The second B-axis turn-mill MoManTech purchased currently performs no turning work whatsoever, producing a range of complex, prismatic medical components from barstock. (All photos are courtesy of MoManTech.) I’ve visited a number of very advanced machining businesses that are located in

Manual part inspection at regular intervals caused this automated turning cell to pause production. 3D printing a parts collection chute for delivery outside the cell eliminated that problem. (All photos are courtesy of Superior Metal Products, except where noted.) A year ago, I was able to vis

Microconic collets enable Lane4 Precision to finely adjust collet tension for machining complex parts. In fact, these collets enable the shop to do jobs it was not able to complete prior to implementing this collet system. Photo Credits: Lane4 Precision Workholding, particularly for backwo

Playback speed in this video was increased while the gripper accessed another pallet from the machine’s storage rack. Challenge Machine takes advantage of a laser probe installed on the side of its new five-axis machine’s swiveling B-axis casting for tool presetting and, durin

After grinding, a honing operation improves surface finish before a final buffing operation. An automatic wheel measurement process helps ensure that each honing operation starts from the correct infeed position. Photo Credit: ANCA Medical industry experts estimate that orthopedic hip surgeries

Recently, Hashier Machine reached a fork in the road business-wise. Brothers Pete (left) and Phil Hashier decided to adopt Swiss-type turning for their shop to enable long stretches of unattended machining for parts that often previously ran across multiple machines. Established in 2006 by Phi

Every month, we’re putting together a Technology Showcase, highlighting some of the product information that PM received from supplier companies. For July, we focused on some machining centers that will be highlighted at IMTS 2022. PM’s July machining center showcase includes

As a job shop, Mitotec Precision continues to identify ways to speed changeovers for jobs that run across its two CNC multi-spindle machines for operators such as apprentice-now-employee Trevor Hutchins. Batch sizes of 20,000 parts is its sweet spot for these machines. (Photo Credit: Mitotec Prec

Northern Indiana Axle is a 60,000 square-foot Amish-owned CNC machine shop that specializes in the machining of horse-drawn carriage parts, stainless steel fencing, ball hitches, cable parts, and hinge caps for aluminum trailers. As recently as the 1960s, social scientists in thi

Around 3 p.m. each weekday, Custom Tool shop personnel begin setting up turning centers to run jobs lights-out during the evening. For the Young brothers, shopfloor automation began by adding a bar feeder to an existing CNC turning center. This happened very soon after Gillen and Bob Young pur

Continuous improvement has always been critical to Schmid Tool and Engineering (STE) in Villa Park, Illinois. That’s why its management knew when it was time to hire an outside professional to help the team implement some lean manufacturing principles. Doing so enabled the team to pinpoint pro

One of the first clues that Precision Plus is different from other machine shops was a gentle clicking noise. The sound emanates from more than a dozen mechanically driven Swiss-type lathes at the center of the shop floor. Lined up in neat rows and serviced by obviously newer bar feeders, the

Winema’s RV10 Flexmaster achieves short cycle times due to the dynamic direct drive of the indexing table; the indexing time of the table is under 0.3 second. Photo Credits: Winema High-production machine shops are often attracted to rotary transfer machines because of their capability to

Introduced in 2017, the Hybrid multi-spindle machine combines CNC and cam-driven functionality for precision part production in high volumes. “These are two questions we commonly receive about our Hybrid multi-spindle platform,” says Dan Bavineau, chief manufacturing and technology

In machine shops across the globe, there is a definite trend toward implementing multitasking machines for the purpose of completing parts on one piece of equipment. This efficient machining process eliminates the need to run parts across multiple machines, which saves equipment floor space, setup t

During its search for a Swiss-type lathe with a Y2 axis, Paramount Machine realized the potential advantages of a machine with both a Y2 axis as well as a programmable B axis that could create contours and features at various angles. Salt Lake City’s Paramount Machine serves a diverse cus

It is not uncommon to see lasers in use in a machine shop. Examples include laser interferometers for measurement and calibration of machine tool motion systems; and laser tool setting systems to measure tools on a machine and detect broken tools. Recently, laser technology has been integrated to m

This “mechano-chemical” process can improve the tribological properties of ferrous materials such as steel and cast iron by way of burnishing/plateauing while impregnating the surface at a nano level with tungsten. Photo Credit: Sunnen Oftentimes, honing is one of the final mac

  Arno Applications Specialist Rob Hampton reviews the Arno Fast Change system and describes how it operates in this video.   While servicing the tools on a traditional platen on a sliding headstock lathe, it can take 10 minutes or more to index one insert. While indexing the tools,

This robot machining cell produces tubes for an automotive fuel system. Discover what encompasses this cell at Custom Tool in Cookeville, Tennessee, including workholding, part dispenser, safety scanner and a parts collector.   Have you purchased equipment knowing that it would be put to go