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More from Sue Roberts
Why Balance?
- By Sue Roberts
- Sep 13, 2016
- Cutting Tools
- Article
Ask anyone in the metal cutting industry about tooling balance and the response is anything from a groan to a laugh accompanied by the statement, “that’s opening up a can of worms.” But, the first reaction is quickly followed by an assertion that having balance in the cutting...
Machine a Smooth, Consistent Pipe Bevel
- By Sue Roberts
- Aug 23, 2016
- Fabricating
- Article
A good weld on a thick stainless pipe starts with a consistent, smooth beveled surface. Knowing that the joint requires the optimal number of passes with no variation saves time for the welder. Creating the angled surface around the circumference of the pipe traditionally requires grinding that...
Changing Gears
- By Sue Roberts
- Aug 11, 2016
- Metalworking
- Article
Rapidly advancing numbers are the norm at Linamar Corporation, a manufacturer of powertrain components for the automotive, industrial, off-highway, and energy markets and Skyjack™ telehandler equipment. The number of facilities keeps growing. The company has 57 manufacturing facilities...
5 Tips to Keep Your Power Tools Powerful
- By Sue Roberts
- Jul 2, 2016
- Fabricating
- Blog Post
A little effort put into maintaining hand power tools, whether air or electric, can pay off in better and safer performance and longer tool life even when working in challenging conditions like foundries, casting plants, and metal fabrication shops. When hand tools are used according to...
Use IoT technology to Test, Document, and Communicate Stainless Steel Passivation
- By Sue Roberts
- Jun 23, 2016
- Measurement
- Blog Post
Editor’s Note: This article is adapted from, The Internet of Things Hits the Shop Floor: Metalworking in the Age of Connectivity, a white paper from Walter Surface Technologies. It is available for download at www.walter.com/en_CA/download-white-paper-form . Stainless steel doesn’t...
Thread Milling Offers Peace of Mind When Threading Difficult Materials
- By Sue Roberts
- Jun 20, 2016
- Cutting Tools
- Blog Post
Thread milling produces threads with a ramping movement of a circulating tool that moves around the inside radius of the hole. Depending on the material, the machine, and the application, it may be a little slower than tapping, but it can make difficult threading jobs easier. Thread milling and...
How Does Additive Manufacturing Fit?
- By Sue Roberts
- Jun 1, 2016
- Fabricating
- Blog Post
Additive manufacturing (AM) is defining its space on production floors. In the past 25 years or so the technology has edged past the experimental stage. It has moved into--and through--being viewed as a technology limited to prototype production. It has become a proven process for complex...
Getting a Healthy Grip
- By Sue Roberts
- May 13, 2016
- Fabricating
- Article
Take a moment to look at your hands. Consider how they serve you. Think about their work on a metal assembly, grip on a golf club or hockey stick, or how they hold someone’s hand. Your sense of feel, or haptic perception, allows your brain to localize and evaluate touch, pressure, and...
The Quickening Pulse of Laser Machining
- By Sue Roberts
- May 12, 2016
- Metalworking
- Article
PCD, CVD-D, MCD, and CBN are tough materials. That makes them good choices for cutting tools--and other components--that need to be strong and wear-resistant. That also makes them difficult to machine--some grades nearly impossible--especially when complex geometries are required. Laser machining,...
6 Strategies to Get the Most from 5-axis Machining
- By Sue Roberts
- May 10, 2016
- Metalworking
- Article
Five-axis machining is cropping up in more shops. Mold and die and production environments are both embracing the technology to reduce production costs. Automotive, defense, energy and power generation, aerospace, and aeronautics industries--and to some degree home appliance and packaging...
Tooling Tips for High-speed Machining
- By Sue Roberts
- Apr 18, 2016
- Cutting Tools
- Article
High-speed machining (HSM) shaves time off metal removal processes. Low speeds and feeds that remove a large amount of material are replaced with light depths of cuts made at high feed rates. Metal is removed quickly, and the resulting near-net-shape parts, with surface finishes often from 10 to...
Business Profile: Western Manufacturing
- By Sue Roberts
- Apr 1, 2016
- Automation and Software
- Article
Lonny Thiessen, the 29-year-old president of Western Manufacturing Ltd. in Hythe, Alta, has experienced the volatility of serving the oil and gas market, the pleasure and pain of a rapidly growing business, and the satisfaction of turning an idea into a unique product line. He grew up doing odd...
Business Profile: Sable Metal Fabrication
- By Sue Roberts
- Apr 1, 2016
- Automation and Software
- Article
Not many years ago small shops providing customers with part quantities beginning with one weren’t considered ideal robotic environments. Robots were installed at OEMs with dedicated runs or shops that provided thousands of like parts per batch. But things changed. Continued industry pressure to...
Load It, Cut It, Stage It—Automatically?
- By Sue Roberts
- Mar 3, 2016
- Fabricating
- Article
The band saw is zipping through material. An operator is grabbing and stacking parts. Two or three employees are using a forklift or crane to position material for the next batch. Is it efficient? Productive? Is it time to invest in automated material handling for the band saw operation? To answer...
Every mm Counts When Bending Thin
- By Sue Roberts
- Mar 3, 2016
- Fabricating
- Article
In theory, using a press brake to bend material is a case of applying basic trigonometry. Force flat material into a V opening until it bends to the desired angle. In practice, however, creating the bend takes a bit more calculating, particularly if you are dealing with thin-gauge material. Scott...
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