A Spiral Milling Custom Macro Using Constant Contouring Feedrate
By: Mike Lynch
Helical milling or “spiral” milling are helpful when machining a circular pocket that is much larger than the milling cutter diameter.
#cnctechtalk
Top 10 Modern Machine Shop Articles of 2022
By: Nathaniel Fields
From offering tips and tricks to spotlighting unique machine shop setups, here are Modern Machine Shop’s top 10 articles of 2022.
Team Unity – the Tightrope Walk for Corporate Culture
By: Brent Donaldson
Finding your place in an organization doesn’t always mean falling in line. But creating a culture of continuous improvement means fostering unity among independent thinkers.
#thesetup
Bring the Surface Finish Check to the Part
By: George Schuetz
Dedicated handheld gages can assist the operator in making critical checks.
#qualitygagingtips
Shop Moves to Aerospace Machining With Help From ERP
By: Eli Plaskett
Coastal Machine is an oil and gas shop that pivoted to aerospace manufacturing with the help of an ERP system that made the certification process simple.
Manufacturer Automates Quality Control Gaging of Surgical Drills
Edited by Nathaniel Fields
By replacing manual micrometers with a robotic system, this contract manufacturer reduced manual labor and improved reliable data collection.
Strategies for Expanding a Shop the Right Way
By: John Miller
It’s very easy to get paralyzed by all the directions you can go when upgrading a shop, but breaking this decision into its simplest forms can help curb future buyer’s remorse.
Reducing Prep Work With Precision Blanks
By: Eli Plaskett
Precision blanks can reduce or eliminate prep work on machine centers, making spindle time more productive and improving throughput.
Calling All Machining VIPs: PMTS Registration Is Now Open
Edited by Angela Osborne
Registration for the 2023 Precision Machining Technology Show is now open. Here’s your code to attend the April event for free.
Volumetric Accuracy Is Key to Machining James Webb Telescope
To meet the extreme tolerance of the telescope’s beryllium mirrors, the manufacturer had to rely on stable horizontal machining centers with a high degree of consistency volumetric accuracy.
Speeding Up Splines
Moving small- to medium-batch production from outsourced, dedicated hobbing operations to in-house, CNC multitasking machines helps job shops achieve quick turnarounds and flexibility in supplying splines for the heavy-vehicle industry. Inserted disc cutters make this transition possible.
#gearproduction #Basics
4 Ways 3D Printing Is Changing Medical Implants
By: Stephanie Hendrixson
Additive manufacturing provides new ways of making medical implants, but its impact is greater than this. How 3D printing is changing medical manufacturing and improving patient outcomes.
#Basics
Improve Machining Efficiency Through Digital Twin Simulation
Full simulation of a machining cycle using digital twins can not only identify crashes before they happen, but provide insights that enable the user to reduce cycle times.
Made in the USA - Season 1 Episode 2: The Automation Puzzle
By: Brent Donaldson
There is a fundamental question we need to answer when we talk about automation: To what extent is automation an answer to the skilled workforce shortage, and to what extent is automation vs. Skilled labor the wrong comparison to make in the first place?
#Basics
Metalworking Activity Contracted in November
By: Jan Schafer
Contraction was hard to dodge with metalworking activity expansion steadily slowing since March.
#economics
Does Metal Additive Manufacturing Belong in a Machine Shop? The Answer Is Mixed
By: Peter Zelinski
Machining is a necessary capability for metal part production through 3D printing, but succeeding with metal AM demands a role and procedures much different from those of many machining providers.
#zaxis
Automation and Flexibility Counter Inflation at BI-MU 2022
By: Evan Doran
Automation headlined BI-MU 2022, while flexibility underscored exhibitors’ products. These twin benefits may be shops’ greatest assets against inflation.
#economics
