Search

Landers Foundry, Medellin, Colombia, began overhauling its casting facility in August 2006 by replacing 16 manual squeezers with an automatic matchplate molding machine. The metalcaster expected to increase its capacity [...]

The problems faced by steel castings, such as hot tearing, are presented. The designs which overcome these problems are also presented.

Custom Fabrication, Inc. of Nashville, TN, one of the largest solid surface fabricators in the state, recently increased its business nearly 30% when it decided to invest in advanced stoneworking [...]

There are still some of them out there, though a case may be made that their numbers are dwindling. 'Them' refers to the machinists who eat, drink and sleep metalworking--people [...]

Very few companies in North America trace their roots back 210 years, but Standard Steel of Burnham, PA, will reach that milestone next year. Established in 1795 as Freedom Forge, [...]

Inside This Story: * Splashing, air entrainment and surface turbulence have a strong influence on the formation and severity of defects. While these problems are magnified when dealing with molten [...]

When Patrick Hill and Mario Marotti started their jobshop, they banked their business on one machine: an abrasive-waterjet system. They did so because they believed the technology offered more opportunities [...]

A new vacuum carburizing approach, known commercially as [V.sup.ring]CARB, using a high purity liquid napthene hydrocarbon as the carburizing agent was introduced in late 2002. The next step in performance, [...]

A Pennsylvania-based supplier of welded pipe whose business depends on the strength of its products saved a lot of money by revitalizing its mechanical testing equipment instead of buying new. [...]

THERMAL CUTTING Portable ,manual oxyfuel equipment comprises oxygen and fuel gases stored under pressure in steel cylinders fitted with regulators and flexible hoses which lead to a torch assembly. Mechanized, [...]

PUNCHING--STATIONARY EQUIPMENT Punching holes in metal, a fast and economical way to make cutout and contour shapes on blanks, requires a press, punch, and die with strength and rigidity to [...]

Weld tooling is a specialized area of many small but important details. Customers can reap the benefits of well designed, built, and supported tooling. These guidelines can improve the success [...]

In this article Henry Gaines, P.E. of Controls Southeast, Inc. discusses the importance of keeping valves hot in applications such as sulphur recovery and molten sulphur transport. With proper thermal [...]

Thomson Machine & Tool (Somerset, England) required a large-capacity turning center for machining aerospace components with diameters of up to 2,000mm, in a range of materials including titanium and nimonic [...]

Introduction The autocatalytic deposition of nickel from aqueous electrolytes containing reducing species is generally referred to as electroless nickel plating. While various binary or ternary alloys (NiP, NiB, NiCoP, NiWP, [...]

Numerous studies have been conducted on the chemistry of electro-less nickel (EN) and its relationship to deposit performance. (1,2) The core of this work concentrates on mechanical and physical properties, [...]

Anyone who has been a supplier to the automotive industry knows that it can be a trying experience. OEMs are continually requesting that suppliers manufacture components and systems for lower [...]

Metal Removal Cutting-Tool Materials Metal Removal Methods Machinability of Metals Single Point machining Turning Tools and Operations Turning Methods and Machines Grooving and Threading Shaping and Planing Hole Making Processes [...]

The following article is excerpted from the new second edition of Programming of CNC Machines (Industrial Press, New York), by Ken Evans, John Polywka and Stanley Gabrel. The web site [...]

Major Tool and Machine Inc desired to improve productivity by supplying machine operators with all information available for their tasks in one place at one time and in real time. The firm, which specializes in large parts for aerospace, defense and power generation, decided to invest in a DNC system, a set of industrial personal computers and a data collection control engine to replace its existing text-based data system. The action improved the firm's productivity by 10%-15%., In order to improve productivity, Major Tool & Machine, Inc. (Indianapolis, Indiana), which specializes in large parts for power generation, aerospace and defense, decided it wanted to provide machine operators [...]

