MMS Blog

Automation 16 Feb 2010

Let’s Go to the (Automation) Video

While visiting shops to gather info and take photos for stories, I and the other MMS editors also look for neat processes that lend themselves to helpful video.

16 Feb 2010

Nov. 2009 Air Transport Data

The U.S. Department of Transportation has released its data on air transportation for November 2009. The key metric that I focus on in this release is system revenue passenger miles (SRPM). I focus on SRPM because it is a good leading indicator for aerospace industrial production.

12 Feb 2010

Overall Equipment Effectiveness

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is “a key machining performance indicator.” It tells you how well your shop or plant is operating.

12 Feb 2010

December 2009 Machine Tool Sales

On December 8th, the USMTC released its monthly report on machine tool orders. The report showed that December was by far the best month for machine tool sales in 2009. Both December unit and dollar sales were at their highest level in 2009.

Turn/Mill 12 Feb 2010

More In The Know

This shop is in the early stages of integrating Internet-based training tailored specifically to the brand of Swiss-type lathes it uses. The goal is to bring prospective employees up to speed quicker while enabling existing employees to progress to more advanced roles in the shop.

Watch

Aerospace 12 Feb 2010

Dial Down or Dial Up?

Vibration analysis may be the machining center’s missing piece. If you haven’t performed this analysis on your high speed machine, you probably don’t know what the machine can do.

Vertical Machining Centers 12 Feb 2010

The Promise of "High Cube" Machining

Tool paths and a new tool design provide an alternative to high speed machining for achieving high metal removal rates in hard metals on lighter-duty machines.