Mechanized marvel
Automation enables part manufacturers to boost efficiency, but limitations remain.
Editorial
Christopher Tate
Christopher Tate is the owner of Tate Engineering, a Natchez, Mississippi, firm that helps manufacturers solve efficiency problems. Tate, who earned master's degree in industrial technology from Mississippi State University, has 32 years of experience in the metalworking industry.
Contributing Editor
Email: [email protected]
What is your shop wasting?
Creating a lean manufacturing environment starts with recognizing sources of waste.
Finish it with reaming
Reaming is a cost-effective, reliable way to finish tight-tolerance holes.
Cutting raw materials into usable workpieces
When material dimensions don't conform to necessary workpiece dimensions, there are many ways to cut the right cut.
Selecting the appropriate drill design
Twist, indexable, replaceable-tip and spade drills can performed most machine work in today's shops.
Work cells work
Cellular manufacturing steadily permeates the metalworking world
Inside the impact of inserts
CNC machines loaded with indexable tools are the foundation of modern machining.
Bet on waterjet
Abrasive waterjet machining can be a terrific complement to more traditional machining processes.
The difficulties of tapping
Mastering this machining operation requires a lot of research and consultations.
Math matters
Technology has not removed the need to master calculations.
CMMs automate part measurement
Paired with machine tools in a manufacturing cell, a coordinate measuring machine can collect, process and transmit data.
Turning catching up in the use of chip thinning
Milling operations that benefit from chip thinning have become common, now it's turning's time.