Articles & Columns

Dear Doc: I grind small parts with intricate geometries. I’d like to get a handle on what kind of Ra values I’m generating and if the grinding process changes I’m making are improving or worsening the surface finish. I was told to purchase a profilometer. Is this the best route to go?

Understanding tool geometry and selecting the right tap for different workpiece materials can help take the anxiety out of tapping operations.

When finishing parts, shops may want to hit them with their best shot. Shot peening can produce longer part life.

U.S. companies that adopt electromagnetic workholders heartily endorse the technology.

The creation of a part program for a CNC machine tool usually starts with a part drawing or model that contains the part material, geometry and tolerances.

As an owner or manager of a machining business, you have your hands full dealing with matters from the front office to the shop and everything in-between. Even so, nonproduction issues seem to be an increasing burden.

Combination tooling, custom fixtures and creative solutions help Apex Precision thrive.

Who should perform spindle maintenance in machine shops?

Sanding, or benching, titanium alloy parts is a major cost element of the manufacturing process. Sanding removes burrs and improves surface finish to achieve drawing specifications.

Talking Shop August 2009 column

Eagle Machine Inc., in Abbotsford, B.C., frequently takes on challenging jobs, such as modifying a diving bell for deep-sea submarine rescues or designing and machining a set of solid aluminum wheels for an 800-mph land speed car based on an F-104 jet aircraft. Owner Steve Green said, “People come to us with the craziest things because other people tell them, ‘the only place you can go is Eagle Machine.’ ”

Because they produce chips at high operating temperatures, often with oil-based coolants present, machine tools can easily catch fire. However, if shops plan ahead for this possibility by installing fire suppression systems, they can avoid catastrophic damage to the machine and the shop itself.

In today’s market, a machine shop often has millions of dollars invested in machines. Typically, a hefty amount is also committed to payroll. For a shop to be profitable, these two assets must work together efficiently. But what is the best way to manage and balance machine and manpower efficiency?

Applying “off-the-shelf,” standard milling tools to get the job done provides several benefits: the tools are readily available and usually from numerous suppliers, their prices are competitive and the results are predictable. Nonetheless, even with a multitude of standard tools available for nearly every milling application, parts manufacturers often require specials engineered for a specific application.

Unlike lathes, which have been around for thousands of years, milling machines are less than 200 years old. Because they require much more power than hand-driven lathes, the introduction of milling machines had to wait for the invention of industrial water and steam power.

Because of the array of precision functions grinding machines perform, it’s vital to properly maintain them to keep them operating at their peak in terms of accuracy and reliability. You can start by devising a maintenance program and sticking with it. This article provides tips on how to set up key parts of that program.

Manufacturing is an energy-intensive activity. The U.S. government estimates that manufacturing consumes about one-third of the energy used in the country, stated Scott Hibbard, vice president of technology for Bosch Rexroth Corp., Hoffman Estates, Ill., in his paper “Six keys to sustainable manufacturing.”

Our shop uses several tools to help us communicate easier and more effectively. These methods are well-tested, readily available, cost-effective and, in my experience, underutilized by machine shops.

Machine tool users can access the information contained in a stability lobe diagram to greatly increase productivity.

The timing of the IMTS trade show in Chicago last September couldn’t have been better for Jason Bromiley. As vice president and co-owner of John R. Bromiley Machine Co. Inc., a job shop in Chalfont, Pa., Bromiley has the lead role in company plans to expand into aerospace manufacturing. Early last fall, the firm already was working on attaining the requisite certification (AS 9100B and ISO 9001:2008). And, as IMTS rolled around, Bromiley was in the market for equipment that would both streamline his shop’s current w