Articles & Columns

END USER: Premier Industries, (763) 786-4020, www.premierind.us. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Horn USA Inc., (888) 818-HORN, www.hornusa.com. CHALLENGE: Reduce cycle times, extend tool life and impart finer surface finishes when parting off parts for pressure regulators. SOLUTION: A modular toolholding system.

Rebuilding a CNC machine tool is expensive, but the result is a machine that is as good as, and often better than, the original, according to this feature article by CTE Contributing Editor Kip Hanson.

Chucks with quick-change jaws help high-mix, low-volume parts manufacturers to spend as much time as possible in the cut rather than setting up.

The Get With the Program column in the December 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering highlights one shop's process for implementing CAM software.

The Shop Operations column in the December 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering covers a few clever tools for finding an edge.

The Grinding Doc helps a shop experiencing chatter as its grinding wheel goes from 3" to 2" running at a constant 10,000 sfm.

When convertible spindles for Swiss-style CNC lathes were introduced a decade or so ago, many in the industry said they were only a fad. Yet those naysayers have been proven abundantly wrong, as headstocks that can be converted from sliding to fixed are becoming the norm on Swiss machines.

Look in a couple of nooks in the machine tool market and you’ll find what appear to be bargains for those buying big.

Here's something that every shop should consider doing from time to time: a careful evaluation of the many business services and internal processes required to operate a successful company.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.