Mark Albert Editor Emeritus

1 Jul 2003

It's How You Look At It

While those at some U. S.

Workforce Development 15 Jun 2003

This shop faced two big challenges—keeping an important job from going overseas and positioning itself for future growth. Simultaneous five-axis machining helped the shop meet both challenges simultaneously.

Shop Management Software 15 May 2003

The Measure Of Success

For this small job shop, measuring and controlling everything are the keys to lean—very lean—manufacturing. Yet its management style is surprisingly open and trusting.

1 May 2003

Those Others Far Away

Here at home in our shops, plants and offices, we go about our business, doing our jobs as usual. Yet we know that far away, others too are doing their jobs, jobs that are far more difficult, demanding and dangerous.

15 Apr 2003

On The Cusp--Faster Machining Or Finer Surfaces?

According to developers, the main feature of this new milling method is the ability to calculate a cutter location that optimizes the orientation of a milling cutter on the surface to be machined.

3 Apr 2003

Paradox Shift

It is a paradox. The United States is a leading agricultural country, yet it is hard to find another society where the cultural significance of farming and “working the land” is so thoroughly diminished.

1 Mar 2003

No Need For CNC Programmers?

In the future, will we need CNC programmers? Will automated CAM software make the CNC programmer’s job obsolete? Developers of CAM software are already talking about the “black box” approach to CNC programming. A solid model of the part goes in; machine-ready code comes out.

15 Feb 2003

Strategy-Based Machining

Whereas some Knowledge-Based Machining systems capture how a part is machined, or (on a higher level) capture the rules that govern how a part is machined, this company's Strategy Manager seeks to capture the logic behind the decisions to machine a part one way or another.

EDM 15 Feb 2003

Process Pioneers

There is something different about the molds this shop builds. This puts EDM in a whole new light. These molds are not designed to produce plastic parts, like the typical injection mold. Rather, these molds produce parts in metals such as stainless steel and other alloys.

5 Feb 2003