Articles & Columns

Shop Operations Columnist Tom Lipton offers additional tips for operating a CNC lathe in the February 2014 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Increase flexibility and repeatability when machining high-volume auto parts. A hydraulic stationary clamping system.

Keith Jennings, our Manager's Desk columnist, this month responds to readers asking for tips to increase sales, and, yes, his answer emphasizes the need for a Web presence and social media.

With a global commercial aircraft order backlog recently valued at $920 billion, jetliner and jet-engine builders are placing volumes of part orders not seen for many years -- if ever.

High-speed grinding can provide great gains when grinding outside diameters.

A through-spindle and through-tool laser-assisted milling process.

Bring outsourced parts in-house that were being milled and machine them on a CNC lathe. A 6-axis turning center equipped with a bar feeder.

Many machine tool spindles are supported in the housing by rolling-element bearings. Cutting forces, spindle unbalance and spindle preload impose cyclic loads on the bearing's balls and races. Over time, the cyclic loading produces fatigue failure, damaging the surfaces of races and balls. This kind of damage causes vibration and noise, limits bearing life and eventually requires bearing replacement.

Regardless of a live center's brand, its quality is acceptable or the center manufacturer wouldn't be in business. In addition, most center designers have kept pace with today's high-horsepower machines, aggressive machining parameters and high-pressure coolant applications to avoid limiting the accuracy and service life of a live center.

Run at high machining parameters without chatter when demonstrating machine tools. A precision collet chuck.

The vertical linear axes on machine tools are fundamentally different than those that operate parallel to the ground. This is because the actuators on the vertical axes have to overcome the effects of gravity.

A CVD tool coating with unidirectional crystal orientation.

Tips on choosing driven tools for mill/turn centers.

Combination cutting tools for holemaking applications save a significant amount of time when the application is right.

National Institute for Metalworking Skills' network of certified training centers expands.

Effectively produce M-42 and M-2 HSS microdrills. A 5-axis tool and cutter grinder coupled with CBN wheels.

A typical CNC lathe program is quite short compared to some of the mammoth CAM-generated programs for milling machines. Here are some tips and tricks to programming a CNC lathe.

Connecticut Spring & Stamping developed an apprenticeship program to meet is own training needs.

The digital revolution has impacted everyone. As is typical with a disruptive technology, expected cost savings drive initial adoption. But, over time, far greater impact is achieved once the new technology is better understood. For example, the Internet and e-mail have dramatically reduced the volume of mail carried by the U.S. Postal Service, threatening its entire business model.

Tool data management optimizes production resources and data.