General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Episode 60 of the Grinding Doc Video Series involves a shop that was cylindrical grinding a 50mm diameter part that proved to be out of spec despite in-process gauging that showed otherwise.

TraceART is a professional raster to vector conversion program (Vectorizer) released by DWG TOOL Software. TraceART can let you quickly convert uneditable scanned paper drawings into accurate vector files for editing in any CAD program.

Developed for the world's most intensive cutting applications, Secure Grip is an easy to use system that locks the collet and cutter into the holder.

Dr. Jeffrey Badger helps a shop that’s having frequent issues with wheel loading when grinding hardened steel and stainless steel.

Owners of Hurco vertical machining centers will have the ability to transform their WinMax part programs to a 3D-printed rapid prototype directly on their CNC machines using an optional spindle-powered wireless accessory from Hurco. The 3D Print Head extrudes plastic PLA filament.

END USER: RDC Control Ltd., (800) 363-2264, www.rdccontrol.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Rösler Metal Finishing USA LLC, (269) 441-3000, www.rosler.us. CHALLENGE: Reduce the cost and time to finish end plates for hydraulic cylinders. SOLUTION: A shot-blasting machine to perform the process in-house.

END USER: Kluba Machine LLC, (636) 390-4088. SOLUTION PROVIDER: CNC Software Inc., (800) 228-2877, www.mastercam.com. CHALLENGE: Improve cycle times and spindle uptime while maintaining part quality. SOLUTION: CAD/CAM software.

I was saddened to hear about the passing of David A. Dornfeld, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, who died of a heart attack on March 27 at age 66. Although I never met him, I considered him to have a brilliant mind and be a great editorial source—someone who returned my phone calls and had something intelligent to say.

The majority of engineers I've worked with are solution seekers who usually go out of their way to make things easier for people working on their projects. However, as a result of the physical separation of engineering departments from machine shops, communication and feedback often suffer. Machinists who provide feedback to engineers help both groups work together more productively, and engineers would do well to spend time talking with shop personnel to determine what obstacles they face.

I'm not a huge fan of machinist's vises. Even with a speed handle and a couple cups of coffee in your belly, it seems like it takes forever to crank them open wide enough to change a pair of jaws. And once they're bolted in place, having to tap them in with a hammer and check them with a dial indicator only adds insult to injury. Surely there's a smarter way to hold parts in a machining center.