Titanium Machining

Medical-Grade Barstock For Swiss-Type Machines

Five-Axis Machining Has Special Workholding Needs

This clamping system allows a workpiece to be rigidly clamped while raised up from the surface of the worktable on a five-axis machining center. Moving the workpiece away from the table creates clearance for the spindle nose and cutting tool when the table swivels the workpiece for multi-sided machining, or when the spindle head rotates and swivels to do contouring or sculptured surfaces. Without this clearance, the user may be forced to refixture the part or to switch to a longer, less rigid tool.

Unattended Machining Makes Oral Orthotics More Affordable

This shop makes the oral devices that helped the shop owner and members of his family. Unattended machining is the key to making this therapy more accessible.

Lights-Out With A Lighter Commitment

For this integrated flexible pallet cell, the machines and the pallet system came from different suppliers. The shop is not locked into any supplier for adding machining centers later.

Virtual Machining In The Real World

Using software that models machining passes, a Cessna plant unlocks real capacity by finding better parameters for its existing NC programs.

Move The Program Instead Of The Part

A complex five-axis part with hard-to-reach datums is machined in two setups instead of eight, thanks to a process that rewrites the tool paths to match the part's position.

A Two-Speed Approach To Plunge Roughing

In plunge roughing, the strategy is in the stepover.  Here is a plunge roughing strategy that has worked well for Boeing researchers.

Why Boeing Is Big On Right-Size Machine Tools

Simple, dedicated machines save on capital expense, while they also make it possible to realize one-piece flow. These machines are often developed internally. 'Chaku-chaku' is the new ideal.

Tools For Titanium

With all of the titanium that will be required for a new aircraft, any of 1,000 spindles might benefit from the tools and techniques described here.

Barstock For Close-Tolerance Machining