Machining

The precision and ruggedness of BIG KAISER boring heads deliver measurable performance advantages, significantly reducing finishing cost and cycle time. This is proven through the development of the EWE digital boring head.

While placing a telescope outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere may seem like the best way to study the cosmos, CTE Editor Alan Richter holds a different view after the Giant Magellan Telescope Organization Corp. reached out to explain how it's working with Boeing Research & Technology on an Earth-bound telescope that will minimize distortion from the atmosphere.

By using thermocouples embedded in a cutting insert's coating, a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison successfully overcame the challenge of measuring the tool/chip interface temperature.

END USER: Sonaca Montreal Inc., (450) 434-6114, www.sonacamontreal.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Fives Liné Machines Inc., (450) 372-6480, www.fivesgroup.com. CHALLENGE: Machine aerospace parts more efficiently and precisely while increasing part size. SOLUTION: A 5-axis, high-rail vertical gantry mill.

Many nonmanufacturing people would be surprised by the amount of resources expended on parts cleaning, but it is a critical aspect of part quality. Failure to maintain a rigorous cleaning program can cause significant issues in complex assemblies.

Vertical turning lathes have a significant drawback: the chips fall onto the workpiece where they are subject to recutting. By inverting the spindle, chip problems are virtually eliminated.

In a recent blog post, Joshua Jablons, president of Metal Cutting Corp., Cedar Grove, N.J., discussed a topic that leaves many machinists scratching their heads: What is the proper way to measure feature concentricity on a round workpiece?

Shop Operations Columnist James Harvey shares a few unorthodox machining methods that have worked for him.

A shop writes to the Grinding Doc: There's lots of discussion at my company about the best diamond fluting wheel for grinding tungsten carbide. Is there a quick test to determine which wheel is best?

Manager's Desk columnist Keith Jennings underscores the need for shop owners to remind their staff that it is the company—not its employees—that owns all business calls and electronic communications.

FlexArm Inc. introduces a mobile tapping package which yields mobility, productivity and efficiency by allowing operators to tap holes offline while the machining center works on the next part. This comprehensive package includes the FlexArm GH-18-1 tapping arm with a tap capacity of #6 to 5/8", a reach from 17"-72", variable speed from 100-420 rpm, 360-degree movement, and a semiautomatic tap lubricator.

OPEN MIND Technologies AG has introduced hyperMILL 2018.1, a new version of its advanced, comprehensive CAM software. hyperMILL 2018.1 has a range of new features and enhancements including greater blending capabilities, 3D-optimized roughing, global fitting, rotational abilities for CAD electrode applications and virtual machining simulation.