Emily Probst Former Senior Editor

EDM 1 Feb 2016

EDM Cell Cuts Lead Time in Half, Improves Quality

Sodick's AG60L sinker EDM and an Erowa Robot Compact helped Ford Tool and Machining LLC cut lead time in half when it needed to reduce downtime and increase repeatability.

Workforce Development 20 Jan 2016

Searching for Good News in the Manufacturing Skills Gap

While the current employment outlook is seemingly bleak, with a high number of manufacturers reporting a moderate to severe shortage of available, qualified production workers, there does appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel concerning the future of American manufacturing over the next decade.

Vertical Machining Centers 1 Jan 2016

Gantry Machine Streamlines Mold Production

Century Tool and Gage's large-size plates used in the injection-molding process were causing production bottlenecks. The Annihilator gantry machining center from Quickmill improved productivity and quality.

Vertical Machining Centers 1 Jan 2016

VMC Helps Shop Find Tight-Tolerance Niche

YDC Precision Machine's VMCs needed more capacity and capability, so it invested in a Makino PS95 vertical machining center that cut cycle times in half.

CAD/CAM 1 Jan 2016

CAM Software Cuts Production Time, Increases Quality

Performance Motion's business growth necessitated increased efficiency and expanded capabilities. Implementing Vero's WorkNC CAM software reduced cycle times, improved quality and expanded capabilities.

31 Dec 2015

The 10 Most Popular Blog Posts of 2015

It’s become a tradition for me, as this blog’s moderator, to look back on the year and see which posts resonated best with our readers. Here is the list of our most popular blog posts of 2015.

Workforce Development 22 Dec 2015

CNC Training Making Headway in Florida

We hear the complaint time and time again: There’s a shortage of skilled labor in the United States. So what are we doing about it? One solution that has been getting results in Florida is the 80 to Work Program from Longwood-based Machine Training Solutions (MTS). This intensive virtual reality training program helped Hoerbiger Corp. of America have new employees on its shop floor moving on with the next phase of their training in two weeks.

Shop Management Software 14 Dec 2015

Business Software Reduces Project Time by 75 Percent

When order processing time was on the rise, Southfield Packaging implemented Exact Online for Manufacturing business software to streamline its processes and view real-time business insight anytime, anywhere.

Cutting Tools 1 Dec 2015

Difficult Materials Are No Match for Ceramic Inserts

TNG Energy Services Inc. was experiencing inconsistent carbide insert life in valve grooving applications. Greenleaf's Ring Max and face grooving tooling helped to reduce production time and increase reliability.

Vertical Machining Centers 1 Dec 2015

VMC Improves Shop’s Flexibility, Efficiency

RDM Manufacturing Precision CNC needed to improve its equipment flexibility to keep up with its large variety of clients. Investing in a VMC from SMTCL enabled the shop to achieve higher metal removal rates and better surface finish to better deal with demand.

Milling Tools 1 Dec 2015

Shop Invests in Tooling Up Front, Saves Money in the Long Run

Valve supplier Vortex needed to optimize its in-house machining operations. Seco tooling helped the shop improve tool life, cycle times and finish.

2 Nov 2015

Increasing Production with Fewer Machines

Hanna Cylinders needed to shorten production lead times and speed deliveries. Replacing several of its legacy machines with Mazak machine tools helped to increase jobs shipped per month and brought production in-house, even with fewer overall machines.