Basics
How to Build Programming Clarity in CAM Systems
Here’s how to use the CAM system itself as the place to organize your thinking and hand it off so anyone in the shop can understand its intent.
John Miller
President, Way Of The Mill
6 Design Tips for Machining Tests
There is no standard test for machineability, so job shops must create their own. Following a few key principles should ensure they are useful and accurate.
Read MoreCMMC 101: How To Prepare Your Shop
CMMC has a complicated history, and determining which parts are active and how to achieve them can be confusing. Learn effective approaches from early adopters.
Read MoreHow to Implement Zero-Point Workholding
The value of zero-point workholding systems is that your machine stops being tied to your setups. Once you see it that way, the day-to-day uses are easy to find.
Read More9 Tips for Employee Recruitment, Training and Retention
Manufacturer SendCutSend has found success hiring former nurses, custodians, graphic designers and even a donut shop employee. Here are some of the secrets of its workforce development success.
Read MoreHow to Build Supply Chain Resilience in a Volatile Economy
Future-proof your supply chain with visibility, smarter planning and supplier collaboration.
Read MoreWhy Slow Quoting Is Costing U.S. Machine Shops Work
A shop can have the right machines, people and capacity — and still lose the job. The reason may be quoting speed. This AI tool is built to close that gap.
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The Field Guide You Should Have Read on the Plane
Sector maps, planning checklists, problem-to-aisle routing and what's new for 2026 — everything a shop owner or engineer needs on the walk in to maximize ROI.
Brent Donaldson
Editor-in-Chief, Modern Machine Shop
When Size Dimensions Aren't Enough
A lot of what makes modern machining difficult isn’t whether a dimension falls within tolerance; it’s whether the shape actually works once the part is in service. That’s where contour measuring instruments comes into play.
Read More3 Principles to Achieve Test Cuts Worth Trusting
A test cut — justified by specific risk, designed on a clean canvas and used to confirm rather than analyze — can expose if uncommon machining traits fit your needs.
Read MoreHow 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.
Read MoreWhen Machinists Own the Tools: How to Standardize Setups Without a Toolroom
How one shop standardized repeatable setups without a toolroom by using operation-level tool lists, location discipline and a pragmatic ERP workflow.
Read MoreWhen ‘U’ Want to Turn on a Mill
A U-axis head can be a good option for shops hoping to perform turning and boring operations on a CNC milling machine.
Read More7 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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How to Certify Production at Scale With PPAP
If you demonstrate how well your machining process fits inside the tolerances, customers can stop inspecting every part and trust the process as volume increases.
John Miller
President, Way Of The Mill
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.
Read MoreDefining Key Concepts of Smart Manufacturing
Smart manufacturing is the integration of IIoT, Industry 4.0, AI and digital twins to enhance efficiency, flexibility and sustainability in modern factories.
Read MoreUnderstanding the Tribology of the Tool-Workpiece Interface
Machining is fundamentally a competition between the cutting edge and the workpiece material as it is sheared away to obtain the desired part geometry.
Read MoreShop Tour Video: How to Integrate Additive and Subtractive Machining
Addman Advanced Metals has scaled from a single 3D printer to 25 while also building out a robust array of subtractive machines. In this video, find out how the shop manages its additive and subtractive workflows — and how it combines the two into a profitable niche.
Read MoreUnderstanding Mechanical Vibrations in Machining
In machining, the structure of interest is a cutting tool connected to a tool post/turret and lathe or a toolholder, spindle and milling machine. The vibration of these structures is important to consider.
Read MoreRoughing First: New Strategies for Blisk Machining
Aerospace shops looking to cut cycle time and tool wear on integrally bladed rotors often focus on finishing. But rethinking the roughing stage can increase how much material can be safely removed while accelerating throughput.
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How to Take Compound Measurements With a Digital Caliper
A digital caliper’s zero function enables the user to take compound measurements, producing a result that would otherwise require arithmetic or a second tool.
Key Concepts of Machine Learning in Manufacturing
Machine learning enables the prediction of process outcomes without explicitly being programmed.
Read MoreFinding the Right Balance Between Productivity and Stability
Shop upgrades can swamp a process with change and widen the potential for chaos. To maintain stability, put a frame around your processes so your shop can keep solid wins without living on edge.
Read MorePreserve the Craft of Manufacturing as Technology Advances
As the industry continues to move toward a digital future, be sure to reinforce the core fundamentals right alongside it.
Read MoreUnderstanding Process Damping in Milling Operations
Despite the advances in modeling machining operations over the past decades, process damping remains a topic of interest, including new tool designs that increase the effect.
Read MoreGet with the Program(ming): 10 Articles to Help You Transform Your Data
Collecting data but not sure how to use it? You’re not alone. See how smart shops are turning raw machine data into real results—better decisions, smoother operations, and measurable ROI.
Read MoreChatter and Feed Rate Scheduling
Optimizing feed rate can boost cycle times, but not if chatter gets in the way. This article explores how feed rate scheduling software interacts with tool vibration, and why ignoring chatter could undermine your gains. Learn how to balance productivity and stability with the right programming approach.
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