General Shop Equipment & Supplies

With so much of the news focused on manufacturing lost to China, India and elsewhere, Illinois ProTurn is growing, doubling in size, says Dan Lamz, president of the McHenry, Ill., shop. The majority of the shop's work is in the plastic injection mold industry, and Lamz says the company's forté is hard turning. View the video above to learn more about Illinois ProTurn's success and its ability to produce tight tolerance parts over and over again.

To increase productivity, the aerospace industry should consider different tool materials for faster cutting speeds, tool coatings for reduced wear, and machine tools for quicker cycle times.

Companies work to interest youths in manufacturing through outreach efforts and partnerships with schools to offer courses that lead to college degrees in manufacturing.

Gripping power, friction and hysteresis are important factors in selecting a 3-jaw chuck to maximize a CNC lathe's accuracy and horsepower.

Superhard finishing tools may benefit machined parts via finer surface finishes, greater wear resistance and harder, stronger microstructures. Also, some of the tools can last longer than their conventional counterparts.

Machine shops and other companies discuss the workpiece materials, machine tools and metalcutting processes needed to make the fasteners that keep aircraft and spacecraft together.

Watch how some companies are fighting the negative image of manufacturing with a clean, high-tech message aimed at youth.

This brief video report features United Titanium employees who demonstrate the production of proprietary threaded titanium fasteners.

Tool vending machines save money and provide other benefits.

Tips for turning nickel-based superalloys.

Creating the machine tools that make microparts.

Though ITI Tooling Co. Inc. introduced the Varia Rapid-Change Tooling System some four years ago, the company's product manager—Lee Hebenstreit—says word of this technology has not yet spread throughout the markets it could help. That's why the company produced a 22-second video showing the Varia tool changing system in action.