Feature Article

Articles • March 1, 1996 • Thomas Benjamin

Indexed for Success

Indexable-insert drills offer several advantages for producing short holes. This article describes the drills' features, uses and benefits. Tips are provided to help select the optimal tool, insert and machine settings. A trouble-shooting chart is included.

Articles • March 1, 1996 • Brent Lindsey

Turn with the Right Tool

New plunge-and-turn tools make it possible to perform several tasks, such as grooving, turning, back turning and face grooving, with the same tool. This article discusses the design and use of these tools as well as the types of cutoff tools currently on the market. Recommendations for tool selection, speeds and feeds are given for various work materials.

Articles • March 1, 1996 • Ronald Biagiotti

The Time is Right for Cermets

Cermet inserts have evolved into cutting tools capable of finish-turning steel reliably at high speeds. This article traces the developments that have led to modern cermets and describes the properties that enhance the performance of these tools. The development of coatings for cermets is also covered.

Articles • February 1, 1996 • John Olsen

A Bend in the Stream

Programming a cut with an abrasive waterjet is complicated by the fact that the stream of water deflects as it passes through the workpiece. This article describes newer controller technology that can adjust the traverse speed to minimize deflection at corners and curves.

Articles • February 1, 1996 • Kevin Harding

Measuring with Moire

Casting a pattern of light on a part and viewing that pattern at a different angle through a grating with the same pattern creates a moire pattern that can reveal small changes in the part's shape. This article tells how this phenomenon can be used by machine vision systems to measure part dimensions or pinpoint variations from a specified contour.

Articles • February 1, 1996 • Wolfried Mielert

Coating for Speed

To meet their customers' demands, mold and die shops are milling hardened steels at high speeds. This article discusses the use of coated carbide inserts to handle the heat generated by these operations. Specifically, the article talks about recently developed aluminum-titanium-nitride coatings, which reportedly are much more stable at elevated temperatures than other coatings.

Articles • February 1, 1996 • Andrew Johnson

CVD Diamond Inserts Stick

The development of the CVD thick-film diamond process has made it possible to produce tools that can machine abrasive work materials without losing their cutting edge. In this article, the technology for producing the diamond film and the brazing of these thick-film chips onto inserts is described.

Articles • February 1, 1996 • Christina Dunlap

Drills Inch Toward Metric

U.S. manufacturers are in a transition period, moving from inch to metric specifications. This article looks at the impact this change is having on the manufacturing and use of drills. The discussion also covers the advantages and disadvantages of going metric and the availability of metric drill sizes in the United States.

Articles • December 1, 1995 • Michael Smith

For Good Measure

Software-based video tool inspection systems can read tool geometries much more precisely than other measurement systems. This article looks at the technology behind these systems and explains how this technology detects and measures tool edges and angles.

Articles • December 1, 1995 • Elliot Stern

Good Vibrations

Tunable tools can be adjusted to dampen vibration. However, shops must have the right equipment to tune them quickly and precisely. This article describes an instrument that can provide the necessary feedback. A system that uses a mill's vibration frequency to sense problems with the tool is also described.

Articles • December 1, 1995 • Martin Eastman

The Real Price of Automation

While CNCs and part-handling equipment offer labor, time and money savings, they also require dramatic changes in the way a shop operates. This article looks at the investment in equipment, personnel and training that shops have to make over and above the cost of the automated machines themselves.

Articles • December 1, 1995 • Kimberly B. Pigeon

Grinding Holds Its Ground

This article makes the argument that grinding is still a useful and necessary process despite the advancements that have made the turning of hardened workpieces possible. The article discusses the precision and finish possible with grinding, and it compares the cost of grinding to other machining processes.