March 2006 Issue

March 2006

Don’t Forget The Drawbar

The force that holds the toolholder in the machining center's spindle can weaken over time. If you haven't checked drawbar force in a while, this may be the weak link in your process.

Features

Featured articles from the March 2006 issue of Modern Machine Shop

Basics 2 Mar 2006

Practical Tips For High Speed Machining Of Dies And Molds

In die/mold work, the programmer can make the HSM process dramatically more effective. Here are some tips.

Measurement 2 Feb 2006

Inspection For Free

Gaging integrated with a robot delivers inspection without any cost in floorspace or cycle time.

2 Mar 2006

American Factories Continue To Increase Equipment Investment

Here is a report on the findings of the 2006 World Machine Tool Output & Consumption Survey.

2 Mar 2006

Part Finishing And The New RoHS And ELV Directives

New environmental directives that have come out of Europe and Asia limit the toxic chemical content in manufactured products in order to protect users and to facilitate the recycling of these components. Restriction of Hazardous Substances legislation limits hazardous metals contained in electrical and electronic components. The ELV (End-of-Life Vehicle) Directive limits polluting metals that can be contained in vehicles in order to minimize hazards caused by recycling their components. In order to comply, manufacturers will have to consider finishing processes such as a low-temperature black-oxiding process that does not use banned substances or leave them in the finished product.

CNC & Machine Controls 31 Mar 2006

No Wires, No Worries

A wireless network can operate safely and effectively in a hostile shop floor environment, as the experience of this welding and machining company shows. Interference from other sources of radio waves can be avoided by installing suitable data access point hardware. Data security can be established with encryption and other techniques.

Measurement 2 Feb 2006

Dimensional Inspection With A Digital Camera

Using an off-the-shelf digital camera, this system uses photographs to obtain 3D measurement data.

1 Mar 1996

CNC Turret Replaces Lathe's Manual Tool Post

Installing a CNC such as a turret can give a real productivity boost for shops. With a CNC turret, more tools can be carried at one time.

30 Mar 2006

STEP NC—The End Of G-Codes?

In the not-too-distant future, the only machine tool input you'll need is a Web page.

Automation 2 Mar 2006

Making Programming Hands-Free (Almost)

Feature-recognition CAM software helps this technology company's internal mold shop deliver critical molds more quickly. A programmer is still needed, but the software automation saves considerable time.