PM Blog
New Vises Decrease Part Setup Time
During heavy milling operations, parts tended to creep upward and out of alignment within the vise jaws at this shop in Minnesota. Small chips got imbedded between the part and vise jaws, causing all kinds of problems. The company couldn’t operate its new Bridgeport VMC 1000 XP3 to its full potential on this part project, so the company's owner looked for a better workholding solution.
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CAM Software Turns Operators Into Engineers
Like many other United Kingdom subcontracting companies, Jetblades Engineering has had to change its operating methods to cope with the new manufacturing environment. Managing Director Mark Kirby relies more than ever on the company’s CAM software as he moves the firm from production machining to short-run manufacturing.
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Choosing ERP Vendors And Consultants: It's All About The Right Fit
Looking to upgrade your company's ERP and IT systems? It's all about the right fit between your company and the vendor you select. You will be working with the people you choose for months or even years.
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Bore Finishing Machine Increases Uptime
Tight tolerances are extremely important in gear manufacturing, and even more so when those gears are used in performance motorcycle transmissions. The ability to manufacture as competitively as possible is also a critical factor to consider.
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Mill/Turn Centers Spur Shop's Growth With Increased Uptime
After adding a 12,000-square-foot addition onto an existing 32,000-square-foot facility, the management of Nolte Precise Manufacturing (Cincinnati, Ohio) is in the mindset to expand its business and improve its processes, allowing it to grow not only in square footage, but in machining capability as well.
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Ingenuity Drives Single-Spindle Shop
Ideas for improvement are always welcomed here. Some of the most notable results have come from the merging of new technology with older, reliable equipment.
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Accurate Barstock Alignment Provides Faster Speeds
Recent developments in sliding-headstock turning machines allow for faster feed rates and higher spindle speeds—both aimed at increasing throughput to improve productivity. Sometimes, though, these machines cannot reach their full potential because of other equipment that runs in conjunction with it.
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Gantry Takes Hands Out Of Part Handling
Automating material delivery and removal from the machining process is one key method of taking some of the production cost from manufacturing. Iemca, known for automating machine tools with its line of bar feeders, has introduced a new gantry system for chucked parts.
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How Should Tools Fail?
Two incidents early in my career started me on the path to learning all that I could about how tools fail. The first, at a Tier One subsidiary plant of a major domestic automaker near Rochester, was a call for immediate assistance because the cold-drawn bars that my company had supplied were causing their form tools to burn up.
Read MoreHaas Vertical Mold Machines Offer Speed and Versatility
Designed specifically for mold makers, the Haas VM Series are high-performance machines featuring a generous work cubes and tables, and a 12,000-rpm spindle powered by a 30-hp vector dual drive system. These mills are equipped with a high-speed control with full look-ahead, and the 40-taper spindle uses a unique inline, direct-drive system that couples the motor directly to the spindle rather than using belts (which are a major source of heat). The result is less vibration, less heat and less noise - which means excellent surface finishes, extreme thermal stability and quiet operation.
Read MoreHaas Toolroom Lathes – Operate Manual or CNC
The Haas Toolroom Lathe series offers versatility in turning diameters to 30" and lengths to 60". With a functional range from manual turning to full CNC, Haas Toolroom Lathes feature a proprietary conversational operating system that makes cutting parts and creating part programs nearly effortless. The operator chooses an operation, touches off the X and Z surfaces, and is then prompted to enter basic dimension information.
Read MoreIncrease Production With Setup Reduction
There are considerably more opportunities to improve efficiency than to reduce a tool’s cycle time. All too often, manufacturing companies invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in new machine tools to increase production, or countless hours testing tools to take 30 seconds out of an operation, when they could accomplish more dramatic results with existing machinery at a fraction of the cost.
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