General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Geometric Americas Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., recently announced the release of NESTINGWorks 2016, new 3D software for automatically nesting layouts of SOLIDWORKS parts and assemblies for production. Integrated within SOLIDWORKS 2016 software, the new application enables automated nesting of flat or 3D part or assembly models made from sheet stock, including sheet metal, plates, plastics, composites and wood, according to the company.

Designed for large lot-size machining of big aluminum wheels or similar parts, the You Ji YV-600E2T Vertical Turning Center (VTC) is described as a compact, high-precision, heavy-duty machine suitable as a stand-alone machining cell or integrated with other machines to form a complete flexible manufacturing system, according to a Feb. 11 news release issued by Absolute Machine Tools Inc., Lorain, Ohio.

Multiple machine tool builders offer equipment for machining the helicopter transmission components Northstar Aerospace Inc. produces at its Bedford Park, Ill., facility, but not all are equally efficient in handling the task. The parts weigh up to 350 lbs. (159 kg), have diameter tolerances as tight as 0.0003" (0.0076mm) and are made of aerospace-grade superalloys typically hardened from 50 to 60 HRC, said Brian Cheek, vice president and general manager at Northstar.

Technological advances in cutting tools, machine tools and toolholders have allowed machinists and manufacturing engineers to increase holemaking efficiency by eliminating the number of tools required to produce accurate holes. High-performance drills are the best example of these technological advances. In the past, it was common for a machinist to spot-drill, drill and then ream to achieve accurate hole geometry. Now, the same hole can be made in a single operation using a high-performance drill.

Specifications for particulate and film-residue cleanliness are a matter of course for many machined components. In addition to the parts cleaning procedure, manufacturers must consider the entire process chain when seeking to efficiently achieve and maintain the required level of cleanliness.

While it's nearly impossible to quantify the most common challenges or most important considerations when turning, experts agree that the five aspects of turning discussed below should be considered. It's important to note that each factor has the potential to impact the others. So, instead of looking at each issue individually, it's recommended machinists take a holistic best-practices approach to turning.

We at Cutting Tool Engineering celebrated the New Year by unveiling a major overhaul to the design and functionality of our website, ctemag.com. Sporting a bright new design with larger text and images, ctemag.com is not only easier on the eyes, it's also easier on the fingers thanks to new navigation and search functionality. In short, finding the information visitors want will take fewer clicks than ever.

Cutting external threads is one of the more difficult machining operations. Achieving the proper thread form can be challenging, and tool chipping and premature tool wear are often problematic because of insufficient surface speeds and high cutting pressures.

Everyone crashes, I was once told. It's likely true. However, not all crashes are created equal. There are fender benders that just break small tools, and then there are head-on collisions that ruin much more—including your day. CNC machine crashes are relatively easy to avoid. They often occur during setup and debugging. If you can recognize high-risk situations, you'll be in a better position to avoid them.

Additive and subtractive manufacturing may be conceptual opposites, but a new partnership aims to show that the two can make a good team. Two of the partners are New York organizations: the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) and Elmira-based Hardinge Inc. RIT researchers are incorporating additive-manufacturing capabilities into Hardinge's Bridgeport GX 250 5-axis vertical machining center. The goal is to create a hybrid manufacturing system capable of producing more accurate parts at a lower cost than conventional manufacturing methods.

Ask the Grinding Doc: When I ran out of single-point dressing diamonds and got desperate, I mounted a PCD insert to dress an Al2O3 wheel. Is there any danger in doing that?

With 2015 being a year of changes and volatility in our market, the importance of strong, supportive business relationships was made even clearer. Longtime business associates became friends, and new business relationships formed with former employees who stayed in touch, neighbors, contacts made through my local chamber of commerce and even my brother's gym-workout partners. These are people who provided helpful insights and became ambassadors of our company, because they got to know us and saw potential.