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Manufacturing Engineering: February 2020

The February 2020 edition of Manufacturing Engineering is available as a digital magazine. Links to individual articles are below.
Aerospace machining often requires specialized machine tools, such as this X10000 from Mitsui Seiki. Tier 1 suppliers often look to the machine builder to share in the creation of a manufacturing process, which allows the owner of a new machine to better understand the latest technical features and how to use them.

Aerospace: Comply or Die

January 28, 2020
Success in aerospace machining requires more than the ability to hold tight tolerances in difficult materials. It also requires the ability to prove that you did so in compliance with a pile of specific guidelines, with reports that likewise must follow a specific format.
Ed Sinkora
By Ed Sinkora Contributing Editor, SME Media
GE’s Catalyst on an engine test stand in Prague. Because of additive manufacturing, the Catalyst had 855 conventionally manufactured parts pared down to just 12 3D-printed parts.

3D Printing Cleared for Takeoff

January 29, 2020
Aerospace was an early, and enthusiastic, adopter of additive manufacturing. The technology has been used to make brackets inside of aircraft.
Bill Koenig
By Bill Koenig Senior Editor, SME Media
Metrology companies are providing equipment for use in manufacturing, like this Zeiss Duramax.

Integrating Metrology into Manufacturing

January 30, 2020
Metrology equipment is showing its usefulness on the shop floor. Lasers and structured-light scanners operate next to assembly jigs and press-brakes.
Bruce Morey
By Bruce Morey Senior Technical Editor, SME Media
Manufacturing users employ the latest AR and VR technologies in implementing Siemens’ global PLM to connect far-flung factory locations.

PLM Takes On Digital Transformation

February 4, 2020
Product lifecycle management (PLM) software helps manufacturers manage, shape, guide, and refine new product developments, speeding up the design and production process.
Pat Waurzyniak
By Patrick Waurzyniak Contributing Editor, SME Media
Digital boring heads like the BIG Kaiser EWE shown here are said to reduce tool setting time by 20 percent or more.

Boring Tools Get Smart, Go Deep

February 3, 2020
It’s said that holemaking is the most commonly performed of all machining operations. And it stands to reason that most of those holes must be reamed or most likely bored after drilling. For as long as machinists have been boring holes, however, they’ve struggled with a variety of problems.
Kip Hanson
By Kip Hanson Contributing Editor, SME Media
In January 2019, Daley College opened its new Manufacturing Technology & Engineering Center.

Hope Meets Workforce Needs at Daley College’s MTEC

January 31, 2020
Machining programs at community colleges can bring to mind images of old, tired equipment, housed in even older, drab facilities. That was the case at Richard J. Daley College, one of the City Colleges of Chicago. But not anymore.
By Larry Adams Contributing Writer, SME Media
Alan Rooks
By Alan Rooks Editor in Chief, Manufacturing Engineering

Shop Solutions

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.

Up Front

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.

Advanced Manufacturing Now

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.

SME Speaks

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.

Additive Manufacturing Update

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.

Workforce Pipeline

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.

Viewpoints

  • CNC MACHINING

    7 Cool Tips for Coolants

    Staff Writer March 11, 2026
    Regardless of which fluid or delivery method you choose, maintenance determines whether your investment pays off or becomes a pain in the neck. “By following sound maintenance practices, you can expect to get at least two years out of a high-quality cutting fluid,” maintains Master Fluid Solutions’ John Treese.
  • PRESS RELEASES

    AIM MRO Acquires Advanced Air West Palm Beach

    PRESS RELEASE: AIM MRO March 11, 2026
    AIM MRO Holdings, LLC (“AIM MRO” or the “Company”), a leading provider of highly engineered consumable repair products and materials used primarily in the aerospace aftermarket, today announced that it has acquired Advanced Air West Palm Beach, Inc. (“AA Bushings”), a provider of replacement bushings, sleeves and fasteners for landing gear applications in the aerospace and defense aftermarket.
  • GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMICS

    States Sue for Tariff Refunds

    Michael McConnell March 11, 2026
    Attorneys general in 24 states have filed a lawsuit asking the government to reimburse businesses for the money they’ve already paid in import taxes as well as blocking new levies from going into effect.