| Evolving toward digital Author: Matt Tegelman, BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. Published: May 2013 Boring tools with a digital readout aren't the standard in U.S. shops, but their use is growing. |
| Buying time Author: Kip Hanson, Contributing Editor Published: April 2013 Using standard tooling on a CNC lathe means leaving money on the table, according to the cover story in the April 2013 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine. |
| Wrap it up Author: Susan Woods, Contributing Editor Published: April 2013 Machined metal parts require packaging to protect them in demanding handling, shipping and storage situations, including humid and outdoor environments. Part makers need be aware of how to protect their parts so their hard work is not lost to corrosion or damage. |
| Transmitting tool Author: Alan Richter, Editor Published: April 2013 The Look Ahead department in the April 2013 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering also looks at a mechatronic cutting tool for large back counterboring and back spotfacing applications. |
| Gap guidance Author: Susan Woods, Contributing Editor Published: March 2013 The spark gap is the physical distance the electric current has to jump off the wire to burn the workpiece when wire EDMing. Controlling the spark gap is critical to achieving required part dimensions and surface finishes. Variables that impact the spark gap include the workpiece material and thickness, wire diameter and type, and part tolerance and surface finish requirements.
The wire EDM process is physically unstable because of the constant advancement and retraction of the axes. “Wire EDMing does not have or function with a set feed rate like a milling operation,” said Brian Pfluger, EDM product manager for Makino Inc. at the company’s Auburn Hills, Mich., facility. Wire EDMing requires a combination of small mechanical and, especially, electrical changes to occur thousands of times per second to be stable and consistent, he added. Makino is headquartered in Mason, Ohio. |
