General Shop Equipment & Supplies

With close-tolerance machining, variances in the temperature of the part or gage can lead to out-of-tolerance work. This article describes the compensation systems that have been developed to measure temperatures and make the necessary adjustments to gage readings.

The steep-taper toolholder shank design remains popular, but it needs updating to keep pace with modern machining practices. This report suggests minor design changes that these researchers say might overcome steep tapers' limitations.

With innovations in technology, EDM has found its place as a reasonable alternative to other precision machining operations. This article reviews five recent developments: the introduction of a new electrode material, operations that replace dielectric fluid with gas, the development of electro-conductive powders, the EDMing of nonconductive materials and a method for producing complex part geometries with simple electrodes.

The article looks at concerns being raised over ISO's plans to revise quality standards. An accompanying article discusses a Web site that strongly opposes the announced changes.

Experts offer advice for implementing an SPC program in shops. They emphasize that developing an SPC program isn't as difficult as many people think, and that a program can be implemented with few hassles.

An increasing number of shops are purchasing saws and bringing their cutoff operations in-house. This article discusses the benefits of such a move and explains the factors that must be considered before selecting a saw. Blade selection is also discussed.

Indexable-drill performance depends on insert selection, toolholding, coolant, and hole-entry conditions. This guide covers the setup details that most affect results.

An exclusive survey finds shops struggling to locate and hire skilled labor. This report of the survey's findings also reveals the most popular techniques to ease staffing woes.

Next-generation CMM software offers users a simple interface, the ability to program the machine directly from CAD data files and the opportunity to write programs off-line. This article describes the latest advancements in CMM software and shows how older machines can be retrofitted to take advantage of the software's features.

Pipe tapping is one of the more demanding threading operations because taper threads raise alignment, sealing, and tool-load requirements. This guide reviews the tools and techniques used to produce taper pipe threads reliably.

This article reviews the fixturing innovations users are beginning to see on the market. Some of the discussion focuses on the design criteria that has emerged out of an ongoing NIST-funded study.

Superabrasive bore finishing can achieve results in one pass that rival the finishes produced in several passes by other bore sizing operations. This article recounts how a number of shops have used superabrasive tools to finish bores with a higher degree of quality and a lower overall cost per piece.