October 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 10 www.ctemag.

com

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Also in this issue

Modular fixturing: benefits,
compatibility issues
Sorting through the tangle of safety regs
Shop weighs investment in 5-axis machining
Preventing burr formation in threaded holes
PLUS: Manager’s Desk, Machine Technology
Shop Operations, Get With the Program

Oct. Cover.indd 1 9/19/17 10:05 AM

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 February 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 2 www.ctemag.com June 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 6 www.ctem
017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 1 www.ctemag.com March 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 3 www.ctemag.com April 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 4 www.ctemag.com May 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 5 www.ctemag.com

PEOPLE POWERED
Workforce at engine maker MTU America drives continuous improvement
SO SMALL
HANDY MACHINES Special Section on Micromachining
µ Making molds with submicron features
Compact machines are fast,
nimble and save floor space µ Laser machining micro medical parts
µ Grinding tools having hair-thin diameters

Wire-EDM technology slowly,

steadily advances.

Efficient routing of composites starts

Through-coolant holders keep tools with selecting the right tool
cool in the cutting zone

Also in this issue

his issue Also in this issue Also in this issue
Also in this issue Keep data cybersafe Scanners facilitate noncontact
drill angled holes Unconventional turning tips Also in this issue
Advantages of live tools parts inspection
Sump cleaning doesn’t have to be dirty Burr-removal options
s ahead for metrology? Thread-measuring options Tips for speeding up rapid prototyping Waste-management program
Hybrid machines for moldmakers Knee mills’ popularity on the rise
More shops installing work cells cuts costs
designing fixtures Aqueous parts cleaning
Indexable-insert broaches Honing delivers superfine finish Prevent chatter and other boring problems
PLUS: Get with the Program Port tools help users produce
f tapping attachments Shop Operations, Machinist’s Corner leak-free connectors
PLUS: Machine Technology, Workholding PLUS: Shop Operations, Machinist’s Corner PLUS: Machine Technology, Look-Ahead Machine Technology
Manager’s Desk, Talking Shop PLUS: Workholding, Shop Operations
Manager’s Desk, Get with the Program Ask the Grinding Doc, Shop Operations
the Program, Machinist’s Corner Manager’s Desk, Ask The Grinding Doc
Machine Technology Ask the Grinding Doc, Industry News
Metalworking Product Review Swiss-Style Machining
Technology, Shop Operations Machine Technology, Productive Times

FebCover.indd 1 1/16/17 2:57 PM JuneCover.indd 1

12/15/16 4:13 PM MarchCover.indd 1 2/15/17 4:29 PM April Cover.indd 1 3/15/17 3:02 PM MayCover.indd 1 4/14/17 4:53 PM

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Cutting and grinding, cover to cover

Full page ads.indd 3 9/15/17 2:52 PM

 Table of Contents

COVER STORY STAYING SHARP

46 Touchy Subject 28 Manager’s Desk
Touching off tools on a Generosity flows in the
machine wastes time. wake of Hurricane Harvey.

FEATURES
30 Machine
52 The Fix Is In Technology
Manually measuring
Modular fixturing offers
many benefits, but 5-axis centerlines.
compatibility issues can
arise.
34 Shop Operations
Tools for checking
62 Burr Stoppers
62 perpendicularity.
Chamfers and
countersinks put the
brakes on burr formation.
38 Get With the
Program

66
Create a paradigm for
The Safety Dance how to make a better
Navigating and part.
complying with safety
regulations can frustrate
companies. 42 Machinist’s Corner
Reducing the ‘eight

72
wastes of lean.’
Justifying Five
A shop considers
investing in 5-axis
machining.

72
A guide to what’s new on CTEPlus at www.ctemag.com

THE DOC SETS CHEF’S RECIPE BREAKING THE

PARAMETERS TAMES CHATTER VAPOR BARRIER

The Grinding Doc visits Rush Machinery In the seventh episode of The CNC Chef, ChipBlaster Inc. and Wanner
Inc. to begin a three-part series Bob Warfield, from CNCCookbook Inc., Engineering Inc. demonstrate how
devoted to establishing scientific truing outlines steps to help tame chatter. high-pressure coolant systems work to
parameters. break the vapor barrier.
cteplus.delivr.com/2zvng cteplus.delivr.com/2qnsz cteplus.delivr.com/237t7
You can use your smartphone to scan the quick response (QR) matrix bar code images above and instantly access the respective reports on ctemag.com.
You can also access the reports by entering the URLs listed into your web browser.

