Production Machining's Top 10 Articles of 2024

As we approach a new year, it is always interesting to reflect on what stories grabbed our audience's attention the most. From replaceable insert spade drill basics (try saying that five times fast) to Swiss-types milling medical parts—we covered a lot of ground this year. Take a look at this year’s most-viewed Production Machining articles and see what grabs your attention.

10. The Value of CMM Controller Retrofits

Source: LK Metrology

In this case, new controllers for two coordinate measuring machines — one 26 years old — with new programming software offers the possibility to enable multisensor inspection of critical, turned aerospace components.

9. Should You Bring Tool Regrinding In-House?

Source: ANCA

In some situations, the potentially high investment in an in-house tool grinding process can be justified with a relatively fast ROI. (Includes video.)

8. Inside the Premium Machine Shop Making Fasteners

Source: AMPG

AMPG can’t help but take risks — its management doesn’t know how to run machines. But these risks have enabled it to become a runaway success in its market.

7. Replaceable-Insert Spade Drill Basics, Advantages

Source: Allied Machine and Engineering

Although solid carbide and indexable-insert drills have their place in a machine shop, replaceable-insert spade drills offer specific advantages for various holemaking operations on machining centers and lathes.

6. Parting Off: The Case for Standardizing on Sawing

Source: Watkins Saw Technologies

The value of rotary saw cutting for parting off operations could boil down to simple economics paired with process efficiency gains.

5. German Project Yields Three New Medical Machining Processes

Source: Horn/Sauermann

Recent research has resulted in a new mix of high-speed turn whirl milling, polygon turning and rotational turning for manufacturing medical bone screws and out-of-round nails.

4. Machining More Than Metal

Source: PM

Plastics for medical and industrial applications present different challenges than metals as I’ve reported on over the years.

3. The Value of Swiss-Types Milling Rectangular Medical Parts

Source: Boston Scientific

High-speed spindle technology was key to effective milling of small cardiac monitoring components complete on a CNC sliding-headstock machine platform instead of running them across two mills.

2. Craftsman Cribsheet No. 128: Why Do Machinists Say Tenths Instead of Ten Thousandths?

Source: PMPA

In machinist parlance, a tenth is a tenth of a thousandth, not a tenth of an inch.

1. Broaching Tool Technology For Lathes Used to Slot Inconel Parts

Source: Powill Manufacturing

This shop finds value in using an indexable-insert-style broaching tool to create blind-hole slots in heat-treated Inconel aerospace parts on a CNC lathe.