The Many Ways of Measuring Thickness
By: George Schuetz
While it may seem to be a straightforward check, there are many approaches to measuring thickness that are determined by the requirements of the part.
#qualitygagingtips
Making the Most of Mixed Toolholder Assemblies
By: John Miller
While nearly all ER systems will have cross compatibility, they’ll have small differences across manufacturers that make their implementation at the shop level not as standard.
How to Evaluate Measurement Uncertainty
By: Tony Schmitz
Manufacturing and measurement are closely coupled. An important consideration for the use of measurement results is the associated measurement uncertainty. This article describes common metrology terms and provides an example uncertainty analysis.
#Basics
The Resurgence of 'Shop Class' in American High Schools
By: Brent Donaldson
From the 1990s through the 2010s, most traditional “shop classes” disappeared from middle schools and high schools across the U.S. — one of the many issues that helped create today’s skilled labor shortage in metalworking and CNC machine shops. Here’s one solution that deserves more attention.
#thesetup
4 Ways to Stop a Cycle to Allow Operator Intervention
By: Mike Lynch
Completely automatic operation should always be the goal, but there are situations that require operator intervention during the CNC cycle.
#cnctechtalk
Metalworking Activity Continues its Roller Coaster Year of Contraction
By: Jan Schafer
October marks a full year of metalworking activity contracting, barring just one isolated month of reprieve in February.
#economics
Q&A: How a Self-Taught Machinist Started His Own Business
By: Nathaniel Fields
This machinist found an opportunity in a niche market and decided to learn machining and create his own business. Here's how he did it.
Steady Culture, Flexible Plans Enable Custom Tooling Success
By: Evan Doran
By late 2019, West Ohio Tool’s client list only spanned one page. The company overhauled its culture and is now on track for its most successful year ever.
3 Lessons Job Shops Can Learn From Laser Cutters
By: Eli Plaskett
This laser-cutting “job shop” designs its processes to make high-mix, low volume work profitable.
Should Blisk Machining be in Your Growth Plan?
By: Daniel Cleary
Blisk machining offers a great business opportunity but requires technical expertise in machining difficult materials with multi-axis machines. The right partner can help you get started.
Causes Are Complex: The Case for Choosing the Right Failures to Analyze
By: Peter Zelinski
The nuance and complexity of failure in bearings is enough to illustrate the difficulty of failure analysis in general, and how much consideration this analysis deserves.
#zaxis
Large-Format Multitasking Simplifies Tube Manufacturing
By: Evan Doran
Downtime is the enemy of efficient manufacturing — a problem FIBA Technologies has addressed through purchasing a Soraluce FLP 14000.
Multitasking Machines Cut Days From Shop’s Setups
By: Evan Doran
Adopting WFL Millturn machines enabled BWXT to condense operations and setups while also providing a simple way to simulate and secure processes.
Which Approach to Automation Fits Your CNC Machine Tool?
By: Eli Plaskett
Choosing the right automation to pair with a CNC machine tool cell means weighing various factors, as this fabrication business has learned well.
Takeaways From TASC
By: Evan Doran
Across a range of technical presentations aimed at small and mid-sized job shops, the first-ever Automated Shop Conference (TASC) offered insights into several automated technologies, implementation strategies, shopfloor training tips, and even the untapped power of automated coolant delivery.
Automation Plus Capabilities Beyond Machining Featured at Mazak Event
By: Peter Zelinski
Friction stir welding is one example of a capability for emerging applications that changes the scope of the machine tool. Here are observations from Mazak’s Discover 2023 event.
Tips for Anticipating Hole Conditions
By: George Schuetz
When measuring an ID with an indicating plug gage, it is OK to slow down to learn more about the hole being measured and explore for extraneous conditions.
#qualitygagingtips
