January 2017
Articles in this issue
Low-cost 3D printer for shop operations
A new breed of 3D printers has begun producing parts made of engineering-grade plastics and fully dense metals suitable for long-term use in a variety of appli…
Hamilton sings praises of manufacturing
Government concerning itself with manufacturing? What would the Founding Fathers think? We know the answer: December marked 220 years since Secretary of the Tr…
Robotics road map calls for increased investment
More than 150 U.S.-based robotics researchers contributed to the 2016 edition of the report titled "A Roadmap for US Robotics From Internet to Robotics." Relea…
Telescope to look for earliest light
Although the James Webb Space Telescope isn't scheduled to be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana until October 2018, NASA announced that the 18t…
RFID tagging for toolholders
The tagging applications for radio frequency identification (RFID) are vast, including pets, property—and even people. Recently, Micro-Mechanics Inc., a Morgan…
HUNCH launches student manufacturing—literally
High school manufacturing programs teach students to create production parts, preparing them for careers in industry. Those parts are primarily for terrestrial…
A custom grind
Sam Yu, president and owner of Corona, Calif.-based Machine Control Technologies Inc., said he builds specialty tool and cutter grinders in months—and at a fra…
CNC training begins with changing tools
Shop Operations columnist James A. Harvey underscores the importance of his initial CNC training, which involved changing tools on a new mill. Just the act of …
High-pressure holemaking
END USER: Modern Machining Technology Inc., (303) 945-7570, www.destroked.com; SOLUTION PROVIDER: Industrial Coolant Systems LLC, (303) 968-1707, www.industria…
Being the face of your shop
Manager's Desk Columnist Keith Jennings discusses the benefits of being the face of your company in the January 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.
Lean from 30,000 feet
Michael Deren, who writes the Machinist's Corner column for Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, explains why he now believes wholeheartedly in lean manufacturin…
Financing your next machine tool
Machine tools are big-ticket items, so it's no surprise that they're normally acquired using some sort of financing. In addition to banks, financing can be obt…
Enduring attachments
Tapping attachments date back to the early 20th century—and they've endured for good reason.n
A combination tool for thread forming
The Look Ahead department includes a combination broaching and tapping tool for thread forming in the January 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.
Burning hard metal
The Look Ahead department covers electro-erosion metal removal with a 5-axis horizontal machining center in the January 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.
Manufacturing and millennials
On the one hand, many employers in the manufacturing industry view millennials as being self-absorbed, unfocused, disloyal, addicted to mobile devices and lazy…
Optimization software saves time
Good optimization software must take into account all the known challenges to optimal machining, which include heat, vibration, deflection, chip buildup, mater…
Experts assess current, future inspection technologies
Where is the field of inspection headed and, more importantly, where do the manufacturers that depend on it desire it to head? In 2014, the Coordinate Metrolog…
Through-coolant toolholders: efficient, economical
Because through-coolant toolholders eliminate the variances often experienced with external cooling nozzles, the additional cost of such holders, which is some…
Tips, techniques for nonperpendicular holemaking
We called them "submarines." Tough, 17-4 PH stainless steel forgings shaped like miniature German U-boats, each requiring several ¼" (6.4mm) through-holes to b…