Workforce Development & Training

Videos • August 21, 2014

Reducing cycle time

A shop surface grinding 12" x 36" plates has to remove 1/8" of material on both sides, but the cycle time is a killer. To find a way to reduce the cycle time, the shop turned to Dr. Jeffrey Badger, author of the "Ask the Grinding Doc" column in Cutting Tool Engineering magazine and the host of our Grinding Doc Video Series.

Articles • July 1, 2014

Skills gap or training gap?

Machine shop managers in various regions across the country say they have struggled to fill open positions, and that the job applicants they get often do not have the requisite skills. But the experience of one shop in Massachusetts suggests that the real problem isn't a lack of willing job applicants as much as it is a lack of pertinent training programs.

Videos • May 22, 2014

Any sweet shortcuts?

Dr. Jeffrey Badger, the host of Cutting Tool Engineering's Grinding Doc Video Series, fields a question from a shop hoping to find a faster way to find the sweet spot when cylindrical-plunge grinding tugsten-carbide shafts. About the Grinding Doc Video Series: Thanks to his work as an independent grinding consultant and the author of the "Ask the Grinding Doc" column in Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, Badger routinely receives questions about grinding from shops all over the world.

Videos • March 22, 2014

Keep the sweet spot

A shop that cylindrical-grinds tungsten-carbide is running into trouble maintaining optimal parameters when switching to a larger diameter. Dr. Jeffrey Badger, the host of Cutting Tool Engineering's Grinding Doc Video Series, offers some insight.

Videos • February 22, 2014

A creeping burn

A shop seeks relief from the burn experienced during its creep-feed grinding operations. Given that slowing down the feed rate only helped a little, and only for a short time, the shop sought an alternative solution from Dr. Jeffrey Badger, the host of Cutting Tool Engineering's Grinding Doc Video Series.

Articles • January 1, 2014

Stereotyping the stereotypes

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."

Articles • January 1, 2014 • Evan Jones Thorne

King of credentials

National Institute for Metalworking Skills' network of certified training centers expands.

Articles • January 1, 2014 • Tom McLaughlin

Training camps

How a cooperative organization helps manufacturers train their employees in-house.

Articles • January 1, 2014 • Kathy Bellemare

Self-starter

Connecticut Spring & Stamping developed an apprenticeship program to meet is own training needs.

Videos • December 5, 2013

Machine Tooling 101

The Madison Area Technical College, Madison, Wis., addresses the value of its 2-year machine tooling program, which emphasizes moldmaking and tool and die skills in the second year.

News • December 1, 2013

Mastercam hosts manufacturing competition

CNC Software Inc., Tolland, Conn.-based producer of Mastercam CAD/CAM software, announced the 2014 Mastercam Innovator of the Future (IOF) national competition, designed to challenge students and young adults in the manufacturing world.

News • September 23, 2013

Understanding end mill run-out

What is run-out? Run out is differences or variations in the diameter of a cutting tool at certain points along the outside edge while the tool is rotating. When an end mill is in rotation it is important that each tooth hits at the exact same spot along the work piece. If one tooth is hitting the work piece more than the others then that tooth is doing the bulk of the work. This will cause the end mill to wear and breakdown more quickly.