4 OCTOBER 2017

TOC.indd 4 9/19/17 4:09 PM

Full page ads.indd 5 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 Table of Contents
®
Cutting and grinding, cover to cover
DEPARTMENTS
1 Northfield Plaza, Suite 240
8 Lead Angle Northfield, IL 60093
(847) 498-9100 Fax: (847) 559-4444
www.ctemag.com
10 Industry Briefs
www.cteguide.com

Publisher
22 Letter to the Don Nelson
(847) 714-0173 ■ dnelson@jwr.com
Editor
Editorial

24
Alan Richter, Editor
Metalworking (847) 714-0175 ■ alanr@jwr.com

Product Review
10
Michael C. Anderson, Senior Editor
(734) 606-9673 ■ mike@jwr.com

78 Productive Times
Greg Bartlett, Managing Editor
(847) 714-0182 ■ gregb@jwr.com
Kip Hanson, Contributing Editor

80 People &
(520) 548-7328 ■ khanson@jwr.com
William Leventon, Contributing Editor
Companies (609) 926-6447 ■ wleventon@gmail.com

82
Dennis Spaeth, Electronic Media Editor
Marketplace (847) 714-0176 ■ dspaeth@jwr.com
Gina Moore, Art Director

84 Advertisers Index
(847) 714-0178 ■ ginam@jwr.com
Julie Distenfield, Ad Production Manager
(847) 714-0179 ■ julied@jwr.com

88 Look-Ahead
88 Circulation
Synergy Direct Inc.
(866) 207-1448 ■ andrea@sdicirc.com

Advertising Sales
United States
OCTOBER 2017 Scott Beller, East
Volume 69 Issue 10 (847) 714-0183 ■ scottb@jwr.com
Dave Sweeney, Central East
Photograph of the
October 2017 | Vol. 69 | Issue 10 www.ctemag.com

(248) 540-0300 ■ dsweeneycte@gmail.com

E46L TW tool presetter
courtesy of Koma
Precision Inc., East
Windsor, Conn., which
distributes the machine
for Italy’s Elbo Controlli.
OFFLINE Dave Jones, Central West
EQUALS (708) 442-5633 ■ dmj_jonesmedia@yahoo.com
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Worldwide

Cover design Also in this issue

Don Nelson
Modular fixturing: benefits,

by Gina Moore. compatibility issues

Sorting through the tangle of safety regs
Shop weighs investment in 5-axis machining
+1 (847) 714-0173 ■ dnelson@jwr.com

Corporate Staff
Preventing burr formation in threaded holes
PLUS: Manager’s Desk, Machine Technology
Shop Operations, Get With the Program

Oct. Cover.indd 1 9/19/17 10:05 AM Chief Executive Officer

John Wm. Roberts
(847) 714-0180
CFO/Controller
Jacqueline D. Roberts
6 OCTOBER 2017
(847) 714-0181

