Articles

Grinding

Internal Grind Machines: Maintaining Components’ Alignment

This article outlines the importance of this alignment, explains how to recognize the symptoms of misalignment and describes what corrective steps to take. The author, Bill Bednarski, is an applications engineer at Saint-Gobain Abrasives in Worcester, Massachusetts.

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EDM

Getting Acquainted with Scott Fosdick

Scott is the new head of Market Region Americas for GF Machining Solutions, the brand that includes Agie Charmilles (EDM and laser texturing), Mikron (high-performance milling), System 3R (automation and tooling) and Leichti (five-axis milling machine for blades and blisks) and Step-Tec (machine tool spindles). I had the opportunity to meet Scott and get acquainted at the company’s Open House “Solutions Days” last week. Here is my report.

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Economics

May MBI at 47.8, the Contraction Continues

With a reading of 47.8, Gardner’s Metalworking Business Index showed that the industry contracted in May for the second straight month, at virtually the same rate as in April, after 15 consecutive months of growth.

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Want to Test Drive Cryogenic Technology?

Okuma and 5ME have opened two test centers where you can give cryogenic machining (using liquid nitrogen as the coolant) a shot.

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Automation

Comau Introduces Racer3 Robot

This lightweight, high-speed design provides robotic options for companies of all sizes involved in a wide variety of industrial applications.

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Automation

Video: Robot Gripping by Granular Compression

An alternate approach to robot gripping readily conforms to the shape of many different target objects.

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Grinding

Aligned for Precision

To precisely condition the form, shape and finish of an inside diameter of a workpiece, no machine tool outperforms an ID grinder if (and only if) key components of this grinder are properly aligned. This article outlines the importance of this alignment, explains how to recognize the symptoms of misalignment and describes what corrective steps to take.

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Basics

When the Chips Are Down

Once the chips begin piling up, how does your company deal with them? While there are as many different approaches as there are machine shops, the most efficient systems share a few important traits.

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Workholding

2 Minute Video: Advantage of Twin-Pallets/Dual-Station Vises

This short, simple video demonstrates one way to maximize spindle up-time using a pallet-changing VMC.

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How One College Meets the Need for Trained Manufacturing Hands

One obstacle to training the next generation of machine operators and engineers is exposing them to the variety of machine types and controls they are likely to encounter when they are hired. A community college in Illinois has the answer—training machines from Emco Maier with exchangeable control panels.

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Video: Vertical Machining Centers at Taylor Guitars

Equipment most of us associate with metalworking is used in this famous guitar maker’s production woodworking application.

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Learn about 3D Printing of Large Parts at Amerimold 2015

At next week’s Amerimold show, Dr. Chad Duty will give complementary showfloor presentations on “Big Area Additive Manufacturing (BAAM).” Dr. Duty, a leading researcher at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will discuss how polymer-based additive manufacturing processes enable the production of large parts—parts as large as a full-sized car body. This technology promises to take time and money out of the tool and mold manufacturing process.

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Methods
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