (360) 794-5512, www.tcprecision.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Mil-Tec Inc., (800) 564-5832, www.miltecusa.com. CHALLENGE: Reduce cycle time when machining an aluminum part. SOLUTION: A progressive form tool applied on a horizontal machining center.

Look Ahead features simulation tools for automating titanium cutting.