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Management

Know Your Capabilities

12/01/2000
Author:
Tim McKeever
Capability is determined by how well a process produces parts. Three measures of capability are important to a machinist: gage, machine and process. The author provides a detailed description of capability and suggests ways to quantify if a process is or isn't capable.
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Killing Time

06/01/2000
Author:
Tim McKeever
One company instituted a comprehensive plan for reducing setup times and saw its average setup time drop from 252 minutes to 39 minutes. The plan involves everything from standardizing tooling to consolidating raw materials to creating families of parts. The author outlines a step-by-step program that readers can apply to their metalworking setup operations.
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Have You Checked Your Insurance Lately?

06/01/1998
Author:
Austin Weber
Business insurance represents a costly but necessary investment for any shop. This article presents the findings of a Cutting Tool Engineering survey of the liability insurance purchasing habits of readers. The article also offers some guidelines for insurance shopping.
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Fired Up

12/01/1999
Author:
Dennis Esford
The manufacturer of the most widely used fire-hose nozzle has continually upgraded its processes and equipment to meet its customers’ needs. This article outlines the market forces and changes to its nozzle design that have driven the company to maintain a state-of-the-art shop.
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The skills gap isn't the only workforce challenge

We talk extensively about the “skills gap” facing manufacturing. The problem is this only partially true. Yes, there's a deficit in our skilled trades pipeline, and as employers, educators and communities, we need to rally around the value of skilled trades and support the growth of this critical workforce - starting in junior high and beyond. Yet, there's another gap that mid-market manufacturing is facing - The Strategic Gap - and it has many facets.