Articles

Cutting Tools 23 Sep 2013

Crystallizing a New Approach to Today’s Turning Needs

A recently developed insert grade turns concepts for production turning operations on their heads. Shops cutting steel workpieces in high volumes may have to realign their thinking accordingly.

Toolholders 23 Sep 2013

Doubling Down on Setup Reduction

Angle heads still find plenty of use for reducing setups, even in shops using sophisticated multi-axis machine tools.

20 Sep 2013

Building Olympians, Layer by Layer

A 3D printer from Stratasys was used to create customized hilt grips for Japan’s Olympic fencing team.

19 Sep 2013

No Excuses

Think you have challenges? Chances are they pale in comparison with the ones this engineer overcomes.

18 Sep 2013

Three Videos I Want You to See

Although you won’t learn about some new machining technique to apply, the time spent watching these manufacturing-related videos is well worth it.

Workholding 18 Sep 2013

The “Headless Bolt” Fixturing Alternative

This fastener enables fast workpiece change-overs compared to conventional bolts and less cutter interference thanks to its compact design.

Vertical Machining Centers 18 Sep 2013

The Value of a Portable Second-Op Machine

A portable second-op machine can make more effective use of labor while freeing primary machines to carry out the complicated work they were designed to perform.

EDM 18 Sep 2013

What does a bow say about manufacturing? Quite a bit, actually. Bows from Elite feature trigger parts machined through EDM, composite laminate upper and lower limbs cut with waterjet, and a riser and other components milled out of aluminum on a vertical machining center.

Vertical Machining Centers 18 Sep 2013

Bow Machining I

Toyoda's Stealth vertical machining center is part of a manufacturing process that bow maker Mathews Inc. uses to produce 300,000 bows per year.

Milling Tools 17 Sep 2013

Anatomy of a High-Feed Insert

An examination of Horn’s recently expanded DAH series sheds light on the design features that make high-feed milling inserts effective. These particular tools also offer their own advantages.

Toolholders 17 Sep 2013

The Benefits and Limitations of Machining With an Angle Head

Far from being outdated by the latest machine tool technology, angle heads often prove an ideal complement by pushing done-in-one capabilities even further. Proper application, however, requires attention to their limitations as well as their benefits.