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The Knee Mill: Still Standing

03/29/2017
Author:
Michael C. Anderson
The design of the knee mill goes back to 1936, when Rudolph Bannow’s company produced a knee-and-column vertical mill with a rotating turret and sliding-ram head. The mill became known by the company’s name—Bridgeport—which, like Kleenex, became the generic signifier for mills of similar design. 
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Transformer: 3D Printer becomes CNC Mill

In recent years the manufacturing world has seen numerous hybrid additive-subtractive machines. These generally are in the form of a 3D printing head combined with a CNC machining center: the additive is added. But creative additive enthusiast Thomas Sanladerer has come at the idea from the opposite direction: he has started with a 3D printer and transformed it to be able to function as a CNC mill.

Researchers improve machining, milling processes

Researchers at Missouri University of Science and Technology are helping manufacturers eliminate flaws introduced during the machining of large, costly components. In the February 2017 issue of the Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering, the Missouri S&T researchers describe their approach and explain how it can improve the accuracy of the 5-axis machine tools used to make large parts.

ROBONANO comes to America

For 10 years, FANUC Corp.’s highly accurate ROBONANO automated milling machines have been in use in Japan’s semiconductor industry. Now the newest iteration of the machine is in the U.S. to help researchers studying emerging materials and manufacturing processes. 

‘Nano-cutter’ to Boost Materials Research at UW-Madison

The University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering is the new home of a unique machine that is capable of 3D milling precise to one nanometer. The machine, called the ROBONANO α-0iB, is the first of its kind in North America, and it brings extremely advanced technological capabilities that could represent the future of advanced manufacturing. The ROBONANO, which is on a multi-year loan from the Japanese robotics manufacturer FANUC, is housed in the laboratory of Sangkee Min, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at UW-Madison. The ROBONANO’s extremely precise capabilities offer Min and colleagues new research opportunities, which he hopes will open up improved and novel approaches to manufacturing.

Matsuura LUMEX Avance-25 laser sintering, milling machine

The LUMEX Avance-25 laser sintering and milling machine integrates a fiber laser for state-of-the-art metal sintering and a machining center for performing high accuracy, high-speed milling, according to machine builder Matsuura Machinery Corp., Fukui City, Japan.

The LUMEX Avance-25 reportedly eliminates conventional processes, such as mold die splitting, electrical discharge processing, electrode designing, the fabrication of additional cooling water pipes, and assembly and adjustment work.

Shop Operations: Chamfering and edge dressing

05/01/2016
Author:
James Harvey
The expression “There’s more than one way to skin a cat” certainly applies to machining. A young programmer in our shop is constantly being run in circles by the whims of those in authority. Newcomers are in a difficult position; they not only lack experience, they generally want to please everybody.
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