Mark Albert Editor Emeritus

7 Feb 2006

Sizing Up The Management Challenge

The demand for extremely small precision components is growing. A look at one company's thrust to meet this demand reveals what it takes to run a micro machining business.

Automation 1 Feb 2006

10K In 12

In a recent announcement, Haas Automation Inc. (Oxnard, California) reported that, in the 12 months of 2005, the company has built and sold more than 10,000 machine tools.

EDM 18 Jan 2006

Meeting Production Requirements For Medical

You might think that medical manufacturing always calls for complicated machine tools with lots of high-tech features for applications where no expense can be spared. This is not true. Medical manufacturing is often about economical production, where affordability, reliability and compactness are key values.

Measurement 18 Jan 2006

Revving Up The CMM

High speed, five-axis scanning promises to give throughput on coordinate measuring machines a big boost. Entire manufacturing strategies may be up for rethinking as a result.

CAD/CAM 18 Jan 2006

Steering Clear Of Corner Concerns

Tool paths based on constant stepovers often get an end mill into trouble when it heads into a corner. Using the tool's angle of engagement as the constant avoids this difficulty.

1 Jan 2006

The Continuous Flow Continuum

Workpieces that require operations that can be performed on a turning center and a machining center can often be produced more efficiently on a multi-process machine tool that combines machining center and turning center capabilities. By completing all of these operations in one setup, the time and labor associated with handling, waiting and change-over are greatly reduced or eliminated.

Five-Axis 19 Dec 2005

Sawing On A Machining Center

One of the unusual operations that the PBZ NT five-axis machining center can perform is sawing with a blade as much as 20 inches in diameter.

Grinding 19 Dec 2005

PC-Based Surface Grinders Make Their Mark

A more effective approach to grinding complex profiles enables this shop to help its U.S. customers compete globally.

Turn/Mill 19 Dec 2005

The Multi-Process Machine Mindset

Installing a machine tool that combines milling, turning, boring and other processes changed this job shop’s outlook.

1 Dec 2005

Prepped For Success

A few months ago, I wrote about the noticeable increase in startup machine shops (

1 Nov 2005

We Used To Call It CIM

Our two cover stories this month look at ways to measure and control the overall performance of production equipment in a manufacturing plant. In each case, a computer network gathers and delivers information about events happening inside the machine tool.

20 Oct 2005

A Lathe That Doesn't Turn The Workpiece

Rather than rotating the workpiece, an Escomatic lathe rotates a toolhead around material that is held stationary in a guide bushing. This configuration allows workpiece stock to be fed as bars or coils for long periods of uninterrupted operation.