Machining

Spindle bolts are made from difficult-to-machine, high-strength superalloys. They have very tight dimensional tolerances, which makes thread cutting a challenge. As a result of facing several thread-cutting problems during process development, we have learned important lessons at Mitsubishi.

If you've ever watched a bar of red-hot metal emerge from the furnace at a rolling mill, you might wonder how that scaly chunk of material became the smooth, shiny and accurate length of steel you just loaded into a lathe's bar feeder. Machinists know it as cold-finished bar stock.

The primary application for ultraprecision machining is optical-grade surfaces for injection molds, which are used to make contact lenses, LEDs for TVs and head-up displays in military aircraft and luxury cars.

In the August 2017 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering, Ask the Grinding Doc Columnist Jeffrey Badger, Ph.D., fields questions about spotting wheel loading, white sticking for hardened steel loading, and what causes barber pole marks during cylindrical-traverse grinding.

A milestone in the 3D printing revolution is the appearance of CNC metalcutting machine tools incorporating additive-manufacturing capabilities. Manufacturers of the hybrid additive/subtractive systems tout their advantages over conventional machine tools, but the hybrids raise important issues that their builders and users must address.

Much of 2016 and 2017 has been a stressful roller coaster ride for our shop and me and my family as we have fought through a difficult economy—the worst in 30 years. Challenges remain, and business isn't completely wonderful again, but we have more optimism than a year ago, writes Keith Jennings, the Manager's Desk columnist for Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

A heavy-duty ID clamping pipe milling end prep tool that can J-prep bevel, face and bore all hard pipe alloys in preparation for orbital welding is available from ESCO Tool. The Esco Prepzilla Millhog ID clamping end prep tool is offered with a wide selection of cutting blades, including a J-preparation blade that creates a consistent contoured radius and clean neck for orbital welding.

Wanner Engineering Inc. and ChipBlaster Inc. provide some insight into the effectiveness of high-pressure coolant to prolong tool life and eliminate heat damage. Cutting Tool Engineering produced this report based on informational videos submitted by ChipBlaster and Wanner Engineering.

Kitagawa NorthTech Inc. announces its Digital Grip Force Analyzer Software and Kit for Windows help machine shops and metalworking operations to harvest, measure and analyze grip force data from their workholding equipment for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT or IoT), MTConnect and Industry 4.0 applications.

When you hear the phrase "preventive maintenance" what comes to mind? Do you cringe at the thought of taking your CNC machine out of production, losing precious time and money? Or are you meticulous about taking care of your investment so it will last a very long time?

The latest release of the Surfcam solution, by Vero Software, introduces a new turning cycle that includes B-axis movements while machining on a turning center. This new feature in Surfcam 2017 R2 allows greater accessibility when machining complex profiles by dynamically positioning the insert.

Designed to simplify the additive manufacturing process from 3D CAD model to printed part, the ESPRIT Additive Suite features programming, optimization and simulation for direct metal deposition, 3D powderbed and subtractive manufacturing.