FEATURES

Benefits Of Supplier Partnerships Done Right

Purchasing agents' understanding of differentiation is limited to price. You can only outperform your competition under these commodity rules if your strategy is cost leadership.

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Gaining Productivity . . . Using An Alloy

Vineburg Machining, Inc. (Sonoma, California) has been making a stainless device—which is part of a watering system primarily for pig farms—for about 25 years for the same customer.

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It's Business . . . And It's Personal

When we started Production Machining Magazine, we did it from our experience in screw machine product production and high-volume turning in Modern Machine Shop. The nature of precision machined products competition is in transition. We care about the health of the industry as a participant, not just as an observer. We care about your success not just because it's business, but for my family, our employees and me; it's personal.

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Measurement

Laser Micrometer Measures Parts In Process

Much buzz around the industry is focused on how best to apply CNC in multispindle screw machine shops. Some advocate total commitment to the technology, while others believe a mixture of mechanical and electronic actuation is the ticket. We visited multi-spindle builder Euroturn to see how it decides what an appropriate level of CNC and mechanical actuation is.

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Transfer Machines

Machine Both Shaft Ends Simultaneously

If your production operations include shaft work, you will want to know about this rotary transfer machine, which produces up to 30 shafts per minute by machining both shaft ends simultaneously.

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Making More Consistent Bar Stock

Computers not only make for better machine tools, they also make the materials processed on those machine tools better. This supplier has introduced a new series of steels called EM or Enhanced Machinability steels.

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More Multispindle Autos

If someone had told me that world demand for multispindle automatics was increasing, I would have liked to know where the figures came from. Well, the "Preliminary Offering Circular" issued by Tornos of Switzerland to potential new shareholders, spoke of increasing demand for multis.

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PM News: Reorganization Approved

The stockholders of Tornos SA (parent company of Tornos U.S. in Brookfield, Connecticut) approved a reorganization plan prepared by Tornos' management at the recent annual meeting. The reorganization is said to ensure the long term strength and continuation of Tornos despite the effect of the drop in orders in the last 18 months.

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PMPA Annual Meeting Will Provide Useful Information And Ideas

With China and other offshore producers continuing to loom ever closer on the horizon, this year's PMPA annual meeting, to be held October 19-23 at Westin Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California, will serve as a primer for competing successfully in what has become a global marketplace.

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PMPA's Blueprint For The Future

It's been more than 10 years since PMPA conducted a member needs study. PMPA's president, Dave Knuepfer, and new executive vice-president, Tim Andrassy, agreed that conducting the study now was especially important, because it would add additional member input to the new Strategic Plan and help PMPA focus its resources on those areas and services valued most.

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Software

Saving Time With CAM System That Supports Four-Axis Turning

Command Tooling (Ramsey, Minnesota) thought it was doing more work than was acceptable for the results it was getting and was searching for a way to save time each month. The company manufactures precision CNC toolholders—primarily end mill, collet, and shell mill holders—that are designed and manufactured to deliver the extreme gripping pressure that ensures precise tool centering and rigidity.

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Six Web Site Rules

Focusing on these guidelines can improve your Web site's effectiveness in serving the manufacturing markets and properly marketing yourself to Web-enabled purchasing prospects.

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Turning Machines

Using CNC On Cam Multis

Much buzz around the industry is focused on how best to apply CNC in multispindle screw machine shops. Some advocate total commitment to the technology, while others believe a mixture of mechanical and electronic actuation is the ticket. We visited multispindle builder Euroturn to see how it decides what an appropriate level of CNC and mechanical actuation is.

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