Four Questions About Cobot Integration
Many shops appreciate that cobots are easy to program and enable collaborative operation, but there might still be questions about how to install them.
Lori Beckman
Senior Editor, Production Machining
Data Enables Machines to Tell Their Own Stories
These examples reveal how a data collection system has minimized machine tool downtime and costs while simultaneously offering valuable insights into a shop’s processes.
A New Approach to Turning
Ceratizit's High Dynamic Turning, combined with the dynamic FreeTurn tooling system, uses a turn-mill’s B axis or milling spindle to perform the turning process.
Profilometer Choices
Learn the difference between skidded and skidless profilometers that can be used to measure the surface roughness of machined parts.
Heat’s Impact on Parts Cleaning
Thermal dynamics is important for assisting in the cleaning of a part. Adding heat or energy influences the cleaning process through its impact on chemistry, the water within the washer and its effect on drying.
Measure 3D Parts Without Losing Time
This high-speed metrology and inspection system is said to process complex geometries faster than traditional inspection methods.
Turning to an Adhesive for Lathe Workholding
Adhesive cured by ultraviolet light is an option for securing parts for machining that could otherwise distort when traditional, mechanical clamping techniques are used.
Does a Scanning Probe Make Sense on a Swiss-Type?
Swiss-types have limited tooling capacity, but there can be advantages to giving up some of that capacity to take advantage of a touch probe — in fact, a scanning probe — to enable in-process part measurements.
Derek Korn
Editor-in-Chief, Production Machining magazine
A New Way to Collect and Sort Parts for CNC Machine Tools
This automated parts carousel not only catches and collects parts from a machine but also sorts the parts in bins attached to a rotating table.
Considerations for Bringing Passivation In House
If passivation is often required by your customers, moving this process in house can save time and money. However, it involves proper chemical handling and safety, compliance, equipment design and setup, and budget.
Network Quickly Connects Machine Shops with Repair Estimates
This network connects service requesters to service providers and can be a fast way for a machine shop of any size to quickly compare estimates.
Benefits of Renting or Leasing an Industrial Robot
Choosing a robot rental or leasing plan might be a wise business decision compared with purchasing a robot outright.
Fast Fixturing for Inspection and Laser Marking
The versatility of the Inspection Arsenal and Laser Arsenal modular fixture plate systems enables fixturing to be built on the individual grid plates. The plates can be easily removed from the magnetic docking rail when not needed.
Automated Hard Turning, Grinding on One Platform
This inverted vertical turning machine can perform hard turning and grinding of chucked components such as gears while loading and unloading material and completed parts itself.
Laser Technology "Turns" into a Turning Tool
This new technology uses a laser to act as a cutting tool to "turn" parts from solid barstock. This high-speed precision turning machine is especially useful for micromachining, enabling high accuracy for small, complex parts that are often delicate and difficult to machine when implementing conventional turning processes.
Lori Beckman
Senior Editor, Production Machining
Exploring the Benefits of Reaming for Finishing Bores
How does reaming compare to single-point boring? A supplier of reaming tools compares these processes commonly used to finish bores and offers tips for those considering reaming.
Cobots Gain Ability to Sort and Measure
New tooling that includes a precision robotic caliper extends the applicability of collaborative robots to perform sorting and measuring small parts.
Improve Energy Savings and Efficiency with Vector Kinematics
The rocking, rotational nozzle movement performed by vector kinematics spray cleaning technology combined with temperature and cleaning additives provides an effective, fast and economical parts cleaning process.
Proper Disinfectant Use to Prevent COVID-19’s Spread
Learning how to choose the proper disinfectant for surfaces throughout your shop and then using it as directed are keys to stopping the spread of viruses such as the novel coronavirus.
CNC Apps You Possibly Didn’t Know You Could Benefit From
Some software capabilities go underutilized. One machine tool builder’s CNC software includes lesser-known apps that shops can leverage to their advantage.
High-Pressure Coolant Improves Profits and Productivity
High-pressure coolant that is efficiently applied to a cutting tool will enable faster, more precise cuts; prevent oxidation of the tooling and workpieces; and prolong the life of a cutting tool.
Optimize Minimum Quantity Lubrication Control Through a CNC Program
Minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) on a lathe offers many benefits when implemented properly. MQL becomes more of an asset when lubricant and air delivery can be controlled from a CNC program.
Lori Beckman
Senior Editor, Production Machining
Automatically Optimize Your CNC Machining Feed Rates
New feed-rate-optimization technology can enable CAM programmers to reduce cycle times and increase tool life for milling and turning operations.
Electrochemical Grinding Makes a Point
A programmable pointing and material handling system used on electrochemical grinding machines can accommodate a range of needle point designs while eliminating a variety of pre- and post-process operations.
Measuring the Merit of Ceramic Cutters
In testing new ceramic microtools, a precision dynamometer ensures that cutting forces are measured precisely so tool performance parameters can be determined.
Cyclic Nucleation System Safely Cleans Complex Parts
LPW Reinigungssysteme GmbH has developed PowerJet, a modular cleaning system that offers the safe, effective cleaning of any part using only water and the cyclic nucleation process (CNp).
The Anatomy of a CNC Machine IoT Solution
Industry 4.0 is bringing sweeping changes to manufacturing and IIoT is one of its enabling technologies. Early adopters are reaping the benefits.
Debunking the Deburring Process
A car manufacturer struggled with a complex and unreliable deburring process for its crank case production line until it was introduced to a tool designed specifically for cross-bore deburring.
