Alan Richter

Articles • August 3, 2020 • Alan Richter

2020 Salary Survey

Cutting Tool Engineering's 2020 Benefits and Salary Survey shows that the incomes of many metalworking professionals are stagnant or down slightly.n

Articles • July 15, 2020 • Alan Richter

The allure of aluminum

Effectively milling aluminum requires balancing all elements of a cutting tool.

Articles • June 15, 2020 • Alan Richter

Broaching expertise key to shop’s success

Ty Miles Inc. specializes in high-speed broaching systems.

Articles • May 11, 2020 • Alan Richter

Making the grade

When selecting the right tungsten-carbide grade, you need the full picture.

News • March 28, 2020 • Alan Richter

Get ready for equipment as a service

With the arrival of Industry 4.0, a new business model is emerging for how part manufacturers acquire machine tools: equipment as a service (Eaas). Graham Immerman, vice president of marketing for Northampton, Massachusetts-based MachineMetrics Inc., effectively covers this topic in his new 12-page ebook/white paper titled "Equipment-as-a-Service: A Brave New World for Machine Tool Builders." In an interview with CTE, he said, "Instead of buying a machine and fully financing it or paying cash, you can pay as you use it."

News • March 11, 2020 • Alan Richter

A short story about the parabolic flute drill

I received an email from Lynn Fifer, a retired cutting tool professional and CTE reader since 1967, who shared his recollections about the development of the parabolic flute drill. Fifer said the development occurred in 1950s at the old Mohawk Tools Inc., Montpelier, Ohio, well before he started with the toolmaker in 1967.

Articles • March 10, 2020 • Alan Richter

Moldmaker still family owned after 122 years

Look inside Comet Die & Engraving, an Illinois company with an extensive history.

Articles • February 10, 2020 • Alan Richter

A look inside Wisconsin Engraving Co.

A Wisconsin engraving and texturing shop offers electrode machining and sinker EDMing services.n

Articles • January 22, 2020 • Alan Richter

Magnetic workholders reduce setup, changeover times

Electro-permanent magnetic workholders offer multiple advantages — even for nonmagnetic parts.

News • January 10, 2020 • Alan Richter

Making your own cutting tool

When making a cutting tool, I tend to think of a drill, endmill or other metalcutting tool being produced on a CNC tool and cutter grinder in a factory. A book by Bradley Richardson, however, describes how to make a different type of cutting tool with manual tools and equipment in a nonproduction environment. Published by Fox Chapel Publishing Co. Inc., Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, "Making Your Own Bush Knife: A Beginner's Guide for the Backyard Knifemaker," details the process of creating a custom knife.

Articles • December 18, 2019 • Alan Richter

Coolant enhances worker health, safety

Fusion Coolant Systems' Pure-Cut products a safer alternative to metalworking fluids.

Articles • December 5, 2019 • Alan Richter

All about machining metal 3D-printed parts

Learn the latest on hybrid machine tools, large-scale printed parts and material removal from CTE contributors.