Cutting Tool Engineering Magazine

CTE’s 2010 Salary Survey looks at the wages for metalworking positions since the 2008 survey, and how benefit packages have changed. PLUS:

• Vacuum workholding is catching on in new and different applications
• Like the parts they thread, taps for oil and gas parts can be complicated
• Shops have many choices when texturing—rather than smoothing—part surfaces
• Multifunction groove/turn tools stretch shops’ definition of a grooving tool
• Metalworking fluids can play a significant role in boosting machining productivity when engineered to provide cooling and lubrication
• Tool combination is used to automate drilling, reaming and deburring of chamfered through-holes for jet-engine fasteners.

Several alternatives to mechanical drilling make sense when the application is right. PLUS:

• However you define them, extended-reach toolholders are indispensible in certain applications
• A new concept of calculating the required machining power when milling
• Advances in machine tool controls and software drive better maintenance methods
• When drilling, controlling runout is critical to maximize tool life and reduce cost per hole.

Superabrasive tools can be applied to efficiently machine carbon fiber-reinforced plastics. PLUS:

• The development of large diamond wheels for machining large parts
• Texas shop’s waterjet cutting capabilities help protect U.S. soldiers
• Appropriate scenarios for applying a reamer when finishing holes
• Using the design of experiments process for QC on the shop floor.

Pristine fi nishes are pivotal for safe and eff ective orthopedic implants. PLUS:

• Minimize vibration—and trouble—when deep-hole boring
• Advanced vertical machining centers provide enhanced performance and value
• Insert geometries for effectively turning high-temperature superalloys
• Is your shop like a clean room? It could be. 

Teamwork and advanced manufacturing software help moldmakers compete in a tough global market. PLUS:

• Robotic deburring
• Laser-based broken-tool detection systems can be key for shops’ automated operations
• A multifaceted tool kit to help negotiate the many complexities of Swiss-style turning
• Zero-point workpiece clamping systems can slash changeover and setup costs.

Custom cutting tools tackle complex aerospace applications. PLUS:

• Applications, accuracy issues and infrastructure requirements for large-envelope machine tools
• A review of tools for fi nishing intersecting holes
• Tool sharpening: in-house vs. outsourcing
• A multifaceted, rational approach to machine tool selection. 

Machining components for solar power generation systems is a renewable source of business. PLUS:

• Integrated automation of turning centers prove key to meeting production schedules and profit goals
• Strategies for grinding stainless steel medical instruments
• CAD/CAM solutions for increasing the efficiency of multiaxis machining
• Using an independent laboratory to scientifically test coolants provides the impartial data needed to make the right choice for machining titanium
• Learn details about the many products manufacturers off er the metalcutting industry.

Using multitask machines to finish hardened workpieces can boost accuracy and cut cycle time. PLUS:

• Milling plastics is just easy enough to be difficult
• Solid-carbide drills penetrate the gundrill deep-hole market
• Sophisticated indexable-tool repair calls for automated equipment
• School programs and competitive events help young machinists hone talents.

A growing number of shops are shelving their taps and opting to thread mill heat-treated steel. PLUS:

• Cermet-tipped circular saw blades are eating into carbide’s market share
• Evolving tool and cutter grinder software boosts toolmakers’ and machine shops’ production of advanced cutting tools
• Close-ups of the grinding process via an electron microscope
• Our year-end recap and outlook report finds metworking getting back on its feet
• Learn about companies’ specialties as suppliers to the metalcutting industry.

Implementing new technologies helps military parts manufacturing stay on the cutting edge. PLUS:

• Engineered coating combinations control heat and keep chips flying when dry-drilling
• Wire EDM gains ground as the go-to technology for prototyping parts with intricate geometries and those made of hard materials
• On-machine probing can reduce setup time, boost productivity and minimize costs
• Guidelines for turning tool steels apply to both tool- and part-making applications
• Industry publications detail the latest metalcutting products and services. 

Machining large, compacted graphite iron castings for diesel engine components is rife with challenges—but using the right tools and techniques can help. PLUS:

• Lights-out production can put a shine on the bottom line of even low-volume, multiple-part operations
• As coolant costs climb, it’s more important than ever to know how to properly evaluate fluid products, equipment and services
• Among the strengths of the HSS insert is its flexibility, which makes it the tool-of-choice for some tough applications
• Understanding tool wear and using new coating technologies to combat it can enhance tool life and machining productivity.

Understanding tool geometry and selecting the right tap for diff erent workpiece materials can help take the stress out of tapping operations. PLUS:

• U.S. companies that adopt electromagnetic workholders heartily endorse the technology
• Shot peening boosts part performance and life
• Combination tooling, custom fixtures and creative solutions help Apex Precision thrive
• Who should perform spindle maintenance in machine shops?