Articles

An Eye on the Inside

There are myriad applications for RFID technology. This article shows an atypical one—how it’s used to monitor the degree of contamination on a laser cutter lens so an operator doesn’t have to.

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Discover More—And I Did

The time I spent at the Discover More with Mazak Midwest event in Schaumburg, Ill. was designed to help attendees discover new tools and techniques for staying ahead of the manufacturing curve. Here are four good ideas that caught my attention.

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Turning Machines

The Case for VTLs

The vertical lathe configuration offers advantages that go beyond large-part machining.

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Cutting Tools

Finishing Fillets

Consider these finish-machining techniques that can enable you to maximize material removal rates prior to completing accurate, tight-radii fillets.

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Job Shop ERP: What Should You Look For?

An independent ERP advisor offers seven points to consider when evaluating an ERP system’s functions and features.

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Video: Wisconsin Governor Visits Cardinal Manufacturing

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker recently toured Cardinal Manufacturing, the Eleva-Strum High School manufacturing program that operates as a commercial manufacturing business.

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New Chicago Headquarters Improve Training, Customer Service

Dealers, end-users, and members of the trade press got their first glimpse of Hyundai Wia’s new headquarters and technical center in Itasca, Ill., Monday, March 17. Twenty active machines were on display and ready for demonstrations at the new facility.

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The Million-Dollar Job

A shop specializing in large parts describes the most expensive single order it ever shipped.

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How to Promote Careers in Precision Manufacturing

Step one: create a great manufacturing training program with good instructors and a well-equipped machining facility. Step two: create a compelling video that sells the program to high school seniors about to choose a career path. The ITAMCO Manufacturing Education Center at Plymouth High School in Plymouth, Indiana has both steps covered.

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The Road to Better Parts

Jenoptik Industrial Metrology is asking U.S.-based manufacturers to bring their quality challenges to its experts as part of its 2014 road show event: The Better Parts Challenge. The company will use its measuring devices and software to help shops make better quality parts and potentially reduce production costs.

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U.S. Remains a Big Buyer of Machine Tools

The 2014 World Machine Tool Output and Consumption Survey shows that the U.S. machine tool market has outpaced the rest of the world two of the last three years and is forecasted to grow faster in 2014.

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CAD/CAM

Video: Optimizing Rapid Moves on a Five-Axis Machine

How do you optimize rapid positioning tool paths for five-axis operations? This write-up and video explains one approach.

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