FEATURES

A Problem-Solving Approach: One Size Does Not Fit All

Each day, organizations face challenges to become lean within their shops. Often, the focus of these lean activities is not extended to our management practices. Problem-solving methodology is one such management practice where simplicity is sometimes ignored.

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Corporate Support Maximizes Students’ Experience

An example of a positive technical school/corporate relationship is that of the Ferris State University (FSU) Manufacturing Tooling Technology program (Big Rapids, Michigan) and Hurco Companies, Inc. (Indianapolis, Indiana).

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Member Profile: Fordsell Machine Products Co.

In 2006, Fordsell Machine Products Co. reached a business milestone. The job shop manufacturer of precision-turned parts celebrated its 60th anniversary. Fordsell opened its doors in 1946 in Warren, Michigan, by Bill Sellheim and Gwayne Ford. In 1984, Michael Redfield, who had prior experience as a general manager at another screw machine company, purchased Fordsell. His main focus for the company was to use Brown & Sharpe as well as Index cam machines to generate business. In 1998, Redfield’s son, David, took over the company and is the current president of Fordsell.

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Software

Postprocessors: An Integral Part Of Machine Tools

Without a good postprocessor, many machine tools are underutilized. It takes a well-matched post to access the full potential built into a machine.

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Single & Multi-Spindles

Secondary Operations Become Primary

As a way to reduce production times, shops often look to bring secondary operations to the primary multi-spindle operation. Such a shift can help reduce errors from part location and keep the expense of damaged parts to a minimum.

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Sentinel Events – Recognize, Respond, Revisit

Every day, we face numerous challenges. Urgent demands from others, unexpected events, system breakdowns, equipment malfunctions, and failed communications are "all in a day’s work," for most of us. Occasionally, a singular event arrives that has the potential to alter the circumstances of our life or work. Such an event is called a sentinel event.

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Single & Multi-Spindles

Speed, Accuracy And Power In A CNC Multi World

The inherent advantages of the multi-spindle machine design remain in place within the metalworking industry. What have changed are the volume, complexity and tolerance requirements to which manufacturers must produce. Builders are responding with enhancements that keep traditional multi-spindle advantages, while dealing with the new production issues.

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Single & Multi-Spindles

Sticker Shock Relief For The CNC Multi-Spindle

To bridge the gap between traditional multi-spindle technology and full CNC, Index Corporation (Noblesville, Indiana) has developed the MS22C, a six-spindle CNC multi for the medium-complex workpiece market, which has been dominated by the cam-controlled multi-spindle automatics and simple sliding and fixed headstock automatics.

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Measurement

Volumetric Measurement For Practical Positioning Accuracy

Using a conventional laser interferometer to measure the straightness and squareness errors can be difficult and costly. The process can require days of machine downtime, even with an experienced operator performing the measurements.

To address the need for faster, more accurate machine calibration, Optodyne, Inc. (Compton, California) has developed a laser vector measurement technique for the 3D volumetric positioning error measurement.

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Want to turn all those quotes into new business?--Come to PMPA Management Update ‘07

Are you satisfied with your company’s success in converting quotes to orders? Do you feel that you are getting a fair return on your investment in the quoting process? I frequently hear CEOs and sales managers complain about the amount of quotes that never seem to generate new orders. After working endlessly to respond to piles of quotes and prepare in-depth proposals, the hit rate on incoming orders is quite disappointing.

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