A 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.

Those 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.

Manufacturing 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.

The 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.

A 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.

The 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.

CAD/CAM is always rapidly developing. Manufacturing technology continues to evolve to increase productivity.

We 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.

I 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.”