March 2000 Issue

March 2000

Who's Counseling Whom?

How to make manufacturing attractive to career guidance counselors and parents is a challenge. Nobody has all the answers.

Features

Featured articles from the March 2000 issue of Modern Machine Shop

1 Mar 2000

Programming To The Machine's Reference Position

Almost all current model CNC machine tools have a special reference position. For machines having Fanuc or Fanuc-compatible controls, this special position is called the zero return position.

High-Speed Machining 15 Mar 2000

Find The Right Speed For Chatter-Free Milling

It used to be that a little chatter was easy to forgive. Not anymore. In shops aiming to minimize hand finishing, machined surfaces have to be smooth. And in high speed machining applications, chatter itself can set the speed limit.

Inspection and Measurement 15 Mar 2000

Don't Touch That Tool

Tool measurement is critical to the metalcutting process. Exact knowledge of a cutter’s length, diameter, even profile, and the ability to measure and monitor these dimensions over time, can reduce variability and help optimize the process. Here’s a look at how non-contact tool measurement and breakage detection benefit your metalcutting process.

15 Mar 2000

Shop Floor Metrology On The Move

Portable arm coordinate measuring machines (CMMs) offer advantages beyond portability.

Automation 15 Mar 2000

An Approach To Boosting Shop Production Capacity

The increased availability of modular manufacturing cells has added another means of increasing a shop’s capacity. This article looks at a practical approach to evaluating when and how much automation is appropriate for a shop.

Metalworking Fluids 1 Mar 2000

Troubleshooting Your Way Oil System

An expensive lesson that many shops learn too late is that the automatic oil system on their CNC machine tool may not be completely automatic. Since the automatic oil system is designed to give a warning when the oil tank is empty, many machinists simply assume all is well if the alarm doesn't go off.

Vertical Machining Centers 15 Mar 2000

Five-Axis Machining With A Contouring Head

This accessory brought low-cost five-axis machining to two shops. One had never used five-axis machining before. The other was an experienced five-axis contractor.

Five-Axis 1 Mar 2000

The Other Angle On Five-Axis Machining

Machine complex prismatic parts efficiently on low-cost machining centers. This shop embraces five-axis machining—the kind that features a five-figure price tag.

1 Mar 2000

Scamming The Scammers

According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), there are over 24 million small businesses in the Unuted States, and the number is growing by almost a million a year. At the same time, the number of Internet scams is increasing markedly.

Shop Management Software 15 Mar 2000

Quicker Tool Change For Mills

This article examines a retrofitted mechanical drawbar system with a preset die spring that enables an operator to manually do what a machining center does automatically--change tools quickly.