Brent Donaldson

Brent Donaldson Editor-in-Chief

Automation

The Automated Shop – A Conference and a Goal for U.S. Machine Shops

Modern Machine Shop’s upcoming technical conference will be an opportunity to learn about several types of automation that are now accessible to small- and mid-sized machine shops in the U.S.

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Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 5: A Motorcycle Supply Chain in Amish Country

Janus Motorcycles clearly outlines where each of its parts is sourced. Its top-selling engine is a 229 cc air-cooled single-cylinder two-valve pushrod motor from a manufacturer in China. The company's co-founder Richard Worsham makes no bones about it being the best choice of engine for his line of Halcyon 250 motorcycles.

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There's Your Waste, Shaw! An Argument for Shop Reinvestment

The fictional Don Walling had it right: Innovation and long-term success for machine shops requires investments in technology and people. Not just one, but both.

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Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 4: A Measured Approach

The L.S. Starrett Co. has been manufacturing precision measurement tools in Athol, Massachusetts, since 1880. Attention to U.S. manufacturing often focuses on reshoring manufacturing from other countries, but Starrett never left. The facility in Athol employs hundreds and produces thousands of tools that remain vital for measurement in machining and other fields.

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Automation

Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 3: The Robots Come Home

The latest episode “Made in the USA” podcast explores a company that uses collaborative robots, one of the key tools helping US machine shops and other manufacturers compete with lower cost countries by automating production.

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An American Manufacturing Story

For manufacturers that choose to move or keep production in the United States, what are the challenges and opportunities that motivate them?

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Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 2: Man, No Smoke!

When Puneet and Neelam Neotia moved from India to the United States several years ago, they brought with them a family background in manufacturing and CNC machining. Now the couple is working to get their startup machine shop off the ground, sourcing new customers and getting the word out about their shop in Clarksville, Indiana. The couple — proud to publicize their "Made in the USA" parts — is leveraging family connections and manufacturing capabilities back in India, but not in the way that some people assume. 

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Automation

Integration, Automation and Green Tech Highlight JIMTOF 2022

Known as one of the largest machine tool trade shows in the world, the Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF) has a reputation for being a machining technology show more than a machine tool sales event. And this year’s show in Tokyo — the first in-person Japanese machine tool trade show in four years — did not disappoint.

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Made in the USA - Season 2 Episode 1: A Return From China

Entrepreneur Scott Colosimo found early success in China producing parts for his Cleveland-based motorcycle company in the mid-2000s. This is the story of how IP theft issues overwhelmed the business, prompting Colosimo and his team to start over from scratch — and move production back to the United States.

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Team Unity – the Tightrope Walk for Corporate Culture

Finding your place in an organization doesn’t always mean falling in line. But creating a culture of continuous improvement means fostering unity among independent thinkers.

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Turn/Mill

How to Start a Swiss Machining Department From Scratch

When Shamrock Precision needed to cut production time of its bread-and-butter parts in half, it turned to a new type of machine tool and a new CAM system. Here’s how the company succeeded, despite the newness of it all. 

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Grinding

Showcasing the Benefits of Some Oft-Overlooked Grinders

Brent Donaldson of Modern Machine Shop sits down with Supertec's Don Staggenborg to discuss what the IMTS veterans brought to this year's show.

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Methods
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