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

Simplifying and Moving Beyond Five-Axis Machining
December 15, 2020
Five-axis machining, once a novel and somewhat forbidding technology, has become routine in many shops. Meanwhile, some organizations are still hesitant to use it, largely due to programming concerns.

Cutting Superalloy Challenges Down to Size
December 17, 2020
How people feel about heat-resistant superalloys depends on what they do with them. Those who use parts made of HRSAs are high on the materials because they retain their strength and hardness at high temperatures and also provide excellent corrosion resistance.

Turning Inserts Face New Challenges
December 21, 2020
Originally marketed for their proficiency in heavy metal removal applications while delivering longer tool life and multi-point efficiency, turning inserts have grown more sophisticated in response to advances in materials, machines, methods, and even social factors.

The Modular Future for Workholding
December 28, 2020
For as long as people have been machining parts, they’ve been devising ever-more ingenious ways to grip them.

First Time’s the Charm
January 6, 2021
All shops want to be more productive and reduce downtime. For some, this means an investment in a high-end CNC machine tool. Others give quick-change toolholders a try, or pursue an IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) machining strategy.
Shop Solutions
-
Software
CAD/CAM Software and Specialized Tooling Help GK Machine Cut Time, Boost Production
December 29, 2020In Donald, Ore., 24 miles south of Portland, GK Machine Company Inc., is manufacturing parts for heavy agricultural equipment such as harvesters, sprayers, tree diggers, and hose reels. -
Measurement & Metrology
Metrology Center Grows With Help From Partners
December 30, 2020In a few short years, the Center for Manufacturing and Metrology at the University of Hartford has become a leading national provider of education, training and research in measuring technology for manufacturing.
Up Front
-
Expert Opinion
Manufacturing After COVID-19
January 7, 2021The U.S. manufacturing industry has made major adjustments to stay in business and keep production moving during the COVID-19 pandemic. Not only have manufacturers adapted to major disruptions in all major markets, they have also reconfigured their production systems to keep workers safe.
SME Speaks
-
SME Speaks
Driving a New Normal
December 18, 20202020 was certainly an unusual year—for SME, for our industry, and for the world. There is no question that these unusual times will carry over into 2021. Unusual does not necessarily mean bad; it just means different. Often hidden within those differences are opportunities.
Advanced Manufacturing Now
-
Manufacturing Management
Carbon Fiber Recycling Developing as an Industry
December 14, 2020Anyone who’s worked with wind turbine blades or just seen one up close can attest to the massive size of these clean-energy workhorses. Ever thought about what happens to that costly, high-tech material once the blade reaches the end of its lifespan in 20 years or so? -
Smart Manufacturing
Gutenberg-Style Innovation for Manufacturing
December 16, 2020Imagine you wrote a masterpiece of literary fiction or a detailed plan for financial success. You can’t wait to share your work with the world. But there’s a problem. In this universe, in this reality, computers have no way to share documents with each other.
Additive Manufacturing Update
-
Additive Manufacturing & 3D Printing
Fortify Mixes It Up
December 22, 2020The key in other tooling applications is to find a space where our materials provide extra value beyond other printers.
Workforce Pipeline
-
Workforce Development
To Retain Young Workers, Change Workplace Norms
January 4, 2021This article is based on the Workforce Leadership Exchange at FABTECH 2019. It continues coverage that began with the Up Front column in ME, January 2020, page 6, and continued with “Workforce Pipeline” on pages 102-103 of the April issue and “Workforce Pipeline” on pages 86-87 of the October issue.
Viewpoints
-
Expert Opinion
Use the Swiss Cheese Model to Fight COVID-19
January 5, 2021In 2020, most manufacturers focused on mitigating the impact of COVID-19, but mitigation is too little too late. Many companies learned that lesson after seeing how COVID-19 outbreaks affected either their own facilities or other manufacturing firms.