MMS Blog

High-Speed Machining 15 Dec 2002

High Speed Machining, Italian Style

One of the highlights of BI-MU, Italy's recent biennial machine tool show, was the number of innovative machine tools (and related technology) focusing on high speed machining.

Holemaking 15 Dec 2002

A Boring System For Non-Round Holes

Machining an out-of-round bore is easy if you're not particular about the location or magnitude of the roundness error. But accurately machining a hole that has a precisely defined non-round profile is a capability that would seem to be well beyond what a standard boring bar can accomplish.

Workholding 15 Dec 2002

Holding The Center

Using a collet-type workholding system, a high-volume shop improves accuracy when machining round parts.

EDM 15 Dec 2002

Flexible Grinding, No Grinder Required

At the heart of this process for lean manufacturing of nickel alloy turbine blades are CNC machining centers equipped with grinding wheels.

Cutting Tools 15 Nov 2002

Integrated Tool Management

Bridging the gap between process engineering and shop floor activities can bring about a "deproliferation" of cutting tools.

Workholding 15 Nov 2002

Clamping Difficult Workpieces With Ice

What does a shop do with a workpiece that needs machining but can't be toe-clamped, bolted, chucked or held in a conventional vise? Securely holding many so called exotic materials - ceramics, carbides, glass, and other brittle blanks - is a challenge. The Ice Vice may offer a solution.

CAD/CAM 15 Nov 2002

Getting To Know Knowledge-Based Machining

The term refers to different levels of automation that CAM software developers are building into their NC programming software.

Workholding 15 Nov 2002

An Intelligent Fixturing System

Have you ever wished for a workholding system that could (1) pick any of a family of parts from an assembly line, (2) identify it, (3) automatically fixture it, and (4) present it precisely oriented to a machine tool for machining or assembly?

Workforce Development 1 Nov 2002

Today's Students—Tomorrow's High Quality Workforce

Allow me to share portions of my vision of the future of our country and our industry. This vision includes the critical role that today's students and their dedicated instructors play in making all our businesses profitable and productive in the future.

Inspection and Measurement 1 Nov 2002

Tight Tolerances And Trial Runs

This contract shop is committed to difficult jobs. The shop often takes on a job without knowing how the part will be made.

Horizontal Machining Centers 15 Oct 2002

Weighing The HMC's Pluses

A horizontal machining center enabled this scale manufacturer to get its machining department back into shape.

Vertical Machining Centers 15 Oct 2002

System Simplifies Probing Operations On VMCs

Few machinists will dispute the merits of probing for speeding part setup, setting tool offsets and performing in-process inspection . . . at least in theory. In practice, however, probe systems often have been viewed as difficult to use and expensive to buy.

Let's Tailor a Program Unique to You - Fastenal