Columns
You Are Not Spending Enough on Gaging
Is there an intuitive ratio shaping shops’ perceptions of how much gaging capacity is appropriate for their machining capacity? Much has changed; that ratio might need to be reconsidered.
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CNC-Related Features of Custom Macro
CNC-related features of custom macro are separated into two topics: system variables and user-defined G and M codes. This column explores both.
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Combining Multiple Probes: A Recipe for Success
Combining measurement techniques enables a wide range of relational characteristics to be measured with just one or two sensors.
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How to Troubleshoot Issues With Tool Life
Diagnosing when a tool is failing is important because it sets an expectation and a benchmark for improvements. Finding out why gives us a clue for how to fix it.
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Addressing the Manufacturing Labor Shortage Needs to Start Here
Student-run businesses focused on technical training for the trades are taking root across the U.S. Can we — should we — leverage their regional successes into a nationwide platform?
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Computer Programming-Related Features of Custom Macro
Custom macro is an interpreter-based language, meaning that all CNC G code and custom macro commands are executed as the CNC comes across them.
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For This Machine Shop, Licensing Is the Answer to the Inventor’s Dilemma
Machine shops are natural inventors, but not necessarily suited to supporting and marketing a product. This Minnesota shop with an invention related to micromolding will share it through licensing.
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Centralization Errors Grow as Bores Get Smaller
It is important to consider the effects of gage centralization when measuring smaller bores. Selecting the right tool is often based on the bore’s size and tolerance.
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Custom Workholding Principles to Live By
Workholding solutions can take on infinite forms and all would be correct to some degree. Follow these tips to help optimize custom workholding solutions.
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When Evaluating Gage Stability, a Picture Says 1,000 Words
Gage capability programs can help analyze the cause of stability problems, but it can be revealing to manually sketch out histogram data to get a pictorial view of what is happening.
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5 Reasons Why You Should Know How to Write Custom Macros
Custom macros enhance what can be done in G-code programs, giving users the ability to code operations that were previously not possible.
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Tips for Investing Intelligently When Upgrading a Shop on a Budget
Working on a tight budget is not easy, but these tips can help you make the most of your free capital.
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