Five-axis machine tools represented a major advancement over earlier machines, with greater range of movement and the ability to create more complex shapes.

As the move toward a more connected manufacturing industry gains momentum and manufacturers start collecting factory-floor data, the need for fast, efficient data analysis becomes ever more critical.

New vertical machining strategies and technologies help reduce cycle time, increase metal removal rates, and maintain accuracy. There’s nothing quite like having “smart” vertical machining centers (VMCs) with the latest advanced CNCs.

B-axis milling … lasers … low-frequency vibration cutting … multiple tools in the cut, on multiple axes … thread whirling … wobble broaching. Who said Swiss-style machining was for millions of simple, round parts? As industry veteran Paul Cassella explained, “Today, Swiss-type machines are more like machining centers and the parts are more prismatic. I’ve seen setups where the only time we rotate the bar stock is during cutoff. Everything else is being machined by milling, cross drilling, or other similar operations.”

Additive manufacturing (AM), or 3D printing, is a fast-growing field that offers many advantages over traditional techniques. It can create more complex parts than either machining or casting, can fuse different materials together, and is sometimes less expensive in low-volume or prototype applications.