From the supply chain all the way to the finished and installed part, incremental optimization will be at the heart of future manufacturing work. What will it take to make optimization more automated? Machine intelligence and machine learning. We explore. The engine of today’s manu

Looking for an easy and inexpensive way to increase CNC machining productivity? A cutting fluid makeover might be all that’s needed. It seems as though new or improved cutting tools, software packages, workholding and machine tools are coming along every day. They are all designed t

With challenging machining jobs sometimes requiring multiple tool changes, a durable tool that extends tool life is highly desirable. Here’s how Sumitomo’s binderless CBN and binderless PCD tools are offering long-lasting, hard-cutting options for working with difficult-to-cut materi

Dental milling may look completely different from what most of us think of as regular machining, but there are some notable similarities. Here’s a look at how dental tools might be just the ticket in your machine shop. It’s a sad fact of life that humans suffer from occasional tooth

  Defining “high performance” in machining depends on the material and the total cost of operation. The objective and needs of the job should help shape the tooling decisions, finds Sandvik Coromant. It may be time to rethink how tooling decisions are made. Is the cost of an indivi

Programming is at the heart of much of today’s machining. Keeping up to date and committing to lifelong learning are essential regardless of where the industry is headed. Is the machine programmer of the future a code developer, a systems integrator or an enabler of artificial intell

Finding skilled workers can be a challenge, especially in a manufacturing environment. John Hindman, director of learning and performance improvement at Tooling U-SME, recently hosted a webinar to discuss how apprenticeship programs can help companies develop and retain a skilled wor

Grinding wheels can be extremely dangerous. If you over-rev the wheel, and it has microscopic defects or cracks, it may shatter, sending shrapnel everywhere and possibly injuring you or a co-worker. Here’s what you need to know about the proper care and maintenance of your grinding w

With the automotive sector increasing its use of engine, powertrain, water pump and brake system parts manufactured from aluminum, the challenge for OEMs and their supply chain partners is to deliver more productive milling operations. Tooling selection is the key to genuine market d

Poor chip management can lead to problems for machinists, such as shorter tool life, poor surface finishes and safety hazards. These issues cost companies countless hours of production time and lost revenue. Here’s what you can do about it. Chip packing during tapping operations lea

The challenge of improving cycle time in machine and cutting operations often has machinists searching for new solutions. Here’s how shops are dealing with large volumes, strict process controls and the high quality that the automotive industry requires. There’s a vision associated

Solid Round Tools (SRT), cover a range of application types within the areas of solid carbide drilling, milling, tapping, reaming and threading. Each tool is designed to fulfill the demands of high quality, precision and maximum productivity to enable you to get the most out of your

Will 2017 go down as a strong year in the manufacturing industry? Third-quarter and year-over-year trend lines suggest it will. The question is whether growth will expand in the fourth quarter and into 2018. It has been a positive year for positive sentiment and activity in manufact

The history of machining involves constantly evolving technology, with machines, cutting tools and components advancing at different paces and often leapfrogging one another. As spindle speeds began to increase in the early 1990s, a group of international manufacturers, academics and

Aluminum alloys are a breeze for machinists compared with metals such as superalloys, but they have one major drawback: potentially costly chip-control problems in turning operations using lower-powered equipment. Aluminum alloys score around 400 on the American Iron and Steel Insti

By Elliot Shepherd, Associate Product Manager, Weiler Abrasives Matching a tool with the right abrasive is of utmost importance in any application. Using the wrong product at the wrong speeds can hinder productivity and be dangerous for the operator and those working nearby. When c

Cutting tool runout and toolholder imbalance make machining challenging. Here’s what you need to know about tool balancing techniques and how getting this procedure right can minimize vibrations, improving surface finishes and tool life alike.  Tool balancing is a must for high-spee

  Looking to start your own CNC business? Learn all the details you’ll need to think about from a company that just did it. Rocket Machining & Design, a customer of MSC, may be a new kid on the block, but it has learned a lifetime of lessons and wisdom in its early incarnation—w

In-process probing is quickly becoming commonplace as machine tools grow more automated. Here’s what you need to know about the advantages of this practice.   Still setting tool lengths and d

Whether it’s a trade publication, a website like this one, or the cutting tool salesperson who stops by every month to show you the latest product offering, there’s no shortage of ideas on how to improve machining processes. And that’s a good thing, because learning about new technol