Your newsletter for tips on selecting manufacturing technology.
1.) Question of the month - How do you like AMERICAN MACHINIST'S new website??
2.) Selecting the right turning machine
3.) Hot products
4.) Manufacturing education and training - RIA launches on-line job board
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Tom Grasson, associate publisher and editorial director, thinks you will agree American Machinist's redesigned website, americanmachinist.com, makes finding information about metalworking easy. You can access articles, technical information, vendors, special features such as the Cutting Tool Selector and Calculators, and more. Tom believes you'll agree it's one of the best go-to manufacturing sites around. He asks you to take a look, and let him know what you think. Please e-mail Tom your opinion, questions, comments, or suggestions.
Be sure to check out recent issues of AMERICAN MACHINIST magazine. They feature some of the letters we have received in reply to Tom's Question of the Month.
Tips on Selecting
The right TURNING MACHINE
In the market for a turning machine? Obviously, you want the best system for your money that can handle your applications. But how do you pick the right machine? Here are some considerations to keep in mind:
Focus on the parts you will be running for horsepower, chuck size, speed, and throughhole size issues. Casting-type parts require a high torque, while shops with a lot of barfeeding work should zero in on through-hole size, spindle type, and speed.
Choose between a slant or a wedge-style bed. Slant bed bases are built up to a slant (45, 30, or 60 degree) that holds a crossrail and turret. A wedge-type lathe's turret and crosslides are mounted at an angle on a wedge block/carriage that moves on rails. Both designs work.
Make sure the lathe's base is a rigid, fairly heavy structure. For high-accuracy applications, cast iron alone may not be sufficient -- look for bases incorporating polymer composites or material that dampens vibration and ensures thermal stability.
Pick a machine with the capacity to handle 70% or more of your shop's parts.
Determine the swing required above the bed.
Learn the necessary spindle-bore size and automatic chuck size or collet system.
Determine if the lathe needs a barfeeder, spindle orient, tool presetter, and parts catcher.
Decide if the machine needs live tooling -- stationary spindle or contouring type -- and a tailstock. If it needs a tailstock, choose between a manual and programmable one. Programmable types are usually recommended for shops doing a lot of shaft, end, and steadyrest work.
Check that the spindle is rigid, adjusts easily, has good TIR, and quickly changes-over.
Make sure the machine controls and software are easy to use, and feature 3D graphics and tutorials that walk operators through part programming. Software should permit machines to operate either as manual or CNC lathes. Consider a conversational-type control, which links manual and CNC programming.Few topics raise the national blood pressure like a no-holds-barred discussion over foreign trade. Today, the debate often centers on "off shoring" and in particular the influence that China is having on the manufacturing sector of the U.S. economy. In a recent survey AMERICAN MACHINIST, when asked to comment on global competition and competitiveness, 69% of readers reflected that China was one of their most vexing concerns.
The answer, of course, is not to close our doors to foreign trade. Rather, we need to acknowledge that China has joined the world’s economic community. Manufacturers in the United States need to accept that the playing field has changed and adapt to this new reality.
On Thursday, July 21, 2005 AMERICAN MACHINIST presents The China Challenge: Empowering American Manufacturing to Compete & Win. “China Challenge” is a special webcast featuring John Engler, president of The National Association of Manufacturers and former governor of Michigan, as keynote speaker.
Governor Engler will explore potential success strategies for American companies faced with intense competitive pressure from Chinese manufacturers. He'll also offer some perspective on how to level the international playing field, ensuring that our foreign trading partners reduce trade barriers, comply with international trade rules and allow the marketplace to determine exchange rates.
Hot Products
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American Machinist is pleased to announce the re-launch of americanmachinist.com. The site is faster, easy to navigate and more information then ever before.
Click here to visit!
Coming in August:AMERICAN MACHINIST will focus on manufacturing software.
To learn how to reach this newsletter's thousands of qualified readers, e-mail
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