Articles & Columns

After a wrenching 2009, when parts manufacturers saw precipitous sales declines and orders and sales of machine tools and cutting tools also dropped sharply, the U.S. metalworking industry experienced a relatively strong recovery in 2010. Demand for manufactured products in developing markets, a rebound in the domestic auto market and inventory rebuilding by companies that had been holding off on orders helped fuel the recovery.

Manufacturers continue to make process improvements in everything from surface finish to grinding wheel life, but one of the simplest improvements is leveling an out-of-tolerance machine.

Productive machining is all about keeping spindles turning and making chips. Time spent touching off tools, adjusting tool length and offsets in the spindle and doing test cuts is time—and money—wasted. That’s the value proposition presented by manufacturers of tool presetters, and it’s one that, surprisingly, is a bit of a hard sell in some shops.

December 2010 Shop Operations column in Cutting Tool Engineering offers tips for design engineers who would like to start to bridge the gap between design and manufacturing.

Toolmakers combine technologies to meet growing demand for PCD tools.

When SRL Nano Corp. developed carbide-grade tools that use a patented binder material with a melting threshold similar to that of carbide—about 2,870º C, naturally the Rosemead, Calif., company dubbed the new material Hyper-Carbide. And once you view the video below that captures a series of cutting tool tests, it's easy to see why.

December 2010 Talking Points column in Cutting Tool Engineering is a Q&A with Carlos Cardoso, chairman, president and CEO of Kennametal Inc.

With the right tools, threadmilling large bore diameters doesn't have to be daunting. Read the article and check out a brief video of several threadmilling demonstrations offered by Allied Machine & Engineering Corp.

December 2010 Grinding Doc column in Cutting Tool Engineering answers questions from our readers.

Shop Operations column for the October 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Better technology boosts use of EDMs for production applications.

Get With The Program column for the October 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: Honda of America Manufacturing Inc., (937) 498-4545, www.honda.com. CHALLENGE: Deburr camshafts to keep pace with engine production while enhancing workpiece flexibility. SOLUTION: A special deburring machine that's suitable for more than one size of camshaft combined with a magnetic conveyor to remove the fines. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Cinetic Automation Corp., (248) 477-0800, www.cineticusa.com

A look at portable measurement technologies and their applications.

Manager's Desk column for the October 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: Trek Bicycle Corp., (920) 478-2191, www.trekbikes.com. CHALLENGE: Improve material yields and speed generation of nesting patterns for carbon fiber composite parts. SOLUTION: CAM software that automatically generates nesting patterns to maximize material yields. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: JetCAM International s.a.r.l., +44 870 760 6469, www.jetcam.com

It's never been easier to recycle cutting tools, which produces both cost savings and environmental benefits.

END USER: Tank Component Industries, (417) 831-5100, www.tankcomponents.com. CHALLENGE: Remove tramp oil that's contaminating coolant. SOLUTION: Portable oil skimmer that extends coolant life and minimizes the need to clean machines. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Abanaki Corp., (800) 358-SKIM, www.abanaki.com.

Nanotechnology opens up new coating possibilities and performance.

Machine Technology column for the October 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.