New Machining Technology Works With Old to Restore WWII Submarine
A set of donated boring bars that can be used in a 1954 boring head will enable volunteer machinists to recreate a pair of binoculars for the USS Pampanito.
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When Manual Machining Makes Good Business Sense
Rare expertise, raw passion and ample opportunity keep handwheels turning profits in the era of CNC.
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For Polymer 3D Printers, Metal Parts Are Now Within Reach
An option for accessible metal 3D printing: New metal composite filament from BASF Forward AM has made it easy for Austrian company Sparox 3D to pivot its Ultimaker FFF capacity into metals, without major additional investments in skills or equipment.
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Building Capacity Through Automation
Stecker Machine, a production shop that specialized in runs of a couple hundred parts, needed to develop highly automated cells to produce tens of thousands of complex parts from castings every year.
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When a Lathe With Live Tooling Rivals a Multitasking Machine
This shop is working its way up to a full-fledged B-axis multitasking machine. Meanwhile, turning centers with a Y-axis and live tooling are doing just fine.
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OEM Moves From Automation Implementation to Refinement
Automating challenging parts for full-weekend automation requires substantial process refinements that can significantly boost throughput.
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When Too Many Customers Spoil the Part
Duo CNC used to take on as many customers as the shop could handle. But when growth stalled, a top-down audit by the company’s general manager revealed that its customer base was inhibiting growth — and causing the shop to be less efficient and productive.
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Niche Work If You Can Get It: A CNC Machine Shop Crafts Its Own Destiny
The latest innovations in metalworking aren’t always related to CNC automation or robotics. For Rosenberger North America, a 2022 Top Shops Honoree, it is the company’s niche processes that create the biggest successes.
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Business Award Winner Gains Traction on Strategic Vision
KLH Industries joins the 2022 Top Shops Honors Program with a renewed sense of identity, a new leadership team and new tools for driving growth.
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Top Shop Builds Upon Employee Ownership for Future Success
In its quest to become the Fox Valley’s best-in-class employer, A to Z Machine has adopted an ESOP, expanded benefits and invested in apprenticeships.
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