Machines/Accessories/Controls

Planning is critical when operating CNC machines. When I began machining, CNCs were just coming into mainstream use. The first shops I worked in had only conventional (manual) machines. It wasn’t until the mid-1980s that I started to notice the incredible versatility of CNC machines. The complex contours and shapes the machines could generate made many jobs much easier. The use of templates to file and sweep in surfaces was rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

The benefits of creating and using a virtual machine tool. At trade shows and elsewhere, people on the cutting edge of manufacturing are touting the benefits of digitalizing the machine tool environment, where technologies are employed that make use of digital data. It’s at the heart of the much-discussed drive toward Industry 4.0.

Whether done manually or with a powered device, scraping guide ways is critical to machine tool performance.

Productive Times Challenge: Find a suitable toolholder to handle precision machining. The Solution: Shrink-fit chucks.

Productive Times Challenge: Reduce post-machining polishing time. The Solution: Tooling toolholder assemblies with high-torque retention knobs.

The October issue of Cutting Tool Engineering includes a Look Ahead item about an additively manufactured hydraulic chuck.

The Look Ahead department in the October issue of Cutting Tool Engineering features a high-speed spindle that reduces natural vibrations.

The end of manual machining isn't near. There are certain tasks you can do with conventional machines that CNC machines are just not good at, such as “blending,” reports the October Shop Operations column in Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Companies that make cylindrical cutting tools from PCD and other materials face two key challenges: meeting the surging demand for PCD tools while retaining the ability to produce HSS, carbide, ceramic and cermet tools, observes the Machine Technology column in the October issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

In the market for a rotary table? The checklist of requirements starts with speed, accuracy and rigidity. CTE spoke with multiple rotary table manufacturers to discuss market trends, product innovations and add-ons that can improve overall machine tool performance.