First Time’s the Charm January 6, 2021 All shops want to be more productive and reduce downtime. For some, this means an investment in a high-end CNC machine tool. Others give quick-change toolholders a try, or pursue an IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) machining strategy.
Multi-Flute End Mills Produce Thoroughly Modern Milling January 26, 2021 End mills, traditionally made with two to four flutes, are used in one of the oldest mechanized machining processes—milling.
The Modular Future for Workholding December 28, 2020 For as long as people have been machining parts, they’ve been devising ever-more ingenious ways to grip them.
CAD/CAM Software and Specialized Tooling Help GK Machine Cut Time, Boost Production December 29, 2020 In Donald, Ore., 24 miles south of Portland, GK Machine Company Inc., is manufacturing parts for heavy agricultural equipment such as harvesters, sprayers, tree diggers, and hose reels.
An Improbable but Powerful Solution June 23, 2021 At first glance, ceramic cutting tools appear doomed to failure, but the reality is just the opposite.
Hard Facts About the Hardest Cutting Tools July 22, 2021 Two things everyone knows about diamonds: they’re very hard and they’re very expensive. And so it is with polycrystalline diamond (PCD) as well as cubic boron nitride (CBN) cutting tools.
Checking Up on Tool Monitoring May 28, 2021 Machine shops use a variety of techniques to track the condition of their cutting tools, ranging from simple to sophisticated. No matter what monitoring method is used, it can be crucial in preventing catastrophic tool failure. At its best, monitoring also significantly boosts tool life and slashes tooling costs.
Livin’ Large with Outsize Parts and Workholding May 25, 2021 Workholding needs to be super-sized when machining workpieces like truck transmission housings, wind turbine blades, rocket bodies, and more, for industries like aerospace and defense, agricultural, energy, marine, rail, and on- and off-road transportation.
Post-Processing Accuracy for Swiss G-Code May 17, 2021 Too much inaccuracy in G-code post processing for Swiss-style machines is hurting manufacturers.
