Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine

New software tools help part makers design for manufacturability. PLUS:

• Effectively reaming nickel-base alloys requires a slow and steady approach
• Tips for getting the most out of a wire EDM
• An auto parts manufacturer sees the benefits of optical scanning.

Continuously improving materials and machining techniques to reach automotive fuel-economy goals. PLUS:

• Automated parts handling with robotic work cells is an affordable option for job shops
• Thread milling may seem exotic, but any shop can do it with the right tools
• Waterjet machines flow into small shops as complementary equipment.

CTE’s 2012 Salary Survey reveals how much various metalworking professionals are making, and the results are mixed. PLUS:

• Retrofitting is an effective and economical option to make new money with old machine tools
• Groove milling can effectively perform slotting and slitting
• Vending machines can help manage tool and supply usage and keep costs in check
• Minnesota shop succeeds by being good at many different part-grinding methods
• CTE Web site grows traffic, expands video, product and machine shop content.

Users reap the rewards of high-speed milling when elements of the machining system complement each other. PLUS:

• A sidelock holder or an ER collet can be the best choice for holding endmills
• Benefits abound when workers and students are exposed to machine and CNC training
• Deburring recommendations for small machine shops with tight tolerances.

The market for ceramic medical implants continues to grow along with the demands for making them. PLUS:

• Spot drills are essential when making ‘perfect’ holes
• The top 10 issues for maintaining and enhancing QC in parts manufacturing
• Managing energy costs and improving energy performance requires an ongoing commitment
• Understanding and controlling wheel truing and dressing forces when rotary plunge dressing.

Remotely monitoring machine tools quickens maintenance and repair. PLUS:

• There is a boring system to get the job done, regardless of hole size
• How do VMCs stack up against HMCs
• Maintaining machine performance with ‘green’ coolant chemistries
• Understanding tangential cutting force when milling
• Learn details about the many new products manufacturers are offering the metalworking industry.

A programmable B-axis on a Swiss-style machine gives part manufacturers a better angle for doing complex work. PLUS:

• Sizing up the state-of-the-art of micro-moldmaking
• Anodizing parts offers numerous benefits, including wear and corrosion resistance
• When choosing among coated-abrasive flap discs to remove metal and finish parts, grit size is just the beginning.

Making parts for hydraulic fracturing drilling operations is a big opportunity for shops but requires the right tools. PLUS:

• Benefits of plunge, or Z-axis, milling
• Considerations when choosing a hard tool or brush to deburr holes
• Bar feeders enable high-speed, automated operation, but choosing the right one depends on your part volume and budget
• Dynomax Inc., an unusually diversified manufacturer, is investing in equipment and employees to target new markets
• The right insert for Swiss-style machining of microparts is often one with a near-zero radius.

Producing commercial aircraft replacement parts requires unwavering commitment. PLUS:

• Improving productivity and quality with unattended horizontal machining cells
• Multiple-operation cylindrical grinding machines complete parts in a single setup
• With the right approach, machinists can eff ectively cut nickel-base and other high-temperature superalloys
• Swiss Automation’s success is based on machining complex parts quickly, accurately and consistently.

Strategic approaches maximize utilization when multitask machining. PLUS:

• Recycling coolant pays big dividends for job shops
• Knowledge of the different facets of sawing can make the process more productive
• A guide to converting from conventional abrasives to superabrasives when double-disc grinding
• Bridging the gap between academic and shop-fl oor grinding knowledge. 

When accuracy counts, thread grinding shines. PLUS:

• Triumph Actuation Systems makes systems that keep aircraft flying straight
• Shops find many uses for presetters
• Manufacturing was a star in 2011 and looks to shine brightly in 2012
• Requirements for milling hardened steels.

2012 Buyers Guide issue:

• Manufacturers index
• Disributors index
• Machne Shop index.