TOC.indd 6 9/19/17 4:09 PM

Full page ads.indd 7 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 Lead Angle
DON’T BE SCARED TO TAKE 5
By Alan Richter
A lthough I imagine that some workaholics
find taking short breaks frightening, the
above headline refers to 5-axis machining,
which is one of this issue’s focuses.
In addition to Christopher Tate’s article
on page 72 about how investing in a 5-axis
machine can pay significant dividends, the
Machine Technology column on page 30 is
about measuring 5-axis centerlines. The latter
is authored by guest columnist Michael Cope,
product technical specialist for Indianapolis-
based Hurco Cos. Inc.
Coincidentally, Cope just published a
book about 5-axis machining titled The
Power of Five: The Definitive Guide to 5-Axis
Machining, which is available from Lulu Press
Inc. (tinyurl.com/y9ganrn3). When considering
whether to integrate 5-axis machining,
keep in mind that it isn’t only for producing
complex parts, such as blisks and impellers
for the aerospace industry, via simultaneous
5-axis movements.
In his book, Cope states that the vast
majority of work that is driving parts
manufacturers to buy 5-axis machines is for
five-sided, or 3+2, machining. This positional
5-axis machining enables shops to cut
relatively simple geometries on multiple
sides of the same part, which can provide
a significant competitive advantage by
improving part accuracy and throughput.
Conversely, a 3-axis approach requires
individual, time-consuming setups for each
side of the part.
Along with clearly and concisely presented
information, Cope’s book is packed with
photos and illustrations that complement the
copy. The photos do show some of Hurco’s
5-axis machines, but, as was his intention, the
information is neutral and nonpromotional.
Another big proponent of 5-axis machining
is Titan Gilroy, CEO of the machine shop
Titan America MFG, Rocklin, Calif., and
executive producer/star of the “Titans of
8 OCTOBER 2017
LeadAngle.indd 8
CNC” cable TV show.
“Five-axis is absolutely changing the
game,” he said. “It’s nothing to be scared
of; software does it all for you. Now you are
able to take five different sides, nine different
sides, 11 different sides and do them all
in one setup, which alleviates a lot of long
programming.”
According to Gilroy, one important software
function that simplifies 5-axis machining is
dynamic offsetting. “So instead of flipping
something around and having a million
different offsets, you have dynamic, which is
one offset.”
He added that a 5-axis machine typically
costs more than a 3-axis one, but the payback
is quick. “It just saves a huge amount of
time.”
In addition to the 5-axis machines at
his shop, Gilroy established a machining
program at California’s San Quentin State
Prison and helped equip the shop with
18 5-axis machines as part of the shop
remodeling effort. According to Gilroy, who
served hard time for assault before beginning
his machining career, San Quentin offers an
elite manufacturing facility. “They make the
most difficult parts imaginable,” he said.
Although some might feel that remodeling
a maximum-security prison poses an
unnecessary danger—Gilroy said his
insurance company dropped him due to the
risk of working in prison—he emphasized
that he was the most protected person there
because he gave prisoners hope. CTE
Alan Richter is editor of CTE.
Contact him at (847) 714-
0175 or alanr@jwr.com.
9/19/17 4:13 PM
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 Industry Briefs

A NEW APPROACH TO CUTTING HEAT- to 20,000 rpm. Feed rates

RESISTANT SUPERALLOYS: Imagine will typically range from
machining Inconel 718 and similar 0.0011 to 0.0013 ipt, or
heat-resistant superalloys (HRSAs) more than 100 ipm for a
at cutting speeds normally reserved 4-flute endmill at 20,000
for aluminum. Melissa Singher, se- rpm.”
nior product coordinator for NTK At first glance, ma-
Cutting Tools U.S.A., Wixom, Mich., chining with one of
said this improbable task is not only these tools might have
possible but becoming an accepted you running for the fire
practice at some aerospace OEMs. extinguisher. But what
The secret is the toolmaker’s appears to be a glow-
SX9 ceramic endmills, according to ing mass of chips that
Singher. NTK Cutting Tools U.S.A. will soon ignite and a
“When machining superalloys, Dust follows the SX9 endmill from NTK Cutting Tools as it cutter that will soon be
such as Inco 718 and 625, using SX9 cuts a workpiece made from a heat-resistant superalloy. ready for the recycling
endmills, you will typically use speeds bin is really an efficient
of 2,000 to 3,000 sfm, with a mini- endmill requires a minimum of 8,000 metal-removal process, one that—
mum speed of about 1,000 sfm,” rpm and, for optimum performance, applied correctly—offers tool life
Singher said. “As an example, a ½" should be run in the range of 15,000 of 10 to 25 minutes, Singher said.

