Brent Donaldson

Brent Donaldson Editor-in-Chief

EDM

Inside the Sinker EDM Process, One Spark at a Time

Successful sinker EDM operations rely on understanding the relationship between each individual spark, the electrode and the workpiece. 

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Laser & Waterjet

Weep Not, Waterjet Machine. Predictive Maintenance is Here.

The versatility of waterjet cutting is well known, but its reputation as a maintenance intensive technology holds it back. Predictive maintenance may change that. 

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Workflow as a Competitive Advantage

As the cost of machine tools drops and the Baby Boomer generation enters retirement, the nature of competition between machine shops is trending toward data democratization and shop management software.

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Your Competitors Can Do What You Do

With the barrier to entry for machine shops so low, competitive advantage is not necessarily tied to the ability to machine parts. Increasingly, it is a shop’s ability to document and streamline digital processes that sets it apart from competition.

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Measurement

Hitting the Zone with Five-Axis Machining

By investing in five-axis machining technology, Advance CNC Machining has done more than just add new capabilities to its roster. It has found a way to achieve something that most of us strive for: a way to work “in the zone.”

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Increasing Employee Output Through Automation: Here is What We Found in 7 Recent Shop Visits

Modern Machine Shop editors routinely visit machining facilities to report on shops that are succeeding. Here is what our editors found on seven recent shop visits, all related to using labor more efficiently.

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Meet Colossus: An Inside Look at One of the Largest Five-Axis Machining Centers in the U.S.

My behind-the-scenes tour on the shop floor of Baker Industries began and ended with its Emco Mecof PowerMill, one of the biggest five-axis machining centers in the United States. The tour also shed light on the company’s highly aggressive approach to new equipment purchases.

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Aerospace

A Dramatic Debut and Key Collaborations at the Paris Air Show

News announcements by aerospace manufacturers and suppliers flew fast and furious throughout the Paris Air Show, but — at least for this writer — the long-awaited debut of the world’s largest engine and a series of announcements by Oerlikon took center stage.

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Turn/Mill

Methods Seeks the Perfect Machining Environment

With its new Precision Center, Methods Machine Tools is locking down environmental variables that could impact machining processes. Why? So North American manufacturers will no longer need to send parts, tooling and material to Japan or somewhere else to have intricate, sensitive or challenging test cuts performed.

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Automation

Tackling the Aerospace Supplier’s Dilemma: Scalability

Automation and robotics can go a long way toward increasing capacity and growing a business dedicated to aerospace manufacturing. But Trinity Precision has learned that refining the indirect and unseen aspects of its operations can be just as valuable.

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A Flight Plan for Next-Gen Manufacturing

Learn more about the materials and processes that will shape next-generation aircraft in a collection of stories from Modern Machine Shop, Additive Manufacturing and CompositesWorld, available to read or download for free.

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Automotive

What is the Role of Collaborative Automation in Production?

Thyssenkrupp Bilstein’s North American operations is finding out. The shock absorber manufacturer has eight cobots and counting in its Ohio production facility, plus two autonomous vehicles. Here are scenes from its shop where the picture of automation is changing.

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Schunk
TCI
Horn USA
IMTS 2024
Highest Performance Solid Carbide End Mills
Methods Automation
Kyocera MA90
GF Machining Solutions
Mastercam