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Cool Kids in Calgary

Even in these poor economic times, there are problems that simply will not go away. Specifically, I’m talking about the shortage of skilled workers for manufacturing and many other so called trades. Apparently, this problem is not only limited to the United States. It’s global.

Earlier this month I was invited to attend the WorldSkills Competition in Calgary Alberta. As I’d never been to Calgary and the competition was something I knew little about, off I went. I’m glad I did.

For 4 days, 900 competitors from 51 different countries compete simultaneously in 45 skill categories, including CNC turning and milling. These competitors were winners in their respective skill categories held in each participating nation. Our national organization is Skills USA. Every 2 years, the national winners all gather to compete internationally with their peers. READ MORE

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Laser Highlights

When I was in college, excited by the prospect of combining a growing technology with my writing interests, I took a number of laser technology classes. I also worked an internship as a technical writer for a manufacturer of laser micrometers. I learned a lot about the technical functionality of lasers and was exposed to some of the latest ideas for putting that functionality to work. Even today, though, I continue to be amazed by the number of applications for lasers in manufacturing.

Companies such as Blum LMT and General Inspection offer products for laser measurement for faster and more accurate gaging of diameters, lengths, tapers, straightness, concentricity and threads. These devices virtually eliminate operator error in these applications for much less variability from part to part. See an example of this type of system that includes eight lasers positioned around the circumference of a part to measure all features to print tolerances at rates as high as 600 parts per minute. READ MORE

Hard Turning Isn’t Hard

For shops looking for a viable and cost-effective alternative to grinding without sacrificing efficiency or quality, hard turning is worth consideration. Within its application range, it can help shops move toward the goal of streamlining manufacturing by eliminating or consolidating manufacturing steps.

Hard turning can produce machining results similar to grinding without the need to invest in capital equipment and the skills associated with the grinding process. It also offers speeds significantly faster than grinding: Precision specs can be machined at production rates that are 4 to 6 times faster than comparable grinding processes.

Hard turning is applied to workpieces that are 45 Rc and higher, although hard turned work is typically found in the 58 and 68 Rc range. Parts with a low length-to-diameter ratio are the best candidates for hard turning, as well as parts made from materials such as tool, bearing, stainless and case-hardened steels and Inconel, Hastelloy, Stellite and other exotic metals. READ MORE