Articles & Columns

Four major players involved in industrial automation are collaborating on the development of a platform that connects CNC machines, robots, peripheral devices and sensors. The purpose of the system is to deliver analytics that optimize manufacturing production.

Numerous factors determine whether a manufacturer is profitable or not. Lately, one of those factors for a U.S. manufacturer is whether it is is focused on the domestic market or pursuing a global approach.

It’s not the most glamorous piece of equipment by any means, but the ball bar is a diagnostic tool used, in some form, to benchmark the performance of virtually every machine tool sold, according to Harold Schoch, vice president of technology and sales for Konecranes, Erlanger, Ky.

When a good customer requests a meeting at his place, I go. That happened recently, when our shop’s account manager accompanied me on a 20-minute trek to a customer’s new corporate headquarters for a meeting to review our contract and extend it a few years. The customer happens to be a large corporation, and our shop has a contract to exclusively manufacture certain products.

A team of engineers from several California colleges has developed and tested a type of steel with a record-breaking ability to withstand impacts without permanent deformation. The new alloy, named SAM2X5-630, could be used in applications from drills to body armor to meteor-resistant casings for satellites. The material is an amorphous steel alloy, a subclass of steel alloys made of arrangements of atoms that deviate from steel’s classical crystal-like structure, where iron atoms occupy specific locations.

The technology to form, press and grind indexable carbide inserts has evolved to such a high degree that the methods to effectively clamp inserts in a cutter body have struggled to keep up, but strides are being made. Some insert shapes have advanced to the point where they have a true, 100-percent, 3D geometry with almost no flat surfaces. This requires a tool-body pocket that is dynamically shaped to accommodate the optimal geometry. For example, an insert with a wavelike feature across its back requires it be seated in a pocket with a matching shape to ensure accurate fixation with high stability.

Contrary to the history lessons from middle school about “the” Industrial Revolution, it is a widely held belief that the modern world has experienced three industrial revolutions. In the first, industry harnessed the power of steam and water. Mass production, reliable electrical power and division of labor drove the second revolution. Electronics and the computer defined the third. 

Michael Finklea believes that there isn’t much reported on sawing in the manufacturing trade press because “it’s kind of the redheaded stepchild in the industry—an unappreciated part of the manufacturing process. In most shops, the least-skilled person is running the saw.”

Components used in the manufacture of combustion hardware for a Mitsubishi gas turbine begin life as sheet or plate stock. Because our components come from large sheets, we start every manufacturing process by cutting the desired shape or profile.

The results from a recent SME survey of parents about their views relating to careers in manufacturing showed there is not enough accurate information about the opportunities a manufacturing career offers.

In last month’s column, I discussed the value of communication between engineers and shop personnel. Here are some additional tips in that vein for engineers:

CNC lathes have evolved greatly over the past few decades. What were once simple 2-axis turning machines have become a bewildering array of extremely capable metalcutting equipment, most of which offer two spindles, multiple turrets, robust milling capabilities and can complete many parts in a single setup. In other words, they have become multitask machines.

Deep-hole drilling is virtually an art unto itself, with a host of complexities and considerations inherent to the process. Greg Forman, technical director of toolmaker Precision Cutting Tools Inc. (PCT), Santa Fe Springs, Calif., answered questions to provide some insight into drilling holes greater than 5 diameters deep.

As CNC machining gets more complicated, the chance of programmer and operator errors increases. These errors can cause collisions involving machine components and workpieces during the cutting process, resulting in downtime and part, tool and machine damage. Costly crashes aren’t inevitable, however, thanks to technologies aimed at preventing collisions and minimizing their impact.

END USER: RDC Control Ltd., (800) 363-2264, www.rdccontrol.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Rösler Metal Finishing USA LLC, (269) 441-3000, www.rosler.us. CHALLENGE: Reduce the cost and time to finish end plates for hydraulic cylinders. SOLUTION: A shot-blasting machine to perform the process in-house.

Value-added services shorten lead times and increase sales opportunities for parts manufacturers. The decision to bring traditionally outsourced services in-house can be an expensive and scary proposition—one with the potential to either transform a company or send it into bankruptcy. Yet that’s exactly what many manufacturing companies do, and often they are pleased with the results. That proved true for the four companies profiled in the following pages.

Around for more than 100 years, air gaging is a mature technology that still has a place in modern shops.

Ask the Grinding Doc Columnist Jeffrey Badger, Ph.D., responds to a question about the difference between “constant rpm” and “constant metal-removal rate” when it comes to grinding cams.

END USER: Kluba Machine LLC, (636) 390-4088. SOLUTION PROVIDER: CNC Software Inc., (800) 228-2877, www.mastercam.com. CHALLENGE: Improve cycle times and spindle uptime while maintaining part quality. SOLUTION: CAD/CAM software.

The aircraft industry now has the means to precisely machine multilayer material combinations. These combinations, called stack materials, include several thin layers of different materials. Aircraft skin, for example, could consist of titanium, aluminum and composite layers, according to Lee Coleman, automation division manager for Suhner Manufacturing Inc., Rome, Ga.