Articles
In Lights-Out Machining, Part Loading Is Not the Problem — Here is How This Shop Handles Unloading
Correct unloading of the parts affects part quality as well as the capacity of the unattended machining system. Here is more of the experience from our “168” shop.
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Industry News of Note: May 2019
NIMS partners with Festo to develop Industry 4.0 skill credentials, an annual Siemens event now invites non-users, and more industry news.
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What is the Role of Collaborative Automation in Production?
Thyssenkrupp Bilstein’s North American operations is finding out. The shock absorber manufacturer has eight cobots and counting in its Ohio production facility, plus two autonomous vehicles. Here are scenes from its shop where the picture of automation is changing.
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Data-Driven Manufacturing Scales Down
An automatic gaging station demonstrates the potential of shopfloor connectivity at the level of the individual machine tool.
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Metalworking Index Continues Modest Growth Trend
Index posts identical readings over three-month period.
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May 2019 Product Spotlight: Machining Centers
This month’s Modern Equipment Review Spotlight focuses on machining centers of varying capacities and configurations.
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With 3D Printing, Fixture Making Goes from the Tool Room to the CAD Room
For Ira Green Inc., fixture design and iteration used to take days, even weeks at times, and at a high cost per fixture. With a 3D printer, the shop’s entire process has changed, drastically increasing efficiency and cost effectiveness.
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Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Lean Manufacturing
For as long as lean manufacturing concepts have been around, there are some who still do not understand what lean is and why it’s an important part of a continuous-improvement strategy.
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3 Advantages of Using Pulsed Laser Welding for Mold Repair
Compared to TIG welding, pulsed laser-welding technology is said to enable faster overall mold repair time while maintaining higher metal hardness.
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Running Unattended at Night Lets Machine Shop Serve New Customers During Day
Precision Tool Technologies found capacity for diversification not by adding machines, people or space, but by freeing up time. Running unattended—running so it can machine through all 168 hours in the week—has enabled this shop to use hours when staff is present to deliver work that lands outside its established specialty. To achieve unattended machining, some of the biggest challenges have related to basic details such as chips and coolant.
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Are Your CNC Machinist Job Descriptions Outdated?
Traditional machine shop job descriptions might not draw interest from the talented, young people your shop needs to grow.
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The Global Machine Tool Boom Continues, Except in China
The latest World Machine Tool Survey finds major machine tool countries moving in separate directions.
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