Articles & Columns

Wire EDMing requires a range of equipment and complex operations, which can lead to a variety of problems. But the capability and flexibility of the electrical adaptive control technologies that monitor the EDM process—such as flushing, wire tension, automatic wire threading, wire consumption levels, geometry control, surface quality, water resistivity level and water chiller/thermal stability—have greatly improved over the past 10 years. 

Automated parts handling with robotic work cells is an affordable option for job shops and other parts manufacturers.

END USER: PDQ Corp., (860) 529-9051, www.pdqcorp.com. CHALLENGE: Find a more efficient method for machining complex, tight-tolerance parts primarily for the aerospace industry. SOLUTION: Two 6-axis mill/turn machine tools. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Eurotech, (352) 799-5223, www.eurotechelite.com

Alan Rooks, Cutting Tool Engineering's editorial director, looks forward to the day he can sit in a traffic jam alongside George Jetson in his September editorial.

Dr. Scott Smith, who writes the Machine Technology column for Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, covers some practical steps to improve accuracy and reduce scrap.

Yesenia Salcedo, senior editor of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, interviews Steve McLean, president of contract manufacturer WP Manufacturing, Longmont, Colo.

Shop Operations columnist Tom Lipton writes about cutting multiple-start threads on a manual lathe in the September 2012 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Cutting tool product review as published in the September 2012 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: 80/20 Inc., (260) 248-8030, www.8020.net. CHALLENGE: Overcoming limitations of older machine tools that could each only perform one step when making a part. SOLUTION: New CNC machine tools with more capabilities and flexibility. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Haas Automation Inc., (800) 331-6746, www.haascnc.com

Get With The Program, a regular column in Cutting Tool Engineering magazine, covers how to extend tool life with dynamic toolpaths.

Using continuous improvement to reach automotive fuel-economy goals.

The second Look Ahead item in the September issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine covers bandsaw technology that automatically adjusts feed rate as the density of a structural workpiece changes.

Abrasive waterjet cutting machines are flowing into small shops as complementary equipment.

One of the Look Ahead items in the September issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine features a robotic fiber laser machine without a working optical fiber in which the laser beam is integrated in the robot.

Machinist's Corner columnist Michael Deren observes the importance of speaking with the people working in the area of the assembly line that has been targeted for improvement.

A review of machine tool products as published in the September 2012 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: Evolution Gun Works Inc., (215) 538-1012, www.egwguns.com. CHALLENGE: Boost productivity when machining gun parts. SOLUTION: A high-performance endmill. SOLUTION PROVIDER: SGS Tool Co., (330) 688-6667, www.sgstool.com

Thread milling may seem exotic, but any shop can do it.

Shop Web site causes problems with insurance, reports Manager's Desk columnist Keith Jennings in the September issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Cutting Tool Engineering's 2012 Salary Survey reveals how much various metalworking professionals are making, and the results are mixed.