PM Blog
Style And Substance
At the Simodec show in France, Wirth & Gruffat (Argonay, France) introduced a new machine called Transturn TT-312. It is designed to combine the advantages of multi-spindle screw machines and rotary transfer technology. The company calls it a manufacturing cell.
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Waging The Ongoing Battle For Obtaining And Retaining Skilled Help
The recently released PMPA 2002 Wage Benefits&Work Schedule Report is a major resource helping PMPA members make sure they are competitive in the skilled employee marketplace. As the name of the report suggests, the report covers wages for most hourly wage jobs found in the shop as well as an overview of benefits provided, including costs to the employees and a look at work schedules throughout the industry.
Read MoreRequests For Exclusions From The President's Steel Tariff Decision
As is well known, President Bush has announced imposition of the most protectionist tariffs since the end of World War II on imported steel. The tariffs are up to 30 percent of the entered value of steel. Coupled with the tariffs (and a tariff rate quota or TRQ on steel slabs) is a provision for 'product exclusions.'
Read MoreShop Floor Alloy Analyzer: Material ID On The Fly
Part designers love to look through various material specification tables and charts to find an alloy that is 'just right' for a given application. While that works fine for designers, the myriad of alloy options available can wreak havoc in the shop charged with making the parts.
Read MoreThe Case For Resharpenable, Insert-Type Form Tools
Users explain the advantages of these tools over solid and throwaway-insert-type form tools.
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Finding Faster Deburring
While attending a trade show in the fall of 2000, a research and development employee at Upchurch Scientific (Oak Harbor, Washington) saw a magnetic deburring and polishing machine. It was well known throughout Upchurch that manual deburring was very labor intensive, so he took note of it.
Read MoreAnatomy Of Free Machining Steel
Here’s a look at how steelmakers continue to come up with ways of changing the basic recipe to deliver performance characteristics you need.
Read MoreGrinding: Send It Out Or Keep It In-House?
CNC tool grinding can improve the output quality of any screw machine operation. But there are a number of factors to consider when deciding whether to send tools out or grind them in-house.
Read MoreLoad More Tools On Your CNC Lathe's Turret
Most shops accept the tooling limitations of their CNC lathes as a fact of life-something that cannot be changed and something to get around. However, one shop took a fresh look at the problem and came up with a way to increase the number of rotary tools that a turret can accommodate.
Read MoreDo We Really Believe In Competition?
In precision parts manufacturing there are winners and losers. Companies that create a competitive edge by investing in the business through productivity enhancing technologies and process improvements will outscore those who do not.
Read MoreDials Are No Longer A Traditional Concept
The addition of automatic tool changers (ATCs) brought more flexibility to the dial-transfer machine.
Read MoreEntry Level Automation: Is It Right For You?
Most, if not all, shops have at one time or another thought of full automation on current products they run or are currently quoting. A lot of companies are already engaged in some form of automation. We at Fuji hope to take the mystique out of this process and encourage potential shop owners of all sizes to qualify their need(s) for automation. This is a step-by-step process for evaluating your company to see if automation is right for you.
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