General Shop Equipment & Supplies

In today's market, it can be difficult for fabricators to compete when steel can be bought and sold at close to the same price as competitors. If a fabricator is currently using a burn table they have already experienced how much labor, floor space, and cost is involved with processing plate using older technology. Peddinghaus' solution to the burn table question is its newest plate processor, the HSFDB-C.

Missler Software and SPRING Technologies announced the conclusion of a final agreement between the two companies to integrate the well-known G code simulation software, NCSIMUL Machine, as an option which can be used directly within TopSolid'Cam.

TIMS, an acronym for Tongtai Integrated Monitoring Systems, is a new software initiative from Absolute Machine Tools Inc. that was created between engineers and technology experts from Tongtai Machine Tools and FANUC.

A typical CNC lathe program is quite short compared to some of the mammoth CAM-generated programs for milling machines. Here are some tips and tricks to programming a CNC lathe.

Run at high machining parameters without chatter when demonstrating machine tools. A precision collet chuck.

Effectively produce M-42 and M-2 HSS microdrills. A 5-axis tool and cutter grinder coupled with CBN wheels.

Speed up and simplify inspection of watch movements. An image dimension measurement system.

Manager's Desk Columnist Keith Jennings reflects on the ups and downs of the previous 12 months, with a nod to the "classroom of reality," which he says continues to educate him and his team. As a result, his shop created a list of goals for 2014.

Having been in manufacturing as long as I have, writes Machinist's Corner Columnist Michael Deren, "you might think I've grown tired of the daily grind. On the contrary, I usually can't wait to get to work each day."

The vertical linear axes on machine tools are fundamentally different than those that operate parallel to the ground. This is because the actuators on the vertical axes have to overcome the effects of gravity.

Any conversation about training and skills development in the metalworking industry tends to stir up emotions. Pretty soon, people are complaining about the same three things over and over: "Our manufacturing plants are stereotyped as dark, dirty and greasy;" "We can't get people to consider manufacturing jobs because we're negatively stereotyped by parents and high-school guidance counselors;" and "There aren't enough available workers with the right skills."

A bandsaw is a common sight in a machine shop. To get blanks on the floor faster, shops use bandsaws to cut several square, rectangular or round solid bars or tubes at a time. Knowing about the proper bandsaw, workholders and saw blades can make the bundle cutting process go much more smoothly.