Kelltech Precision Machining desired to increase its profitability and was able to achieve its objective through the use of a CNC milling/drilling optimization device. Installation of the new machinery only slightly affected Kelltech's operations. The new equipment enabled the metalworking firm to reduce cycle time on the job by a total of 18.7% to 20 minutes and 59 seconds compared to a previous time of 25 minutes and 49 seconds., Kelltech Precision Machining (San Jose, California) relies heavily on its overseas customers for a large portion of its mass production work. The company specializes in research and development, specifically mass-producing [...]

A precision moldmaker desiring to compete more efficiently against rivals with computer numerical control (CNC) equipment opted to retrofit his milling machine with a CNC retrofit package. The action has enabled the mold manufacturer to boost electrical discharge machining (EDM) electrode throughput by a factor of more than seven to one and streamline its EDM die sinking. The enhancement allows him to program the shape of a complex EDM electrode in 45 minutes and mill the part in 30 minutes., Dana Heckendorf of D. Heck Tool LLC (Thompson, Connecticut), a precision moldmaker working out of his garage, wanted to compete with bigger shops that had Computer Numerical Control (CNC) equipment. [...]

The increased application of wide-web drills will significantly improve the machining process. In contrast to standard drills, wide-web drills are more rigid and thicker which enable them to drill straighter, deeper and more accurate hole diameters. Moreover, deeper cuts in hard materials are also achieved due to the drills' strength and higher feed rates. With the addition of new innovations in wide-web drills, these type of drills are gaining wide acceptance among machine operators., Wide-web drills with high-performance points help speed machining center paybacks. There was a time when many metalworking manufacturers felt 'a drill is a drill is a drill.' But modern machine [...]

Machined parts manufacturer Pointe Precision at Stevens Point, WI, relies on continuous technological improvements to maintain its explosive growth. To maintain this technological cutting edge, it has established close ties with its tool suppliers such as Machinery and Supplies. It is currently using the Metal Removal 120-27 series high cobalt micrograin solid carbide end mill. This replaced Metal Removal's 157 series carbide end mill which resulted in a 59% reduction in milling costs., Known for its natural beauty and outdoor recreation, Stevens Point, Wisconsin is home to Pointe Precision, a high-tech machined parts producer. Manufacturing close tolerance, complex parts for the aerospace, paper, [...]

Watson McDaniel Co. in Norristown, PA, is a manufacturer of steam traps, pressure regulators and other steam specialty products. Because of competitive pressure, it had to undergo several transformations especially in its manufacturing processes. Processes have to be optimized and the company had to acquire a horizontal machining center. Simple tooling changes such as the replacement of cermet cutters with fine pitch cutters for its shear angle milling cutter tripled its feed rate., In nearly every phase of life tradition does battle with 'what have you done for me lately?' Watson McDaniel Company of Norristown, Pennsylvania, began 120 years ago as one of [...]

Tooling quality is as important as the quality of the press brake because modern flat sheet manufacturing processes requires increased emphasis on the bending process where tooling is of utmost importance. Determining tooling quality means evaluating for accuracy, which involves considering the machine, the tooling and how it is integrated, checking tooling design which often connotes product durability, and tool flexibility which mandates that the tools allow usage on a wide range of parts., Tooling is tooling, or is it? The quality and features of your press brake are what's important? The tooling has nothing to do with it. Right? Wrong! For years, this [...]

Modern Tooling Systems utilize high speed machining processes to improve production time and product development for its mold-making business. This was achieved by retrofitting its vertical machining centers with a Creative Evolution computer numerical control system. In addition, the firm acquired a Rambaudi B20L Ramspeed featuring a Fidia CNC 30 control. These equipment are linked together via a file server., This mold shop gets a three-way boost from high speed machining. Two years ago, a management buyout made Modern Tooling Systems an independent company again. Since then, this 100-man mold [...]

