Kip Hanson

Articles • November 27, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Convertible headstocks becoming the norm on Swiss-style machines

When convertible spindles for Swiss-style CNC lathes were introduced a decade or so ago, many in the industry said they were only a fad. Yet those naysayers have been proven abundantly wrong, as headstocks that can be converted from sliding to fixed are becoming the norm on Swiss machines.

Articles • October 4, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Reaching new heights

Measuring machined parts on a surface plate has long been a tedious job, one that requires mastery of dial indicators, a pocket calculator and an adjustable height gage that most in the industry refer to as a "Cadillac gage." But several metrology providers offer a more sophisticated way to quickly and accurately check hole diameters, the distance between part features, centerlines and more. The tool is called an electronic height gage, and it has made Cadillac gages about as popular as whitewall tires.

Articles • September 28, 2017 • Kip Hanson

New approach to cutting heat-resistant superalloys

Machining Inconel 718 and similar heat-resistant superalloys (HRSAs) at cutting speeds normally reserved for aluminum is not only possible but becoming an accepted practice at some aerospace OEMs.

Articles • September 27, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Save time by setting tools offline with a presetter

The benefits of presetting are somewhat intangible; it takes a little digging to actually understand how much time is spent manually setting tools and what impact that has on shop throughput and profitability.

Articles • September 12, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Alternatives to steep tapers

Today's machine tool users have more spindle choices than just the steep-taper designs developed 40 years ago.n

Articles • September 8, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Get With the Program: Controlling the shop floor

Thinking of purchasing shop floor control software but don't know where to start? You might want to start by brushing up on the relevant jargon.

Articles • September 6, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Taking measures to improve metrology

Many — if not most — shops encourage employees to purchase their own measurement tools. Some even help by "financing" these purchases, allowing machinists to pay them off in small increments. And what machinist doesn't want his or her "own stuff" with which to do the job? But does allowing machinists to use their own measuring tools actually make sense?

Articles • August 14, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Low-wattage lasers: faster, gentler, eco-friendly

Low-wattage lasers are faster, gentler and more eco-friendly than traditional parts-cleaning methods. So why aren't they more prevalent?

Articles • August 9, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Process creates steel that’s a-peeling

If you've ever watched a bar of red-hot metal emerge from the furnace at a rolling mill, you might wonder how that scaly chunk of material became the smooth, shiny and accurate length of steel you just loaded into a lathe's bar feeder. Machinists know it as cold-finished bar stock. It got that way thanks to a process known as bar peeling.

Articles • August 8, 2017 • Kip Hanson

CAD/CAM software for ultraprecision machining

The primary application for ultraprecision machining is optical-grade surfaces for injection molds, which are used to make contact lenses, LEDs for TVs and head-up displays in military aircraft and luxury cars.

Articles • July 14, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Rotary transfer machines: Eclipsing the past

Some machine tools are modified so much and so frequently it becomes a common practice. That's certainly the case with rotary transfer machines.

Articles • July 12, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Custom machines offer solutions standard ones sometimes can’t

Every so often a job or part geometry comes along where it would be helpful to have a few extra inches in a machine's work envelope, or perhaps a little higher rpm or an additional spindle. At these and certain other times, it might be worth considering a custom machine.