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IndustryNews.indd 10 9/19/17 4:49 PM

Full page ads.indd 11 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 Industry Briefs

She explained that SX9 is a SiAlON,
or silicon-alumina nitride, ceramic
that blends the strength of silicon
nitride with the heat and wear resis-
tance of alumina oxide. The cutting
edge was reportedly developed
to withstand the extreme heat and
pressure generated when machin-
ing HRSAs at high cutting speeds.
Workhardening is common under
such high cutting-speed condi-
tions, which is why the endmills are
mainly used for roughing. A finish-
ing pass with a carbide endmill at
least 0.3mm (0.012") in diameter is
typically needed, Singher added.
Some additional rules of thumb
for SiAlON endmills:
■ Climb cutting is always

recommended.
■ Because of the high tempera-

tures involved, continuous toolpaths

reduce thermal shock to the tool.
■ To cut internal pockets, ramp in

Precision Meets Speed at a 1.5° angle and feed 50 percent

slower than normal.
■ Ceramic endmills are not

suitable for machining titanium be-

cause the heat generated reacts un-
favorably with this material.
■ Apply 6-flute endmills instead

of 4-flute tools whenever possible

to maximize productivity.
In addition, select high-speed,
balanced hydraulic or shrink-fit
chucks or arbors. Cutting fluid must
not be used; instead, blast air di-
rectly at the chuck body to pre-
vent expansion because of the tre-
mendous heat generated during
machining.
For the fastest part processing and best finishes in the industry, make sure
Lastly, don’t be surprised at the
your machine tool is equipped with the latest M8 series CNC controls.
price tag. Ceramic endmills sell for
a much higher price than high-qual-
Downtime have you stressed? ity carbide ones, but the greater
We’ve got you covered. throughput easily justifies the
Mitsubishi Electric offers a variety of
added cost.
support services to keep your business
running, including: Singher said, “Due to the highly
■ On-site Service
competitive atmosphere in the en-
■ 24/7 Technical & Parts Support gine component industry, we see
■ Repair Services
great interest in this product from
■ Comprehensive Training

■ MTConnect ®
Tier 1 and Tier 2 subcontractors.
■ CloudCNC ® These companies truly see the po-
■ Service Agreements tential of productivity 15 to 40 times
■ CNC/Robot Preventative Maintance
that offered by carbide endmills, re-
sulting in major reductions in manu-
facturing time on complex HRSA
For a full list of services visit: www.us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en/support
components.”
—Kip Hanson
12 OCTOBER 2017

IndustryNews.indd 12 9/19/17 4:49 PM

 LONGTIME PRECISION-MACHINING “Three generations of ITAMCO their reputation, ITAMCO’s invest-
SHOP ADDS 3D PRINTING: With its leaders have supplied traditional ment in additive manufacturing vali-
new EOS M 290 additive-manufac- subtractive-manufactured parts to dates the 3D-printing market, espe-
turing system, Indiana Technology some of the best-known organiza- cially in highly regulated industries
and Manufacturing Cos. (ITAMCO) tions in the world,” he said. “Due to where testing and validation of
now 3D-prints medical devices.
After obtaining the system in June,
the company started shipping com-
ponents in August.
The fast ramp-up was partially be-
cause of the experience Plymouth,
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Another reason for ITAMCO’s
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“The EOS printer is the right tool
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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 13

IndustryNews.indd 13 9/19/17 4:49 PM

 Industry Briefs

components or devices is critical.” “Additive manufacturing is Neidig said.

The medical device industry is a
relatively new market for ITAMCO,
which has served heavy-duty indus-
tries for decades.
allowing us to do things we’ve not
done before, like producing the
smaller, more intricate components
for the medical device industry,”
When creating 3D-printed parts,
ITAMCO tries as much as possible
to minimize the subtractive work re-
quired later on the items.
“When you’re doing a build, you
try to minimize the machining so you

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“From a subtractive standpoint,
sometimes it’s significant in terms

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have to basically saw-cut or EDM
off the build plate, and then once
you do that, the part could require
grinding. Or sometimes [operators]
break the support structure off with
pliers. Or sometimes it requires ma-
chining, such as turning or milling.”
Given ITAMCO’s proximity to nu-
merous medical implant manufac-
turers in Indiana, such as those in
nearby Warsaw, entering this indus-
try is logical.
“We’ve hired two people from
medical device companies to work
for us,” Neidig said. “Of course, we
will continue to expand our pres-
ence in our current markets by offer-
ing additive manufacturing and the
high-quality subtractive manufac-
turing that made us so successful.”
—Greg Bartlett
AUTODESK: CONSTANT CUTTING
FORCES SPEED MILLING: Traditional
roughing passes are characterized
by taking a series of offset radial
passes. With this approach, regard-
less of the offset step-over value
used, the tool will experience in-
creased engagement at every in-
ternal corner and when driving into
slots. These corners and slots are
where cutting forces spike and when
the tool is most prone to breakage.
To operate at a high feed rate
while roughing with traditional strat-
egies, the programmer must in-
struct the tool to take a shallow axial

