PM Blog

The closer a machined part gets to being shipped, it carries the accumulated operations that have been performed making it more valuable with each production step. Honing is often one of the final operations to be performed, therefore the workpiece is close to its most valuable point. Scrap or rework at this point is especially not a good thing.

Like any metalworking process, honing relies on a systematized approach combining components and variables that must work in concert to achieve the specified results. Honing oil is one of these variables that can often be overlooked.

Do you have a co-worker under the age of 40 who goes above and beyond his or her job description to improve a work environment or the precision machined parts industry at large? Do you know a colleague who is outstanding at his or her job who you think deserves recognition in the industry? If so, please nominate him or her for Production Machining’s 2019 Emerging Leader Awards.

The awards place emphasis on leadership and potential leadership, whether it is in the nominee’s company or their environment in the industry.

Traditionally, many view multi-spindle machines as requiring long setup times and complicated programs, limiting their suitability to jobs with large lot sizes. Current technology has largely eradicated those concerns.

With quick-change tooling, offline presetting and adequate planning, modern multi-spindles can be changed over within an hour or two. They have also become extremely simple to program. In short, many companies experience cost benefits on lot sizes as low as 2,500 pieces.

The LNS Group has acquired ChipBlaster Inc., the maker of high pressure coolant systems, coolant chillers, cyclonic filtration systems and other machine tool peripherals.

“ChipBlaster is a market leader in the U.S. high-pressure coolant industry and is a natural fit into our machine tool peripheral product portfolio,” says Jeff McMullen, LNS North America CEO. “At LNS we plan to leverage our global sales and service network to sell ChipBlaster’s technologically advanced products on a worldwide basis. A common thread running through both companies is the goal of helping manufacturers optimize the efficiency of their machine tools to improve performance, productivity and profitability.”

The manufacturing industry is interconnected in such a way that oftentimes, problems that affect one company affect all of them. One issue that has been plaguing all aspects of the industry is the so-called “skills gap,” the lack of skilled workers to fill manufacturing jobs. This is persistent enough that industry members have banded together, forming a grassroots movement to help solve it.

Manufacturing Day was started in 2012 by a group of industry organizations with the goal of correcting misperceptions about manufacturing and connecting with younger generations. They sought out to accomplish this by organizing local events for students, parents and educators. These events can take many forms, including open houses like the one being hosted by CNC Software Inc. (creators of Mastercam), facility tours, job fairs and other events. The idea is that by opening their doors and engaging with the community, companies feeling the effects of the skills gap can show the public what modern manufacturing is really like.