Peter Zelinski Editor-in-Chief

High-Speed Machining 15 Mar 2000

Find The Right Speed For Chatter-Free Milling

It used to be that a little chatter was easy to forgive. Not anymore. In shops aiming to minimize hand finishing, machined surfaces have to be smooth. And in high speed machining applications, chatter itself can set the speed limit.

High-Speed Machining 15 Mar 2000

Five-Axis Machining With A Contouring Head

This accessory brought low-cost five-axis machining to two shops. One had never used five-axis machining before. The other was an experienced five-axis contractor.

Five-Axis 1 Mar 2000

The Other Angle On Five-Axis Machining

Machine complex prismatic parts efficiently on low-cost machining centers. This shop embraces five-axis machining—the kind that features a five-figure price tag.

Basics 15 Feb 2000

Making Sense Of Model Data

Designs often arrive incomplete downstream. There may be no changing that. But these tools can reduce the amount of time spent on reworking customer models.

Grinding 15 Jan 2000

The Right Tool, Right Away

In-house custom tool grinding extends the reach of CNC machining.

Laser & Waterjet 15 Nov 1999

Milling With Waterjet

Machine with abrasive waterjet and control the depth of cut. For the right parts, this fledgling process may offer a compelling alternative.

CNC & Machine Controls 15 Oct 1999

Five-Axis Machining For The Masses

Control technology continues to make five-axis machining easier to use. Many special considerations - particularly qualified tools for pivoting-spindle machines - are no longer essential to the process.

High-Speed Machining 15 Oct 1999

For Easier Turnaround...Hard Milling

By using milling in place of EDM, this mold shop delivers finished work to customers days sooner.

Turn/Mill 15 Sep 1999

Banking On A Swiss-Type

To shops used to conventional turning, the CNC Swiss-type is a strange sort of lathe. But for the right jobs, the machine is worth both the price and the learning curve.

Aerospace 1 Aug 1999

High Speed Machining: Aerospace -- Boeing's One Part Harmony

Faster, lighter cuts can let one solid part replace an assembly of hundreds of components. Better manufacturing and a better airplane both result. But before Boeing could realize these benefits, a more finely tuned process was needed.

Basics 1 Jul 1999

Understanding NURBS Interpolation

The right way to program curves? A solution to yesterday's problems? The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Horizontal Machining Centers 15 Jun 1999

High Volume, High Flexibility

Does a highly automated process have to be highly customized? Here is a snapshot of one low-manpower process machining thousands of parts per week on standard CNC machines.