Feature Article

Manufacturers use broaching to make small parts for medical and aerospace applications.

Advanced ceramics' properties make them suitable materials for medical instruments and implants, as well as for parts in medical devices. Making ceramic parts, however, requires manufacturing techniques similar to those used to make P/M parts and may require applying diamond-impregnated tools and wheels.

Choosing the right cast aluminum and aluminum alloys from among the hundreds of different grades and the many tempers in each grade requires understanding of the materials' designation system to know their compositions, tempers and properties.

When single-point boring, parts manufacturers can break and control the long chips from low-carbon steels by taking into account setup, cutting parameters, nose radii and insert shape and sharpness.

It's not just for prototyping; additive, or rapid, manufacturing can be a cost-effective way of producing parts, especially when used for mass customization of parts and for low-volume runs of smaller, complex, net- and near net-shape parts.

High-power laser machines—at least 5,000w—are more useful in machine shops because their power permits fast processing of thicker materials, materials more like the blocks machined by the metalcutting industry. Also, automation allows for more cost-effective laser machining.

Read the full article here

Using mini and micro boring bars effectively in Swiss-style machines requires machine shops to know the types of available bars and the ways to strengthen their cutting edges, reduce pressures on the tools and position them for the most efficient cutting.

Grinding machine operators are able to listen to the processes via acoustic emission (AE) monitoring systems and use the information to shorten cycle times and minimize wheel loss from dressing. But, AE sensors need to be positioned to deal with interfering background noise.

There are five tool tips for moldmakers for speeding up production and aiding in highly repeatable, precision machining. Included are deep-hole drills to avoid pecking, high-feed cutters, tools for reducing EDMing, high-precision cutters and PCBN cutting tools.

Magnetic abrasive finishing can deburr and create highly polished, smooth surface finishes. It can also remove microcracks, recast metal, metallurgical phase changes, visible scratches and damaging residual stresses.

Lean manufacturing can benefit medium-size and larger companies by improving productivity and reducing quality problems and lead times. Benefits can be realized even in smaller, highly variable job shops through standardized work, balancing and flowing.