September 2017
Articles in this issue
Look Ahead: Small advances in waterjet
Omax Corp. developed the MicroMax JetMachining Center with help from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), which awarded the company a Small Business Inn…
Productive Times: Sold on a cell
END USER: Niagara Gear Division of Gear Motions Inc., (716) 874-3131, www.gearmotions.com/locations/niagara-gear-division. CHALLENGE: Reduce lead times and enh…
Investing in streamlined plant operations boosts profit
Nowhere will you find more gold — i.e., profits — than by streamlining redundant or antiquated plant operations, according to Phillip Canipe, whose job it is t…
Shop credits timing for successful holemaking operations
At Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Americas Inc., holemaking success is about timing—finding the best sequence in which to perform manufacturing operations.
High-pressure coolant breaks the vapor barrier
What would cause parts manufacturers not to want to extend tool life, increase speeds and feeds, enhance chip evacuation to avoid recutting, impart finer surfa…
Aerospace supplier lives up to challenges
Visioneering Inc. employees stay ready to adapt to change as the Auburn Hills, Mich., aerospace supplier opens a new facility and adopts a new way to apply coo…
Alternatives to steep tapers
Today's machine tool users have more spindle choices than just the steep-taper designs developed 40 years ago.n
Machinist’s Corner: Show customers you care
How do you treat your a customer who received an order and has a problem with it? Maybe you shipped the wrong part or made a part according to an old revision.…
Get With the Program: Controlling the shop floor
Thinking of purchasing shop floor control software but don't know where to start? You might want to start by brushing up on the relevant jargon.
Shop Operations: A fresh look at 1-2-3 blocks
Many machinists fondly remember their early training or apprenticeships when they made 1-2-3 blocks from scratch under the watchful eye of a master toolmaker. …
Machine Technology: No-hands tool changing
When CNC milling machines were conceived some in the metalworking industry asked why a computer couldn't also manage tool changes. That question was the impetu…
Manager’s Desk: Shop owner deals with theft
Keith Jennings, who writes the Manager's Desk column for Cutting Tool Engineering, never experienced being sad and mad at the same time until recently, accordi…
Taking measures to improve metrology
Many — if not most — shops encourage employees to purchase their own measurement tools. Some even help by "financing" these purchases, allowing machinists to p…
Three steps to optimizing machining
To profitably machine high-quality parts, many manufacturers follow a similar path, beginning with tool selection and application and then solving any problems…
No-cost thread mill program generators
Numerous toolmakers provide free programs that will automatically generate G code for a specific thread milling application. The programs vary in sophisticatio…
How to keep from scrapping parts
Scrap happens. By scrap, I mean parts that are out of tolerance and, therefore, useless. Unlike other by-products of the manufacturing process, such as chips, …
Swarf is telling you something
Swarf, which is the result of particles being removed when grinding hard or difficult-to-machine materials, tells a story.
3D-printed bone drill improves surgeries
Metal laser melting has made possible a number of groundbreaking developments in the medical field. One example is a 3D-printed bone drill that, unlike some tr…
Lead Angle: Targeting markets high and low
The boost in productivity that the latest cutting tools provide enables manufacturers to reduce the amount fracking companies pay for parts.