Tooling

Toolmaker Boosts Productivity With Grinder

Given the vitality of the auto market and the growing trend towards aluminum as a weight-saving aid, the demand for this manufacturer's tools has been consistently strong. More than half of the business is regrinding existing tools for customers, with the short lead times necessary to minimize the customer's investment in expensive tooling.

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Workholding Provides Maximum Setup Versatility For Unattended Machining

JEM Technical Marketing (Long Lake, Minnesota) manufactures a broad line of custom manifold assemblies used in all types of fluid power applications such as off-highway vehicles, tractors and road graders.

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Is It Time For Bar Fed Machining Centers?

When we think of bar feeders, usually they are associated with turning operations. Recently though, some builders have developed machining centers that incorporate bar fed raw stock. It’s an interesting idea for the right applications and one that can economically reduce material handling and fixturing requirements on machining centers. Here’s a look at how they work.

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Bore Gaging Flexibility Boosts Productivity

A key machining operation at the plant is the boring of metal; consequently, improved inner and outer diameter measurement ability is required.

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PCD Tools Get Tough

Contrary to their reputation as tools reserved strictly for finish machining of non-ferrous metals, some polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting tools now possess the durability to handle a much wider range of applications.

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Turning Off-Center Diameters In One Setup

In the past, turned parts with one or more off-center hubs could not be machined in one chucking on a lathe or turning center. Typically, the part had to be rechucked in a special fixture to center the eccentric portions for turning. Parts with more than one eccentric hub required additional refixturing.

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Software Provides The Edge For Toolgrinding

These days, software is increasingly providing the machining skills that once were the domain of experienced operators. This is especially true at cutter grinding shops where complex three-dimensional geometry, difficult materials, extreme tolerances and short lead times are typical.

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Five Problems With CNC Milling Cutter Radius Compensation

The many rules of programming CNC cutter radius compensation can make machining problems difficult to diagnose and correct. 

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The Dynamics Of Better Drilling

Vibration is at the heart of a variety of common problems in machining holes. Mathematical analysis is helping to bring about a better understanding of hole-making processes...including how these vibrations behave, and what steps to take to bring them under control.

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Reclaiming The Hole-making Process

A shop that had been farming out hole-making operations on oversized components brought this work back in-house after acquiring a large-format, CNC drilling machine. The process now can be done more quickly, at lower costs and on schedule, with many workpieces machined as assemblies instead of separate pieces

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MMS Leaders in CNC Machining