General Shop Equipment & Supplies

END USER: Homeyer Precision Manufacturing, (636) 433-2244, www.homeyertool.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., (888) 866-5776, www.bigkaiser.com. CHALLENGE: Minimize endmill runout to extend tool life when producing aluminum-based forceps. SOLUTION: A collet chuck that provides minimal runout.

END USER: Antron Engineering and Machine Co. Inc., (877) 225-2362, www.antroneng.com. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Eltool Corp., (877) 435-8665, www.eltool.com. CHALLENGE: Mill a long, interrupted slot in a small-diameter bore. SOLUTION: A coolant-driven angle head.

Though Rosie the Riveter and a multitude of her sisters proved that women were perfectly capable of working in manufacturing when the men were called to serve during World War II, many of these patriotic women graciously stepped aside to allow the returning soldiers to resume their jobs. Since then, the number of women in manufacturing jobs has yet to recover. According to a 2015 report by consultancy Deloitte LLP, in conjunction with The Manufacturing Institute and the APICS Supply Chain Council, women hold only 27 percent of U.S. manufacturing jobs, even though they make up 47 percent of the total labor force. "Women are underrepresented in every manufacturing sector in the U.S.," the report stated.

Troubleshooting machining operations can be a daunting task, especially boring operations. This is because when machining the outside of a part, you can see what causes the tool to fail. However, when a tool is buried in a hole, as is the case when boring, you can't see what is happening to the tool.

One of the most enduring issues in the metalworking world is finding and retaining skilled workers, and the 10th annual Metalworking Trends Survey from LoSasso Integrated Marketing, Chicago, showed that this challenge continues.

Dear Doc: I sell grinding wheels and frequently find myself pulling my hair out when recommending wheels to customers. One customer achieved great success with a resin-bond, 400-mesh diamond wheel when grinding ¾"-dia. carbide endmills. It performed like a "superwheel." I then took that same wheel to a customer who also grinds ¾" carbide endmills on the same machine model with the same coolant and it's a disaster. Why?

I'm thankful to share that our machining business has picked up and we're running near capacity. I can't get overly optimistic just yet, but good news nonetheless. We haven't required new equipment, new employees or a second shift, but that could change if business continues at this pace or improves. While this uptick has been a nice morale booster, our energy-focused market remains unpredictable. Even so, we're getting a bit more confident with our forecasts and planning.

There are numerous advantages to rigidly holding a workpiece: feed rates can be increased and cutting times reduced, cutters last longer and impart finer surface finishes, and more-accurate parts are produced. At trade shows where vendors offer demonstrations, you rarely see flimsy, difficult-to-hold parts being machined. In the real world, however, such parts are common. Holding parts for secondary operations, such as drilling holes on an edge, can also be challenging.

When it comes to highly accurate machining technology, jig boring is better. So say proponents of the century-old machining technique. In the early part of the last century, jig boring started as a better way to make holes. But the technology has since evolved into a more-versatile machining option.

Allied Machine & Engineering Corp., which manufactures holemaking and finishing products for the industrial tool and machining sector, this year celebrates its 75-year history with an eye on the future.

German toolholder maker Haimer GmbH recently agreed to license its Haimer Safe-Lock System to the Melin Tool Co., a cutting tool manufacturer based in Cleveland. Melin Tool will offer its endmills to the U.S. market with the Haimer Safe-Lock System, according to a recent Melin Tool news release.

Dialight launched enterprise software called DACS, the Dialight Architecture Control System, control platform that allows for commissioning, grouping and scheduling of the lights and sensors to control, monitor and manage lighting at the fixture, zone, facility and enterprise-wide level with a simple and secure dashboard interface. The system pairs with the company's new automated demand response system (ADR) and wireless daylight harvesting sensors.