February 2020 U.S. Cutting Tool Orders Down 4.2% from January April 16, 2020 February 2020 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $188.2 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
Rough Boring vs. Finish Boring April 16, 2020 There’s more than one way to finish a hole. The most effective option will depend on the number of parts, cycle time and tolerances. One of the most effective options is boring.
How to Choose the Best Toolholding System for Your Shop April 16, 2020 Many job shops hold onto traditional, inexpensive tooling systems. ER collets and Weldon flats are tried and true; they work and are proven. At the same time, newer, advanced machining technology, such as multi-axis machines, may perform better when newer, advanced (and more expensive) toolholders are deployed.
Shops Use Shrink-Fit with Presetters for Toolholding Efficiency April 15, 2020 Unlike its name, the use of shrink-fit tooling is expanding. A shrink-fit toolholder starts with a slightly undersize bore that is heated to enlarge the inner diameter enough to accept a cutting tool and then grip the cutter as it cools and contracts.
Replaceable-Tip Tools Get Permanent Spot in Shop Inventories April 13, 2020 When weighing the choice of replaceable-tip mills and drills or solid-carbide tools, consider this succinct statement from one industry expert: carbide equals cost.
HMCs Offer Perfect Platform for Flexibility, Performance March 27, 2020 Horizontal machining center technology—a long-time mainstay of OEMs and Tier One contract manufacturers—has morphed into space efficient, versatile machining platforms that any high-mix job shop can benefit from.
Parting & Grooving: Advanced Tech Delivers Quality Parts, Results February 25, 2020 One thing that’s certain in developing the most cost-effective solutions for part-off and grooving applications is that there is not just one way to approach the problem and meet basic process requirements for chip evacuation, tool life and surface finish.
Shop Cuts Machining Steps From Six to Two, Generates More Business February 27, 2020 Honeycutt Manufacturing, Mukilteo, Wash., a job shop that serves the aerospace, marine and general industrial markets, made a major investment recently in a Grob G550T five-axis universal machining center.
Toolpath Simulation Allows Shop to Go ‘Crash-Free in Conroe’ February 28, 2020 Gassed up your car this week? If so, you might want to thank Conroe Machine LLC. That’s because among the many parts machined by this specialty job shop in Conroe, Texas are most of the components used to build downhole positive displacement motors (PDMs.)
Prima Power Laserdyne Moves To Expanded New Facilities To Support Growth March 2, 2020 Prima Power Laserdyne has relocated and expanded its manufacturing and operations center. During February, Prima Power Laserdyne moved from its old location in Champlin, Minn., to the new facility in Brooklyn Park, Minn.