Mark Albert Editor Emeritus

1 Feb 2007

The Importance Of “Inspired Creativity”

JIMTOF 2006 emphasized that manufacturing know-how—the capacity for “inspired creativity in making things”—is fundamental and essential.

Aerospace 1 Feb 2007

A Highly Complementary Combo

Wire EDM and abrasive waterjet go together well, especially for cutting aluminum.

High-Speed Machining 19 Jan 2007

From Mold Making To Mold Manufacturing

Pro Mold had to change its entire shop culture to make the move to “net machining.” The experience made the company stronger.

High-Speed Machining 12 Jan 2007

For Mold Shops, Machining To Zero Means There Is Nothing To Hold Them Back

Advanced machining technology enables mold shops to produce cores and cavities without leaving extra stock. Following this trend of “machining to zero” will help make mold production more competitive.

Die/Mold 11 Jan 2007

Where New Machines And Methods Overshadow The Old

Eclipse Mold makes a good case for high-end machining centers as the basis for effectively machining to zero.

High-Speed Machining 10 Jan 2007

CAM Software Is The Driving Force

Doug Noxell knew he had the right software for machining to zero, so he created a shop to add the rest of the capability.

3 Jan 2007

Of Molds And Magazines

The discussion turned to some interesting parallels between producing a plastic injection mold and publishing an issue of a magazine. Steve Craprotta and I had just spent a long morning at Eclipse Mold talking about mold machining and observing the shop’s innovative processes.

Holemaking 4 Dec 2006

Self-Reversing Tapping Head Speeds CNC Production Job

When Prestige Precision Products (PPP), a shop in Rochester, New York, began ramping up for a recent high-production job, it made a substantial investment in new equipment dedicated to the project. Among the acquisitions were a new HMC with a pallet changer, customized tombstone fixtures for the pallets and some innovative tooling items. The part, an aluminum component for the automotive industry, had one hole to be drilled and tapped.

1 Dec 2006

Letter To A Soldier

Hey, Rob— As you prepare for your deployment to Iraq, I want to tell you a few things before you go. To start, I’m grateful.

CAD/CAM 15 Nov 2006

Another Step Toward CNC Programming Automation

Part designers and part programmers have to think differently. Esprit FX is a development from DP Technology (Camarillo, California) that helps overcome the "disconnect" that occurs when designers pass geometry to CNC programmers. FX stands for "feature exchange." It allows programmers using Esprit CAM software to receive information about the designer's original intent automatically so that part programs can be created more quickly and more accurately.

CAD/CAM 2 Nov 2006

CAM Software As A Creativity Tool

This job shop relies on its CNC programming software to unlock the productivity of its multi-axis, multi-tasking machine tools and CNC Swiss-type machines.

2 Nov 2006

Shop Dogs

In the last year, I have visited a couple of shops at which I was not the only special guest at the time. At each place, the owner’s pet dogs were also “visiting."