Manufacturing Engineering: February 2021
The February 2021 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.

Making HMCs Nimble Enough for Small Jobs
January 14, 2021
Horizontal machine tools (HMCs) have typically been used for longer run production jobs. But as lot sizes decrease, machine builders and their partners have introduced new technologies that speed setups and generally make HMCs nimbler. So much so that one should probably rethink the role HMCs serve.

VMCs: How Many Axes Do You Really Need?
January 18, 2021
The three-axis vertical machining center (VMC) has long been the go-to machine tool for many small to medium-sized shops. Their use is well-understood. Compared to more complex machinery, it’s easier to find operators for three-axis machines.

Fast Times for Machine Spindles
January 20, 2021
Driven spindles are the technical core of a machine tool, supplying the power to turn the cutting tools that shape our products and our world. Attaching one to a five-axis movement creates an advanced CNC machine.

Transforming Manufacturing with PLM Tools
January 22, 2021
With product lifecycle management (PLM) software, manufacturers wield powerful tools to manage the massive transformations buffeting their industries.

Multi-Flute End Mills Produce Thoroughly Modern Milling
January 26, 2021
End mills, traditionally made with two to four flutes, are used in one of the oldest mechanized machining processes—milling.
Shop Solutions
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Tooling & Workholding
New Cutter Bodies Boost Feed Rates, Lower Cycle Times on Very Large Parts
January 28, 2021A few years ago, two companies joined forces to greatly enhance productivity in heavy milling and crankshaft machining. Their combined efforts resulted in solutions to improve throughput and reduce costs by a factor of four in some cases. -
Software
Toolpath Simulation, Optimization Boosts Part Manufacturing for Fixtures
February 2, 2021Those who manufacture precision workholding systems have the same goals and challenges as the machinists who use them. Both groups strive to reduce setup times and optimize cutting cycles. Secure, consistent, and accurate gripping is paramount.
Up Front
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Expert Opinion
Where is Manufacturing Tech Headed in 2021?
January 15, 2021Manufacturing technology is constantly changing, both in terms of the types of products produced and the ways those products are made. As we ease into 2021, here are some interesting trends I’ve heard about.
SME Speaks
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SME Speaks
NAMRC 49: Where Smart Manufacturing and Digitalization Meet
January 25, 2021The North American Manufacturing Research Institution of SME (NAMRI | SME) brings together researchers from leading companies, government laboratories, academic institutions and industrial think tanks located around the world for the purpose of advancing the scientific foundation of discrete-parts manufacturing.
Advanced Manufacturing Now
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Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Father-Son Manufacturing Team Wins AM Gold
January 19, 2021A team including two generations of one manufacturing family, and their blockchain-enabled mobile 3D printing lab, won a Gold Medal in a recent military advanced manufacturing competition. -
Expert Opinion
The Sharpest Tool in the Box
January 21, 2021The word “reconditioned” can ignite visions of worn, overworked products inferior to new ones. The reality is as long as you purchase from a reputable supplier, reconditioned cutting tools will deliver the same consistent results as they did upon initial purchase.
Software Update
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Software
CAD/CAM Options for Increased Shop Productivity
January 27, 2021CAD/CAM is always rapidly developing. Manufacturing technology continues to evolve to increase productivity.
Workforce Pipeline
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Workforce Development
COVID-19 and the Manufacturing Worker Shortage
January 29, 2021We need no reminder that 2020 was shockingly different from any year we have experienced before. Each of us could probably name several struggles we’ve endured.
Viewpoints
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Manufacturing Management
Is Manufacturing in America Up or Down?
February 1, 2021I have been confused lately by contradictory messages coming from people and news sources I pay attention to. On the one hand I hear and read—from knowledgeable sources—that manufacturing in the U. S. is becoming “hollowed out.”