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Basics 13 Feb 2022

5 Things New CNC Machine Operators Must Know

These subjects are the building blocks of training newcomers on a specific CNC machine tool.

Aerospace 1 Jun 2019

Center of Excellence Is New Twist on Old Manufacturing Department Structure

The new Spirit AeroSystems facility for five-axis machining allows a small team to oversee a significant amount of machining capability. Is this the way of the future as machining systems become more automated?

CNC & Machine Controls 1 Jun 2019

Monitoring Time for Preventive Maintenance Tasks

Not all maintenance tasks should be performed based on a calendar date. You can use a custom macro to monitor your machines.

Automation 28 Sep 2019

3 Mindset Changes for Lights-Out CNC Machining

Expanding capacity into the unattended hours calls for counterintuitive new ways of thinking about the work.

Measurement 21 May 2019

Maintaining an Air Gage System’s High Performance

Tight, clean and dry: The requirements of air gaging aren’t very different from mechanical gaging.

Data-Driven Manufacturing 11 May 2019

Data-Driven Manufacturing Scales Down

An automatic gaging station demonstrates the potential of shopfloor connectivity at the level of the individual machine tool.

Additive Manufacturing 1 May 2019

Additive Manufacturing for Hard Tooling

Hybrid manufacturing is enabling tooling to be made with additive processes.

Additive Manufacturing 27 Apr 2019

Manufacturing to Meet Tech Community at MT360

I will hold onstage conversations with additive manufacturing and collaborative automation leaders as part of the new technology event to premier May 12-14, 2020, in Santa Clara, California.

Basics 27 Apr 2019

Converting Time and Date to a More Useful Format

FANUC and FANUC-compatible CNCs have multiple ways to monitor time. They are accessed by four system variables: milliseconds clock, hours clock, current date and current time. Here’s how to format information in a helpful way.