The 1997 WESTEC metalworking exhibition and conference marked the return of the West Coast metalworking industry to a healthier level and provided a venue for the introduction of new metalworking equipment. The exposition was attended by 29,900 people and participated in by 681 exhibitors. One of them was Tri-Tech Manufacturing Inc. which launched a new 5-speed axis spindle which is compatible with any 3-axis CNC machine with a suitable controller, software, post processor and servo motors., WESTEC turns up some interesting solutions. Innovations are where you find them. This year the annual WESTEC show had its share, including the unique 5-axis spindle shown on this month's [...]

There are several considerations in the selection of feed units for machine shops. Improper selection of feed units can lead to poor product applications, slow production rate and inefficient machine operators. The three general requirements that must be identified before purchasing feed units are production requirements, cost considerations and product life cycle. Feed units are either mechanical, pneumatic, hydraulic or leadscrew devices., Feed units come in all different shapes and sizes, and with features for a variety of uses. Choosing the right one can substantially affect your bottom line A feed unit [...]

There is a trend towards the increasing use of superabrasive grinding wheel technology in the metalworking industry. This trend is being spurred by the development of new machine tools that can take advantage of the cutting capability of such technology by delivering a level of stiffness that is not provided by old grinders. The use of superabrasive cutting technology can improve a machine shop's response time in meeting customer demands., Using the cutting capabilities of a superabrasive grinding wheel requires a systematic processing approach. It takes more to get good process results than just slapping a superabrasive grinding wheel on [...]

Interpolated milling cutters such as face mills are now being used by machine shops in performing helical milling of holes through metals. This technique is able to produce holes that are close in terms of roundness, size and finish to the quality of holes produced by traditional boring bars. The use of face mills for drilling and boring through metals can enhance the efficiency and profitability of machining operations while providing them the opportunity to consolidate their operations., Making holes in metal is probably the most common operation in any machine shop. Specialized drilling and boring tools do a fine job making accurate holes. Increasingly though, shops are [...]

A growing number of sheet and plate metal fabricators are increasingly using laser FMS systems to augment the capacity of conventional laser cutting machines and improve productivity. Since a single laser FMS machine is capable of increasing the capacity of manufacturing facility by as much as 140%, fabricators consider it a wise investment. One of the firms which has reported an increase in productivity since acquiring a laser FMS system is Helgesen Industries Inc., When Helgesen Industries' standalone laser cutting machines reached capacity and jobs were backing up, it invested in a laser FMS that increased its capacity by 140% and allowed it to [...]

Ultra Precision Wire successfully enhanced its competitiveness by using electrical discharge machining technology to reduce machining time and improve punch die quality. The company uses a Mitsubishi DWC90HA system, which offers auto threading features for uninterrupted machining. It also has TL and FS Circuitry, which allow Ultra Precision to produce steel parts with a surface finish of 10-1/2 R/A microinch and carbide parts with a surface finish of 9 R/A microinch, respectively., As a start up company in Providence, Rhode Island, Ultra Precision Wire has found its niche by utilizing an EDM with features that have enabled the company to save many [...]

Anderson Screw Products purchased the Mighty Mini belt skimmer manufactured by Abanaki Corp. to overcome the problems it has experienced with aqueous parts cleaning systems. The oil skimmer features a one-inch wide belt capable of removing as much as one gallon of oil from the water surface every hour. This, together with a specially formulated oil/water separation compound, helped the company prolong the life of parts washing fluid by up to four weeks., Limits imposed by the EPA on the discharge of emissions and wastes have forced metalworkers to look at new parts cleaning methods. For example, some of the chemicals commonly used [...]

Aurora, IN-based Aurora Casket Company Inc. uses an innovative coordinate measurement machine fabricated by Faro Technologies Inc. in the design, production and inspection of metal caskets. The CMM machine enables the company to reduce the time needed to locate, measure and program the software for operating a computer numerical control hole-drilling machine from eight hours to 15 minutes. This approach allows Aurora Casket to save money on production processes., Producing more than 150,000 caskets annually, Aurora Casket Co., situated near Aurora, Indiana, is the largest privately owned, sheet-metal casket manufacturer in the U.S. Engineers at Aurora Casket Co. are [...]