Turning

News • August 10, 2017

Preventive maintenance tips for CNC lathes

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? Here are some preventive maintenance (PM) tips to help keep your CNC lathe running at peak performance while avoiding unplanned downtime.

Products • July 31, 2017

FM5 finishing and RM5 Roughing Indexable Insert Geometries

Walter says its new FM5 finishing and RM5 roughing indexable insert geometries deliver optimal cooling, longer tool life, and increased productivity in high-temperature alloy and stainless-steel machining. The new inserts owe their effectiveness, in part, to their "jet guiding geometry," or targeted cooling.

Products • July 25, 2017

Carbon Dioxide Laser Optics

A line of CO2 laser optics optimized for cutting and etching thin metals when fabricating filters, strainers and related applications is available from Laser Research Optics. Laser Research CO2 Optics include lenses that feature coatings with < 0.2% total absorption values to keep them cooler and silicon turning mirrors which have an enhanced DMBR coating to provide up to 99.6% reflectivity.

Articles • July 13, 2017 • William Leventon

Machine Technology: Preparation automation pays

Are your spindles cutting most of the time? Or are they often idle because you're getting ready to cut? If you answered yes to the latter, consider the lift that an automated pallet-handling system could provide. These systems allow pallets to be set up and moved into position while workpieces on other pallets are being machined.

Articles • June 21, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Look Ahead: Point-and-click robot control

It takes knowledge and skill to get a robot to do exactly what a manufacturer wants. A new interface designed by Georgia Institute of Technology researchers is reportedly simpler and more efficient than most control interfaces and doesn't require significant training.

Products • June 15, 2017

PCBN Insert Grades

Seco Tools has expanded its family of PCBN insert grades to cover the entire spectrum of hard turning applications. Using a new bimodal substrate and nanolaminate coating process, these new inserts extend tool life and increase productivity in a broader range of applications.

Articles • June 9, 2017 • Kip Hanson

Dry, tight fluid connectors require the right tool

SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) and ISO (International Standards Organization) have developed a series of standards developed to make even the highest-pressure, most-demanding fluid connection leak-free. These include SAE J1926, SAE J514, MS 33649/SAE AS5202, ISO 6149 and other technical documents that describe threaded connections.

Products • June 9, 2017

Two-station RXS-400 Grit Blasting System

This precision machine from Guyson Corp. was designed and built for grit blasting of medical implant devices. The expanded, two-station RXS-400 system has a small footprint and offers simultaneous dual operation.

Articles • May 19, 2017 • Michael C. Anderson

Small shops warm up to work cells

As automation becomes more flexible and less expensive, work cells are propagating at smaller shops.

Products • May 16, 2017

Swiss-style Tooling

Carmex Precision Tools LLC has announced the latest addition to its family of tooling for Swiss-style applications. The Swiss-Line combines a new type of polygon insert and holder for external turning, grooving, parting and threading. The precision ground inserts are constructed of solid carbide with specialty coating for longer tool life and increased productivity, according to the company.

Articles • May 11, 2017 • Stas Mylek and Jesse Trinque

Cutting tool and CAM collaboration

New, ultraresilient workpiece materials with high strength-to-weight ratios have cutting tool vendors and CAM developers scrambling to design new tools and toolpaths to efficiently cut them. To succeed, the vendors and developers must collaborate with unprecedented frequency.

Products • May 3, 2017

MicroTurn A/S

The advanced MicroTools for precise internal turning and copying operations.