Articles
Oil Drill Coupling Production Gets Automated
Sponsored by Okuma. A manufacturing cell combines lathes, gantry robot and conveyor system to enable automated production of oil drill couplings.
Read MoreIntroducing Partners In THINC
Okuma's Larry Schwartz explains the philosophy that led to the creation of the Partners in THINC facility where leading companies have teamed to creatively problem solve and develop solutions for the manufacturing industry. (Sponsored content)
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A Tour Through Partners In THINC
Leading technology companies have gathered under one roof to provide one source for creative manufacturing solutions. (Sponsored content)
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Cells To The Max
Brad Hart, president of Roberts Tool Company, in Chatsworth, California, believes that automated cells are the key to survival for companies likes his that machine complex, high-precision parts for aerospace and defense. Cellular manufacturing makes it possible to reduce lead times dramatically and minimize labor input while increasing throughput and improving quality, he says. In his shop, a cell consisting of two Toyoda HMCs and a dozen pallet stations epitomizes the lean manufacturing concepts that Mr. Hart finds so compelling. However, he says that shop owners have to get out of the business of making parts and into the business of building processes--processes such as those embodied in a lean manufacturing cell.
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Beyond Technology
Succeeding at machining takes technology. The shops in the following pages continually improve their production resources. However, these shops also know that future manufacturing success demands some other ongoing commitment. Here are three views on what that “something else” entails.
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Comments From The Partners
Partner representatives share reasons why they’re involved in the Partners in THINC collaborative. (Sponsored content)
Read MoreBack To Kansas
This manufacturer took a hard look at the compromises it was making to outsource machining and decided the costs were too high. Therefore, the company abandoned its old facility, built a bigger one, bought new CNC machine tools and brought its machining back in-house.
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Eliminating Redundancy Through Tool Data Management
Sponsored by Okuma. A paperless tool management system allows equipment to communicate with each other to share cutting tool information.
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Looking To The Economic Future Of Your Business
Trends affecting other trends in available economic data can signal whether more or less activity is coming for your manufacturing business.
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Automatic Monitoring And Adjustment System Matches Coolant Pressure To Tool Needs
Sponsored by Okuma. Custom software has been developed to automatically identify the tool currently in a machine's spindle and adjust the coolant pressure to the appropriate level.
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Indexable-Insert Broaching Tool Technology For Lathes
A new indexable-insert-style broaching tool for CNC lathes provides two cutting edges per carbide insert. Because the tool body can remain installed in the lathe's turret during insert indexing or replacement, it is unnecessary to re-zero the tool after the change.
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Engineering Employees
Today, the lack of skilled manufacturing employees is the major problem holding this company back. To clear the way for growth tomorrow, the company is determined to solve this problem. The answer is an internal university for developing the skills of every current employee and new hire, including many who have never set foot in a machine shop before.
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