FEATURES

Apprentices: Sustaining Our Industry

What is our plan to create our own source of skilled craftsman?

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Austin, Texas, is the site for PMPA’s 78th Annual Meeting

Deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country—That’s where the PMPA’s 78th Annual Meeting will be held from October 21 to 25.

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Turning Machines

Beefed-Up Backworking on New CNC Multi-Spindle

This CNC multi-spindle automatic lathe includes a quillstock with six tool carriers and one counter spindle opposite the main six-spindle drum, allowing machining of complex workpieces in a single process.

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Clamping Devices Ensure Power Boost for Turbo Manufacturer

In order to efficiently manufacture more than 12,000 toothed parts with a range of dimensions having lot sizes of 1 to 50, a shop needs to focus not only on the cutting parameters, but also developing a strategy for handling the tremendous setup time.

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Magic Bullets in Precision Machining

As a supplier of steel bars for machinists for more than 30 years of my professional career, I was often invited to help shops troubleshoot or problem solve.

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Managing Short-Term Production Loss

Here are some key strategies that are critical to flex your business in a time similar to a short-term volume crisis.

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Manufacturing Has an Answer

Like many of you, I was raised to try to repair something that wasn’t working correctly.

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Automation

Practical Automation for a Variety of Turning Applications

A key way to reduce labor costs on turning centers is to add automation for part loading and unloading.

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Bar Feeds

The Evolution of Feeding Barstock

When the ancient Egyptians employed the first known turning machines, productivity was probably not a top-of-mind issue. Given an abundance of slave labor, it’s likely the pharaohs enjoyed relatively low production costs. Today, of course, improving productivity is critical in any manufacturing operation that does not rely on plentiful, cheap labor.

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Software

Upgrade Your CAM Abilities

Anyone who programs a CNC today has to be using CAM software, and the odds are they didn’t acquire it last week.

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Automation & Robots

Get Ready for Robotics

A weakened dollar combined with increased global demand has many factories scurrying to increase production and hiring. And while there is a larger pool of potential employees, it has always been difficult—especially for smaller firms—to find qualified people.

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