Articles & Columns

Five shops use different lights-out machining strategies, but all are focused on creating stable processes.

Machining P/M steels for powertrain parts is tough, but answers abound.

Manager's Desk column for the September 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

Designing machine tools for cutting titanium—especially 5553.

Ask the Grinding Doc column for the August 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Manager's Desk column for August 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: Brinkman Machine Tools and Manufacturing Laboratory, Rochester Institute of Technology, (585) 475-6573, www.rit.edu/kgcoe/ise/brinkman. CHALLENGE: Teach engineering students to use new machining technology. SOLUTION: Integrated machining system, including tool management and tool presetting. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Okuma America Corp., (704) 588-7000, www.okuma.com; Kennametal Inc., (800) 446-7738, www.kennametal.com; Zoller Inc., (734) 332-4851, www.zoller-usa.com

Read CTE's 2010 Salary Survey to learn which metalworking positions are up and which ones are down in earnings since the 2008 survey, and how benefit packages have changed.

END USER: Western Forge & Flange Co., (800) 352-6433, www.western-forge.com. CHALLENGE: Reduce tooling costs when drilling forged materials. SOLUTION: TiAlN-coated drills with two square indexable inserts. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Komet of America Inc., (847) 923-8400, www.komet.com

END USER: Designers Metalcraft, (508) 378-0404, www.designersmetalcraft.com. CHALLENGE: Generate additional business from existing customers and prospects. SOLUTION: A waterjet cutting machine. SOLUTION PROVIDER: Flow International Corp., (800) 446-FLOW, www.flowwaterjet.com.

Multifunction groove/turn tools stretch shops' defi nition of a grooving tool.

Metalworking fluids can play a signifi cant role in boosting machining productivity when engineered to provide cooling and lubrication.

Machine Technology column for the August 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Shops have many choices when texturing—rather than smoothing—part surfaces.

Shop Operations column for the August 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Talking Shop column for the August 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.

Jet-engine manufacturing typically requires through-holes that accommodate fasteners for various components and subassemblies. These through-holes must be chamfered, free of burrs and have radiused edge transitions.

Like the parts they thread, taps for oil and gas parts can be complicated.

Vacuum workholding is catching on in new and different applications.

Part Time column for July 2010 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering.