PM Blog
Material Impacts On The Precision Machining Industry - June 2008
As of June 2008, steel is up 109%, coke is up 105%, aluminum, copper, brass and oil are at record highs. Nickel and stainless show some softening of price. Five of the seven items we track are up over the same month last year. Lead times are extending as inventories are lean and who wants to build inventory in a volatile market? So focusing on understanding what your suppliers can do for you may be the key to your improved performance in the months ahead.
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How Online Communities Can Help Businesses, Part 3
The cultural impact of online communities on manufacturing's future can’t be overemphasized.
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Straight From The Source
Seeing the cold drawing process up close can provide an entirely new appreciation of the barstock used in a shop. Here's how one mill makes the most of the process.
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Top Ten Ways To Improve A Machine Vision Process
Machine vision is an area that, if set up correctly, can reduce process inefficiencies. Here are specific steps that, without proper setup, can cause non-value-added downtime to the machine vision process.
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Successful Untended Operation
Machine tool accessories can make or break untended operation.
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Role Of Nitrogen In Free Machining Carbon Steels
One of the least understood fatcors affecting machinability of steel is the role of nitrogen.
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Report From The Executive Director
As we near the end of another fiscal and program year, I want to be sure readers know about the PMPA staff, association finances and our volunteer leaders.
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China Shipping--A Midwesterner's View
In the Midwest, we see the China trade issue pretty simply. We lose our manufacturing jobs to cheap overseas labor; we pay our taxes to Washington, D.C., and we wonder why nobody does anything about those cheap imports killing our jobs. We still wonder why the currency peg hasn’t been dealt with, and we wonder what is so difficult about this. On the West Coast, the view is a little different.
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Is Incremental Improvement Enough?
Is incremental improvement enough for our industry’s long-term survival? How many precision machining companies will perish in the next 5 years?
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How Online Communities Can Help Businesses, Part 2
This month, I want to explore the advantages online communities can provide for your own Web site’s visibility and prominence, resulting in more exposure to motivated prospects and more leads.
Read MoreRemembering The Past, Celebrating The Future: PMPA’s 75th Annual Meeting
With a rich history and tradition of service to the industry, the PMPA will pause and remember those who were instrumental in its 75 years of success.
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Optics Maker Focuses On Flexible Production
Leupold & Stevens has found the key to successful precision machining. It operates more than 30 Index machines, primarily multifunction turning machines used to produce the bodies and tubes for the rifle scopes from aircraft-quality aluminum.
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