Precision CNC Machining Suppliers You Need to Know

Contract shop MetalQuest Unlimited’s newest machine is a 64-axis multi-spindle. What might your next machine purchase be and why are you likely to buy it? Let me know at dkorn@productionmachining.com.
Photo Credit: MetalQuest Unlimited.

The Production Machining brand uses various channels to highlight new precision machining technology and its application in actual shops. This includes a website (newly redesigned), blog and e-newsletter as well as social media platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube with which we continue to be more engaged. That said, the anchor of our brand remains the print magazine, which launched 20 years ago.

A big reason why is because the magazine is the best means for discovery. For all the value of online search engines, you can’t Google for something you don’t know exists.

You don’t know what you don’t know.

A good example might be the ultraviolet light-activated adhesive workholding technology for turning, milling and other operations we presented in our October issue (which was among the top ten most popular articles of 2020, all of which are listed at gbm.media/pm2020). With this, adhesive cured by ultraviolet light bonds a workpiece to individual grippers on a fixture to secure parts for machining that could otherwise distort when traditional, mechanical clamping techniques are used. After machining, a quick twist of each gripper shears the adhesive bond between it and the workpiece, and the adhesive can be cleaned off the grippers and part.

I’m not sure what you’d enter into a search engine field to discover that technology. But, once you learn about something such as this in a magazine like ours, the value of the Internet shines in that you can then go online to research it and determine if it makes sense for an operation such as yours.

Similarly, while you might know some equipment and software providers by name, there’s a good chance you don’t know them all. Therein lies the value of this special Buyer’s Guide issue.

That’s because, in this respect, you don’t know who you don’t know.

Starting on page 34, we list companies offering primary process equipment, secondary equipment, tooling, workholding/work handling devices, software, support equipment and materials. These sections are broken down into multiple subcategories to help narrow your company search. After that you’ll find a comprehensive directory listing those suppliers and their contact information.

The supplier listing is comprised of companies that offer solutions specific to the precision machining industry. Some included in a particular category you might be familiar with and possibly purchase from. Others, though, might be unfamiliar to you. Might they be worth learning more about?

One way to do that would be to visit their website as listed in the supplier directory beginning on page 80. Another is to first visit productionmachining.com/suppliers to find a company’s online showroom. There, you can get a quick glimpse of what a company is about, what technology it offers and how it has been covered in the magazine before heading to its website or picking up the phone to reach out.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused much disruption to manufacturing and supply chains last year, and uncertainty likely caused some machine shops to pump the brakes on new equipment purchases in 2020. But, with effective vaccines becoming more widely available and the promise of returning to some sense of normalcy in 2021, now might be the time to add capacity or new capabilities with latest machining technology. Plus, advanced companies continue in their efforts to become more effective and efficient operations both when business conditions ebb and flow.

So, keep this issue nearby throughout the year so you can access it when you starting the decision-making process for adding new production equipment and supplies. Also, remember you will be able to meet some of the companies listed in this year’s Buyer’s Guide at the Precision Machining Technology Show (PMTS) to be held this year in Cleveland August 10-12. Learn more at pmts.com.