Kip Hanson

Articles • July 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Balanced equations: Toolholder vibration makes for miserable machining, but balancing can help

Unbalanced tool holders create excessive heat in the spindle bearings, which, along with the vibration, can cause premature spindle failure.

Articles • July 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Sharp attack: How needles and other medical sharps are ground

Spend enough time working in a machine shop and you're bound to pay a visit to the emergency room for a cut finger. First comes the sting as the ER physician injects you with a local anesthetic, then the tug of the thread as she drags the suturing needle, a type of surgical needle, through your skin. This traumatic experience is painful enough, but without the sharp edge imparted to those needles through special machines known as needle-point grinders, those sutures would feel as if the doc were using a darning needle from grandma's sewing kit.

Articles • June 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Keeping machines and operators cool and clean

Shops today are more aware of environmental conditions. Mist collectors and electrostatic air cleansers are not uncommon and many manufacturers realize there's little chance of attracting high-caliber work from customers when the shop is a pigsty.

Articles • June 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Rotary tables tackle heavy loads with ease

Tired of your wimpy 5C indexer or NC rotary table giving up its position faster than a politician after an election? Maybe it's time to supersize that commodity indexer.

Articles • May 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Heavy-Duty Hydro

Hydraulic vises ofer accurate workholding for workpieces large and small.

Articles • April 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Systematic thinking: Enterprise resource planning

The steel comes in late, she shop is overloaded, due dates are regularly missed and the last quote was blown because no one has a clue about actual operating costs. These are just a few of the daily problems encountered by shops that manage their businesses through Excel spreadsheets and low-cost accounting software. There is a better way.

Articles • April 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Tips for using zero-point clamping systems

If your shop is looking for a low-cost, simple and effective way to reduce setup time, consider zero-point clamping.

Articles • March 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Adapt and conquer

Adaptive control helps CNC machines produce more parts.

Articles • February 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

HMC transformations

By their very nature, horizontal machining centers are among the best friends a shop can have if it hopes to remain agile and competitive in this brave new world of low-volume, high-complexity machining.

Articles • January 1, 2014 • Kip Hanson

Driven to perform

Tips on choosing driven tools for mill/turn centers.

Articles • December 1, 2013 • Kip Hanson

Cracking the code: Determining when complex turning and multitasking are the right solutions

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.

Articles • December 1, 2013 • Kip Hanson

Vacuum grips where some vises fail

Suppose your boss enjoys cooking shows. One day he hands you his design sketch for the latest and greatest pie tin. "Here, make me a prototype," he says. "I'm entering a pastry contest." How do you machine this?