Miles Free Director of Industry Affairs, PMPA
Where Steel Properties Come From
The properties of the steel materials we machine in our shops are the result of a complex interplay between chemical composition, developed by hot and cold work, and further controlled by various thermal treatments to develop microstructures.
Read MoreRapid Methods for Determining the Weight of a Steel Bar (Imperial Units)
Counting bars in a bundle and multiplying by weight per bar allows a quick “reality check” on whether or not the tag weight is correct, or how much weight is left in the rack.
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4 Questions for Customer Delight
Operational excellence, product leadership, customer intimacy—one of these rules them all. Miles Free visited PMPA member, Horn, at its headquarters in Germany and returned home with four questions that can be used to determine customer delight.
Read MoreVUCA: We Can’t Plan, but We Can Prepare
We can diversify our markets, customers, markets and materials in order to prepare for the day when VUCA and its impacts arrive at our shops.
Read MoreShop Visitor Checklist
Here is a checklist to make sure your visitors and your shop have covered everything regarding hazards, safety, security and rules for proper dress and behavior.
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Craftsman's Cribsheet No. 78: Straightness of Cold Finished Steel Bars
The straightness of cold finished steel bars, and all other barstock for our machines, is of critical importance.
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Surprising Development in the Top 10 OSHA Violations for 2018
As we reviewed the top reported violations, we noticed a trend—a surprising trend. Let’s see if you can notice it, too.
Read MoreCraftsman's Cribsheet No. 77: Top OSHA Violations for 2019
Here is a list of the 10 most common violations in our shops this year, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Read MoreCraftsman's Cribsheet: Accident Incident Response: What to Do When an Accident or Near-Miss Incident Without Injury Occurs in Your Shop
Your employer should have an emergency plan to deal with accidents and injuries in your shop. The following list is a refresher in the event that you can’t find your employer’s plan and you encounter an accident involving a coworker.
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What Sparks Joy? Shop Edition
Here are 31 things that spark joy for those in the precision machining industry.
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The Precision Machining Industry and the PMPA
Our industry has grown, from the model of small family ownership to support the founding craftsman’s talents, to almost 4,000 establishments, many still closely held, generating more than $18 billion in annual production.
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