General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Imagine a gear milling method where the toolpath -- not the tool shape -- determines gear characteristics such as diametral pitch or pressure angle. A new concept, involute milling, provides that functionality while delivering machining efficiency and production versatility. The result is a "democratization" of gear milling, moving the process from single-purpose, dedicated machine tools to multipurpose machines that can produce small batches economically because no costly hobs or gashers are needed.

Turning force calculations help estimate tangential, feed, and radial loads so shops can judge rigidity, horsepower, and chatter risk before dialing in the cut.

Dear Doc: I grind the ODs and IDs of stainless steel bearings and have a much tougher time than when grinding hardened steel. Why?

Okuma America Corp. announced the launch of the new All-Okuma wheel cell.

PartMaker Inc., a division of Delcam Plc, has launched a new, free utility called PartMaker Viewer. PartMaker Viewer allows users to view 2D prints, 3D models and even complete 3D assemblies.

The MAXPRO200 from Hypertherm is a 200 amp handheld torch capable of severing up to 75mm (3") for demolition, scrapping and other heavy-duty cutting demands.

NCG CAM Solutions Ltd. UK's NCG CAM v12 includes a number of new features, including the ability to machine selected surfaces, the ability to generate ruled surfaces, thread milling, a tool size guide, core horizontal area passes, multi-axis stock models and a VERICUT tool list creator, as well as many enhancements.

SPRING Technologies, a vendor of solutions that optimize the use of complex NC machines, recently launched a new version of NCSIMUL Machine 9, its flagship software for machine simulation.

Hexagon Metrology announced the release of PC-DMIS Gear 2.5, a software module for basic and advanced gear measurement applications.

Jesse Garant & Associates Metrology Center provided a brief animated view of various computed-tomography scanning analysis systems.

A shop that grinds tungsten-carbide endmills using a resin-bonded diamond wheel turned to Dr. Jeffrey Badger for the 37th episode of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's Grinding Doc Video Series because one of the shop's wheel suppliers was talking about Q prime values. According to the supplier, the shop should be using a Q prime value of 6 or 7. So the shop asked the Grinding Doc, "What's up with Q prime values?"

This month's Talking Shop turns its attention to an Indiana shop that makes family a priority.