#BASICS

Measurement

How to Calibrate Gages and Certify Calibration Programs

Tips for establishing and maintaining a regular gage calibration program.

George Schuetz
Director of Precision Gages, Mahr Inc.

How to Pass the Job Interview as an Employer

Job interviews are a two-way street. Follow these tips to make a good impression on your potential future workforce.

How to Optimize Operator Efficiency on Any Shop Floor

Striking the perfect balance of person to machine is unique to each shop and can depend on a number of factors, including the type of work a shop undertakes, the available equipment, staffing levels, scheduling and more.

Measurement

How to Choose the Correct Measuring Tool for Any Application

There are many options to choose from when deciding on a dimensional measurement tool. Consider these application-based factors when selecting a measurement solution.

Additive Manufacturing

Go Digital: How to Succeed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution With Additive Manufacturing

The digitalization of manufacturing is set to transform production and global supply chains as we know them, and additive manufacturing has been leading the way in many industries.

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.

Additive Manufacturing

4 Ways 3D Printing Is Changing Medical Implants

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.

Cutting Tools

Selecting a Thread Mill That Matches Your Needs

Threading tools with the flexibility to thread a broad variety of holes provide the agility many shops need to stay competitive. They may be the only solution for many difficult materials.

Automation

Made in the USA - Season 1 Episode 2: The Automation Puzzle

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?

Aerospace

10 Things to Know About Creep-Feed Grinding

Because of the high material removal rate creep-feed grinding can deliver in challenging materials, grinding might not be just the last step in the process—it might be the process.

CNC & Machine Controls

7 CNC Parameters You Should Know

Parameters tell the CNC every little detail about the specific machine tool being used, and how all CNC features and functions are to be utilized.

Turning Machines

How to Start a Swiss Machining Department From Scratch

When Shamrock Precision needed to cut production time of its bread-and-butter parts in half, it turned to a new type of machine tool and a new CAM system. Here’s how the company succeeded, despite the newness of it all.

8 Ways to Increase Productivity on the Manufacturing Floor

When it comes to machine shop productivity, continuous improvement depends on efficient employees, equipment and processes.

Space-saving Right-angle Solution for High-power Applications

New MIXO connector modules are designed to minimize space installation requirements.

Data-Driven Manufacturing

4 Steps to a Cobot Culture: How Thyssenkrupp Bilstein Has Answered Staffing Shortages With Economical Automation

Safe, economical automation using collaborative robots can transform a manufacturing facility and overcome staffing shortfalls, but it takes additional investment and a systemized approach to automation in order to realize this change.

Peter Zelinski
Editorial Director, Modern Machine Shop

Automation

Choosing a Five-Axis Machine Tool With Automation in Mind

While much focus is placed on the machinery that moves parts, the features most important for automating five-axis machining are arguably found in the machine tool itself.

Five Areas of CNC Machining to Simplify With G Code

Optimizing G code to make CNC setup and operation simpler is a great way to improve CNC productivity and sometimes prevent errors.

Aerospace

10 Tips for Titanium

Simple process considerations can increase your productivity in milling titanium alloys.

5 Tips for You To Get the Most From IMTS

Plan, explore, think of the future: Here is how to get the most from the major manufacturing event that none of us have experienced in four years, and that many will be experiencing for the first time.

Measurement

A Case for Combining Workholding with Optical Scanning

Automotive dies and die inserts are often complex, one-off parts with little room for error. Integrity Tool's investments in modular workholding tools and 3D optical scanning have allowed the company to create niche capabilities for its CNC machined parts.

How to Drill Holes With a Right-Angle Head

Drilling with a right-angle head in a machining center spindle can be tricky – doubly so if the hole must be peck-drilled. A custom macro and careful attention to positioning help ensure smooth production.

What are Harmonics in Milling?

Milling-force harmonics always exist. Understanding the source of milling harmonics and their relationship to vibration can help improve parameter selection.

Tony Schmitz
Professor, University of Tennessee, Knoxville | Joint Faculty, Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Holemaking

How to Turn Machine Shop Downtime Into Process Expertise

To take advantage of a lull in business, JR Machine devised a week-long cutting tool event that elevated the shop’s capabilities with aerospace alloys.

Shop Management Software

5 Reasons Why Machine Shop Ownership Is Changing

Mergers, acquisitions and other ownership changes are an effect of Boomer-age shop owners retiring, but only in part. Also important: The way we think about machining has changed.

EDM

When Organic Growth in Your Machine Shop Isn’t Enough

Princeton Tool wanted to expand its portfolio, increase its West Coast presence, and become a stronger overall supplier. To accomplish all three goals at once, acquiring another machine shop became its best option.

Understanding The Four Major Behavioral Styles

Companies today are expanding the role of teams in the workplace in an effort to empower employees and improve organizational effectiveness. The more we try to work as a team, the more important it becomes to recognize that people exhibit different behavioral styles.

CNC & Machine Controls

5 G-Code Tips for Increasing CNC Efficiency

Optimizing G code is a low-cost way to improve CNC efficiency without sacrificing usability and safety.

Grinding

Choosing The Right Grinding Wheel

Understanding grinding wheel fundamentals will help you choose the right wheel for the job.

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