Productive Times

Articles • April 1, 2016

Angle head for atypical prototype

END USER: Antron Engineering and Machine Co. Inc., (877) 225-2362, www.antroneng.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Eltool Corp., (877) 435-8665, www.eltool.com. CHALLENGE: Mill a long, interrupted slot in a small-diameter bore. SOLUTION: A coolant-driven angle head.

Articles • April 1, 2016

Small tools, big challenges

END USER: Greene Tool Systems Inc., (800) BUY-TOOL, www.greenetool.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: ANCA Inc., (248) 926-4466, www.anca.com. CHALLENGE: Produce microscale cutting tools more accurately while lowering setup times. SOLUTION: Two grinding machines designed to produce tools smaller than 2mm in diameter that feature robotic arms for loading and unloading tools and wheel packs.

Articles • March 1, 2016

Neat ripple effect

Lindquist Machine Corp. is a custom-machinery builder that relies on its CAD/CAM system to keep its workflow flexible, break bottlenecks and reduce lead times. The Green Bay, Wis., shop has one programmer to do complicated programming, but most of the workers on the shop floor can write, or at least modify, programs.

Articles • March 1, 2016

Cool and clean

Hypertherm Inc. designs and manufactures plasma, laser and waterjet cutting systems, as well as CNC motion and height controls, CAM nesting software and consumables. The Hanover, N.H.-based company opened a 165,000-sq.-ft. facility—Hypertherm's newest—in Lebanon, N.H., in 2012. Among other machinery, the facility contains 26 multiple-axis, Swiss-style CNC lathes, which are used in the manufacturing of plasma cutting torch components, primarily electrodes and nozzles. The components are made of nonferrous materials.

Articles • February 1, 2016

Enhancing machining efficiency

Multiple machine tool builders offer equipment for machining the helicopter transmission components Northstar Aerospace Inc. produces at its Bedford Park, Ill., facility, but not all are equally efficient in handling the task. The parts weigh up to 350 lbs. (159 kg), have diameter tolerances as tight as 0.0003" (0.0076mm) and are made of aerospace-grade superalloys typically hardened from 50 to 60 HRC, said Brian Cheek, vice president and general manager at Northstar.

Articles • January 1, 2016

From hard gaging to noncontact

CHALLENGE: Upgrade QC to reduce the amount of time required for dimension measurements. SOLUTION: Utilize an image-dimension-measuring system that enables hundreds of features to be measured in seconds. END USER: Autocam Corp. Inc., (800) 747-6978, www.autocam.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Keyence Corp. of America, (888) 539-3623, www.keyence.com.

Articles • January 1, 2016

Streamlining work flow

CHALLENGE: Reduce setup and cycle times while meeting customers' demands for high-quality parts. SOLUTION: Two horizontal machining centers. END USER: Reinhold Industries Ltd., (780) 434-8552, www.rilflo.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Methods Machine Tools Inc., (877) MMT-4CNC, www.methodsmachine.com.

Articles • December 1, 2015

Go with the flow

Productive Times challenge: Ensure there are no machining issues with a flexible manufacturing system. The solution: Machine simulation and optimization software.

Articles • December 1, 2015

Superfilter ‘talks’ to grinders

Productive Times challenge: Effectively clean and cool grinding oil applied in latest-generation grinders. The solution: A filtration and chiller system that directly communicates with grinding machines.

Articles • October 1, 2015

Retention knob reduces polishing

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

Articles • October 1, 2015

Shrink-fit chucks enhance precision

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

Articles • September 1, 2015 • Alan Richter

Preset it and forget it

Minimize tool runout, extend tool life, reduce scrap and prevent fixture damage. An offline cutting tool presetter.