FEATURES

Parts Cleaning

Basic Aqueous Cleaning Processes And Selection Criteria

Parts cleaning, like most metalworking processes, is experiencing ever tightening specifications. Shops must continuously evaluate whether to clean parts in-house or use a supplier. This article looks at current aqueous cleaning processes and suggests criteria for the make or buy decision.

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Measurement

Could You Repeat That?

The extremely small, complex devices used in procedures to restore hearing loss require high-precision, tight-tolerance production. This company has found the right combination of machine tool technology and quality assurance to make it work.

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Empowerment – How Do They Know?

The trend to flatter organizations has made it necessary for people throughout our companies to make decisions and take immediate action. Our customers demand 100-percent on-time and zero-parts-per-million defects rates. This makes it mandatory that every person who recognizes a nonconforming condition must take immediate action.

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Cutting Tools

Improved Indexable Insert Stability

Sandvik Coromant will introduce its iLock at the September EMO exposition in Germany as a way of improving indexable insert stablility when cutting metal.  

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Member Profile: Automatic Products Corporation

Automatic Products Corporation (APC) is a leading provider of precision-machined parts produced on automatic screw machines and CNC equipment. The company was founded in 1957 by Charles E. Tedford, who started out with two Brown&Sharpe machines, a small grinder and a milling machine.

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Promoting Communication: Sales, Operations And Your Customer

Solidifying communication between operations, sales and the customer is a huge step to take in the quest for total process improvement. Often, we get caught up in the discussion of right versus wrong, good versus bad, and “is” versus “is not.”

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Medical

Surface Treatment For Medical Parts

Micro-abrasive blasting provides a cost-effective, environmentally friendly solution to surface treatment requirements in a range of medical applications. Though most engineers are familiar with grit, or cabinet, blasting, few know much about its obscure relative, micro-abrasive blasting.

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Machines

Transfer Machines Help Regain Business In The States

As companies continue to wrestle with offshore competitors, many are finding that the use of transfer machines aids the situation. Once used solely for dedicated machining of high-volume parts runs, transfer machines now give OEMs and job shops enhanced flexibility because of the improved onboard controls. Medium-quantity runs, as well as smaller batches of complex parts, are now suitable for properly equipped CNC transfer machines.

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