Some shops think routine machine tool maintenance is overrated. Bad idea. The big order’s running late. The lead programmer called in sick.
Aluminum and its alloys are highly popular in the machining industry for many reasons. Did you know it is the most abundant metal on Earth?
Marposs Announces BLÚ LT Modular Control System for Machine Tools; Suited for Applications of Medium Complexity
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.
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.
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.
Formlabs, known for its line of desktop stereolithography (SLA) printers, is looking to expand its 3D printing reach with availability of its new Fuse 1 benchtop industrial selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printer. Under development for nearly seven years, the Fuse 1 marks a notable change for Formlabs as they expand into a new additive manufacturing process.
April 2021 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $170 million. This total was down 4.3 percent from March's $177.6 million but up 26.3 percent when compared with the $134.6 million reported for April 2020.
February 2021 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $149.5 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association for Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was up 3.3 percent from January's $144.8 million and down 17.1 percent when compared with the $180.3 million reported for February 2020.
Selecting the best type of cutting tool for holemaking jobs is not always clear. It is best to have a drill that caters to the workpiece material, produces the specs required, and provides the most profit for the job at hand. Considering the variety of jobs and parts manufactured in machine shops, there is no “one-drill-fits-all.”