Columns
Artificial Intelligence, Origin Stories, Machining Strategies, and the Wild Ride Ahead in 2024
The January 2024 issue of Modern Machine Shop contains several firsts. From new features to new topics and presentation styles, the debut issue of the year reflects not only a changing landscape of machining strategies, but also the stories behind the people who innovate them.
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Digital Comparators are More Than Just Readout Devices
Modern digital comparators often combine the performance of touchscreen phones, LVDTs, digital amplifiers and even small PCs into the size of a standard dial indicator.
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An Open Letter to Kids About Machines and the World of Making Things
This is an open letter to middle- and high-school students about choices they’ll soon face. It is also an introduction to Career and Technical Education (CTE), the world of CNC machining, and a reminder that there are options outside of the traditional four-year college path.
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The Many Ways of Measuring Thickness
While it may seem to be a straightforward check, there are many approaches to measuring thickness that are determined by the requirements of the part.
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Making the Most of Mixed Toolholder Assemblies
While nearly all ER systems will have cross compatibility, they’ll have small differences across manufacturers that make their implementation at the shop level not as standard.
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The Resurgence of 'Shop Class' in American High Schools
From the 1990s through the 2010s, most traditional “shop classes” disappeared from middle schools and high schools across the U.S. — one of the many issues that helped create today’s skilled labor shortage in metalworking and CNC machine shops. Here’s one solution that deserves more attention.
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Tips for Anticipating Hole Conditions
When measuring an ID with an indicating plug gage, it is OK to slow down to learn more about the hole being measured and explore for extraneous conditions.
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Increasing OEM Visibility to Shopfloor Operations for the Win
A former employee of General Motors and Tesla talks about the issues that led to shutdowns on factory lines, and what small- to medium-sized manufacturers can do today to win business from large OEMs.
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Considerations for Adding CMM Capabilities to Your Shop
CMMs may provide simple efficiency gains, but if you look deeper, the machine unlocks more complex work for your shop.
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Behind Schedule Preparing for CMMC? You Are Not Alone.
The Department of Defense appears to be on track to begin a phased rollout of its Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification assessment program by early 2025. What does that mean for defense contract manufacturers and suppliers?
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Moving from Contact to Noncontact Surface Analysis
2D measurement systems check specific lines for roughness quality, while a 3D surface analysis provides assurance for a broader area — which can avoid costly process disruptions and bonding failure.
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Parts and Programs: Setup for Success
Tips for program and work setups that can simplify adjustments and troubleshooting.
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