Articles & Columns

Any conversation about training and skills development in the metalworking industry tends to stir up emotions. Pretty soon, people are complaining about the same three things over and over: “Our manufacturing plants are stereotyped as dark, dirty and greasy;” “We can't get people to consider manufacturing jobs because we're negatively stereotyped by parents and high-school guidance counselors;” and “There aren't enough available workers with the right skills.”

A bandsaw is a common sight in a machine shop. To get blanks on the floor faster, shops use bandsaws to cut several square, rectangular or round solid bars or tubes at a time. Knowing about the proper bandsaw, workholders and saw blades can make the bundle cutting process go much more smoothly.

Anyone who works in or around a machine shop knows that high-performance cutting tools are expensive. If the process of acquiring and using these tools is not managed properly, tool expenses can quickly and negatively impact the bottom line, whether you are operating a mom-and-pop shop or a major OEM.

Speed up and simplify inspection of watch movements. An image dimension measurement system.

How a cooperative organization helps manufacturers train their employees in-house.

An intelligent manufacturing application.

Manager's Desk Columnist Keith Jennings reflects on the ups and downs of the previous 12 months, with a nod to the “classroom of reality,” which he says continues to educate him and his team. As a result, his shop created a list of goals for 2014.

"Having been in manufacturing as long as I have," writes Machinist's Corner Columnist Michael Deren, "you might think I've grown tired of the daily grind. On the contrary, I usually can't wait to get to work each day."

Separate yet combined is an apt description of Stock Drive Products/Sterling Instrument. Located on New York's Long Island, in New Hyde Park, both sides of the company were founded, and are still managed, by engineers.

Increase throughput and reduce scrap when machining thrust bearing races for down-hole mud motors. An automated gaging system integrated into a turning cell.

A new cryogenic cooling milling tool.

At a trade show, a company displayed a grinding wheel with slots, where coolant is poured into the center of the wheel and then ejected into the grinding zone. What's your take on this design?

While the basic CNC lathe is still a standby in many machine shops, new technology has vastly expanded turning capabilities. For example, live tooling and multiple turrets turn a basic lathe into a multitasking productivity center. When equipped with a large automatic toolchanger, these machines can hold tools for dozens of jobs, reduce setup time, and turn, mill, drill and finish parts in a single setup.

Vise jaws that grip as little as 2mm of workpiece material without special tooling or machining a gripping feature.

To the public at large, the word “counterfeit” mostly brings to mind so-called “funny money” or, more recently, low-priced CDs and DVDs that violate copyright laws. What is less widely known, but more threatening to public safety is the counterfeit parts and products that have found their way into the supply chains of critical industries, including aerospace, automotive and medical.

Achieve a higher accuracy and resolution when measuring cutting tools and components. An optical 3-D measurement system.

Like many in the machining world, I've dealt with more than enough serious issues in 2013, so it's cool to have been part of a fun experience.

A guide to when shops should say farewell to used cutting tools.

Achieve a 24-hour-maximum turnaround time on aluminum prototypes for tablet computers. Endmills designed for maximum metal-removal rate when cutting aluminum.

Christopher Tate, Cutting Tool Engineering's Shop Technology columnist, said he is surprised by the number of engineers and machinists who are not familiar with traditional machining tools and techniques. Many metalworking professionals seem to default to using only sophisticated technology for all aspects of machining without understanding or being able to use more traditional options.