Columns
How to Scale Production With the Right Adjustments at the Right Times
Volume machining teaches you on a delay. Some lessons are available on part one, some take a shift and some won’t show up for weeks. The timeline matters. Here’s how to read it from the first part to the last.
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How White-Light Interferometry Enables Nanometer Surface Height Measurement of Critical Components
Breaking down white-light interferometry, an extreme-precision, noncontact method for measuring the most demanding surface profiles.
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10 Patterns Shaping Machine Shops Right Now
Across Modern Machine Shop’s recent reporting, the same operational pressures keep appearing in shops of all sizes. From quoting speed and software scrutiny to workforce visibility and repeatable setups, these patterns reveal how manufacturers are actually making decisions right now.
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Methods for Threading Blind Holes in Thin Materials
Struggling with blind holes in thin materials? Use these drill point strategies, tap selections and clearance tips to maximize usable thread depth and meet pull-out specs without redesigning the part.
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Achieving More Versatility from Three-Point Gaging
Advancements in digital three-point micrometers enable more precise bore measurements with a self-aligning design, interchangeable heads and wireless data collection.
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Why Setups Are the Real Bottleneck in High-Mix Machining
In job shops, throughput often lives in the steps between cuts: tooling, offsets, refixturing, programming and training. The March issue features practical ways shops are cutting setup time and variation through multitasking, modular tooling, process stability and more.
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7 Steps to Optimize Aggressive Roughing Operations
Follow these guidelines to get the most out of aggressive roughing while improving cycle times and keeping quality intact.
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Why Manufacturing Leaders Shouldn't Wait for “Normal” to Come Back
A year of shifting tariffs and strained capex budgets exposed a split among manufacturing leaders: those waiting out the storm, and those designing strategy around it. Here’s why the second group is pulling ahead.
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How Confocal Technology Revolutionizes Optical Metrology
Confocal technology takes optical measurement to the next level, enabling nanometer precision for roughness, topography and form measurements.
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Putting the "Plate" Gage to Use
How do you measure tight-tolerance parts on a plate gage without stumbling into subtle errors? George Schuetz explains his process.
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Troubleshooting Processes Experiencing Drift or Shift
Most troubleshooting fails for a simple reason: rather than conducting true root cause analysis, people start assigning causes before they properly classify behavior.
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Surface Texture Measurement for the Unseen World
With newer structures frequently requiring nanometer-scale dimensions, more surface analysis is required. Optical noncontact surface analysis can provide the magnification required for these measurements during development and for in-process measurements.
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