JIMTOF Puts Nanotechnology Under Magnification
The big theme at the Japan International Machine Tool Fair (JIMTOF) was nanotechnology—the ability to produce parts to submicron accuracy.
Read MoreGetting To Submicron Accuracy
Machie tools designed for submicron accuracy and subminiature workpieces are following design strategies that depart from conventional practice. The Hyper2J from Makino is described as a case in point.
Read MoreOver-Commitment Is Under-Commitment
Any manager of a job shop knows that it would be a big mistake to take on work that the shop doesn’t have the time or resources to handle. The overload would surely cause at least one missed delivery, and maybe more.
Read MoreVertical Grinding Has Advantages
In vertical grinding, the workpiece is held upright in a rotary chuck with the grinding spindle overhead. This configuration can improve roundness, facilitate single-setup processing and prolong the life of the machine. Loading and unloading may gets easier, too. Workpieces with relatively large diameters and short lengths benefit the most from vertical grinding.
Read MoreLean Manufacturing Shapes A Cell
A machining cell that seeks to optimize product flow may look very different from a cell that seeks to optimize a machining process.
Read MoreWire EDM Goes Horizontal
Wire EDM (electrical discharge machining) has been configured with the wire in a vertical orientation for decades, so the appearance of a wire machine that orients the wire horizontally is truly a novel development.
Read MoreLet's Not Play Games With Overtime
New regulations regarding overtime pay went into effect in August, amid much controversy and debate. Affecting mostly white-collar employees, these regulations were promoted as an attempt by the Department of Labor (DoL) to make the rules clearer, simpler, easier to enforce and more reflective of today's job duties, pay rates and work environment.
Read MoreInside The Mind Of The Drill Designer
Designing hole-making tools is a game of compromises, says Goran Melin, drilling product manager at Seco Carboloy. 'Where you gain in one area, you must pay somewhere else,' he says. The trade-offs usually include tool life, accuracy and stability. Tool designers are constantly juggling these variables to find the best solution.
Read MoreWe Can Make It
We can make it. The phrase has several meanings, and all of them apply to the manufacturing industry as we approach IMTS, the International Manufacturing Technology Show.
Read MoreA Workforce On The Move
By now, many of this year’s graduates will be joining the workforce or continuing their search for jobs. In my readings and discussions lately, I’ve run across some insightful observations about the U.
Read MoreMaking It In Medical Machining
Examining this shop's healthy medical machining business shows that both medical components and medical customers require special care.
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