Quality Control Drives Machining Strategies

As Arundel Machine Tool has taken on more and more sensitive and demanding work in the defense and aerospace industries, among others, the challenge has become as much about verifying the process and results as it is about the machining itself. Along with transitioning to five-axis and turn-mill machines, the company has constructed a new quality lab with a coordinate measuring machine (CMM) with an articulating scanning probe head to collect more data in less time. It also uses a portable CMM to speed shopfloor measurement and a homegrown gage traceability system. This equipment stands out as examples of what the future of quality control may look like for precision machine shops in general.

Also in this issue of Modern Machine Shop:

• According to the Capital Spending Forecast from Gardner Intelligence, metalworking companies, especially job shops, continue to invest more heavily in HMCs. This trend points to the inherent capability and flexibility of these machines for producing complex, high-value workpieces. Read more insights gleaned from the forecast.
• By combining gear grinding with dry skiving in the same cycle, a gear manufacturing equipment supplier developed a coolant-free gear finishing machine. 

Read or download the digital edition of Modern Machine Shop’s December issue.