Tariffs. Political divisions. A chronic skilled labor shortage. With all that's going on today, no one can predict what’s next for manufacturing. Even so, there are several ongoing machining trends helping to shape the future for CNC machine shops, whatever they make. And going forward, the most successful ones will be those that followed the Boy [...]
Interested in electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft? Check out the recent report from Grand View Research. It says we can expect the global eVTOL market to enjoy a compound annual growth rate of more than 50% through 2030. Given its 2023 valuation of $2.07 billion, that will put this dynamic industry at nearly $29 billion annually. [...]
It's that time of year again. Happy holidays, and here’s wishing you a productive 2025. Assuming your year-end CAPEX budget allows, it might be time to invest in a new CNC lathe or machining center. Of course, any time’s a good time to buy a modern machine tool. Doing so will increase productivity and part quality [...]
After years of equipment breakdowns, this shop owner decided he’d rather make parts than repair tired machine tools. He’s never been happier. Dean Kauffman makes rollers. He makes them by the thousands. Big rollers, small rollers, all used by steel mills to make the round, square, and rectangular bar stock that other manufacturers then turn into [...]
In a recent article about CNC Toolholders, we compared traditional “steep taper” milling machine toolholders to their dual-contact HSK and Big Plus alternatives. This time, we'll explore the CNC turning equivalent, a.k.a. quick-change toolholders. As their name suggests, these aftermarket devices make swapping out a broken drill or worn turning tool fast and easy. The result [...]
Kent CNC has introduced the New KHV-500 Combination Horizontal/Vertical Machining Center with the industry standard 0i-MD control by FANUC. By combining a horizontal machining center with a vertical machining center, this cutting-edge versatile machining center allows for faster setups and parts loading and unloading, improved accuracy, floor space maximization, and capital investment reduction. Two Spindles Are [...]
Thinking about changing out your CNC toolholders? Big decision. Most machining centers today come standard with a CAT or BT-style spindle interface, and for the lion’s share of milling operations, these do the job quite nicely. But sometimes, an alternative to traditional “steep taper” CNC toolholders is in order. Source: nextgentooling.com Choose the Right [...]
The rigger just called. Your first CNC lathe or machining center will arrive this Friday. You unpacked the toolholders last week. The workholding is ready. You’ve lined up the first few jobs. The big question now? What approach will you take on CNC programming? Will you buy a CAM system and sit through a training class or two? Or will [...]
High-speed machining was once a niche technology, known only to aerospace shops making large airframe components. No more. High-speed machining (HSM) use is now widespread. So are its counterparts high-feed (HFM) and high-efficiency (HEM) machining. All are now common in shops of all sizes and specialties. That said, shops wishing to pursue a more productive path [...]
Automated Machine Tending is No Longer an Option. Time to Hire a Robot! Given the ongoing shortage of skilled labor, shops everywhere are turning to automated machine tending. Doing so reduces operating costs. It increases overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), often significantly. Automation also opens the door to unattended second and third shifts, potentially allowing the company [...]
