Digital tool libraries emerge as a key part of advanced manufacturing It’s said you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. For Industry 4.0 and advanced manufacturing, digital libraries provide that map. “We are talking about tooling standards,” said Alexander Zoller, president of Zoller Inc. (Ann Arbor, MI). “Besides the tooling standards Read More
Replaceable Tip Drills Offer Versatile Design Improvements
New chip geometries, coatings rival performance of solid carbide drills Since their introduction about 20 years ago, replaceable-tip drills have become increasingly accurate and cost-effective alternatives to solid carbide units. New tip geometries, coatings and other modifications are enhancing their useful range, particularly when processing new alloys. And, as Read More
Workholding Solutions to Reduce Costs, Increase Throughput
A focus on fixtures and workholding pays off At the Nirvana Machine Shop on planet Perfection, every workpiece is clamped to a custom-built fixture mounted on a dedicated machine tool. Each workpiece is dimensionally identical to the one before and the one after. All the fixtures are totally automatic—instantly positioning, clamping, machining, inspecting, and releasing Read More
Creaform, Metrologic Group Announce Partnership Agreement for Automated Quality Control Solutions
Metrologic Group and Creaform have entered into a partnership in which Creaform integrates Metrologic Group’s software suite with its new CUBE-R 3D automated dimensional inspection solution. This laser scanning, all-in-one solution features Metrologic Group’s advanced 3D measurement programming and inspection software packages, Silma and Metrolog X4 i-Robot, and combines Read More
Shrink-Fit Toolholder Offers Consistency When Setting Tools
Shrink-fit toolholding is a simple concept—an induction coil is adjusted and fits over the top of the toolholder. The induction coil heats the toolholder end of the shrinker, expanding the inside diameter, which opens the engagement bore (IDs of shrink-fit toolholders are smaller than the shank diameter of the cutting tool). Then the tool shank slips into the heated toolholder. Read More
When the Going Gets Tough, Tough Toolholders Get Going
Advanced toolholder systems deliver security, increase tool performance As machining has evolved, toolholders have advanced to include rigid, secure systems with anti-pullout protection. These advanced systems are needed to take on difficult-to-machine materials, such as titanium and heat-resistant superalloys (HRSA), and accommodate ambitious removal rates and long tool Read More