Fabrication & Cutting

Productive Times on Sun Manufacturing Co., 832-448-http://www.ctemag.com/aa_pages/2012/1201, www.sun-mfg.com. Challenge: Efficiently drill through-holes in 4130 steel parts. Solution: A modular, indexable-insert drill that eliminated pecking cycles. Solution Provider: Kennametal Inc., 800-446-7738, www.kennametal.com.

Finishing hardened workpieces on multitask machines that provide grinding and hard turning and/or hard milling capabilities can prove beneficial.

Productives Times: Proactive progress. End user: Ford Motor Co., Lima Engine Plant. Challenge: Improve productivity and maximize quality when machining aluminum heads. Solution: Replaceable-head reamers with PCD cutting edges. Solution provider: Mapal Inc.

Shop Operations column for December 2009 issue.

Manager's Desk column for December 2009 issue.

Ability to machine intricate geometries and hard materials drives growing use of wire EDM prototyping.

Engineered coating combinations control heat and keep chips flying in dry-drilling operations.

Shop Operations column in October 2009 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

October 2009 Manager's Desk column

Machinist's Corner September 2009 column

Because high-speed steel inserts can bend without breaking, they are an effective choice for select applications.

In addition to handling prototype and production machining, R.E.F. Precision Products LLC, Deer Park, N.Y., provides engineering and productivity consulting services.