IndustryNews.indd 14 9/19/17 4:49 PM

 DOC. This approach overempha- cient rate during all cuts, with con- vibrations. This extends tool life.
sizes cutting with the bottom of the stant cutting forces throughout a Because the tool spends more
tool rather than using the whole flute cut. Constant forces mean fewer vi- time cutting at maximum efficiency,
length. In this case, the tool stores brations in the tool and less shock to the time span of the entire cut is
more heat at the bottom, causing the cutting edges caused by those shorter. When both the traditional
premature wear, instead of spread-
ing heat along the entire flute length.
In contrast, maintaining constant
cutting forces provides a constant
radial tool engagement through-
out the entire cut, which eliminates
spikes in the cutting forces. This ap-
proach allows the programmer to
take a larger axial DOC while simul-
taneously maintaining a high feed
rate and extending tool life.

Autodesk

Adaptive clearing maintains a constant

radial tool engagement throughout the cut,
eliminating spikes in cutting forces.

In traditional roughing, the ma-

chine operator needs to lower the
feed rate to avoid the worst-case
scenario: breaking a tool while in a
corner or slot, where forces spike.
However, this means that for the
rest of the roughing operation, the
program is not running at optimal
material-removal rates.
By maintaining constant cutting
forces, an end user quickly reaches
the most efficient machining rate
and maintains that rate throughout
the cut, then repositions for the next
cut. This method—called adaptive
clearing—allows milling at an effi-

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 15

IndustryNews.indd 15 9/19/17 4:49 PM

 Industry Briefs
and adaptive clearing methods
were tested recently by Autodesk
Inc., the traditional roughing pass
consumed 8:09 minutes, while the
adaptive-clearing technique took
only 2:01 minutes.
By reducing the radial DOC, users
can increase the tool flute count
and the mrr. They can then use chip-
thinning calculations to increase the
feed rate and maintain the proper
chip thickness. A thicker chip pulls
more heat away from the tool.
Without spikes in material-re-
moval rates, setting feed rates for
maximum material removal be-
comes much easier. Use the data
from a tool supplier or simply start
milling and slowly increase the feed
rate to a comfortable level.
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Adaptive-clearing strategies are
easy to implement and test because
they don’t require special tools or a
special milling machine; they work
well on entry-level mills and the fast-
est high-performance mills. In ad-
dition, they are available for a wide
range of CAD systems.
—Adapted from the article
“Speed up your milling with
constant cutter forces”
by Autodesk Inc., San Rafael, Calif.,
at www.autodesk.com. The original
article is at tinyurl.com/
autodesk-constant.
THREE UNEXPECTED MACHINE
MONITORING BENEFITS: Like a
broken record, decision-makers
at parts manufacturers continually
hear that monitoring machine tool
utilization rates helps improve pro-
ductivity. That’s true, but the phono-
graph needle frequently skips over
three other benefits of machine tool
monitoring.
Benefit 1: Machine monitoring
is flexible—it’s not just for CNC
machines and limited to the shop
floor. Manual machines, autoclaves,
paint lines, PLC-driven machines
and more can be monitored. In ad-
dition, it’s important to know about
the mobility of machine monitor-
ing. Emails and texts that pro-
vide updates on the condition of
equipment being monitored can be
sent to smartphones and tablets,
letting shop personnel monitor op-
erations remotely.
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9/20/17 9:39 AM
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 Industry Briefs

Benefit 2: Software integrated Shop personnel can monitor machines

with a computerized maintenance remotely with notifications sent via email
or text.
management system (CMMS) can
provide an accurate preventive-
maintenance schedule. For those write notes and let those in the back
who schedule preventive mainte- office know the reasons machines
nance with a calendar-based system, are down. This information allows
maintenance might be performed managers to see trends and make
too early or too late. Monitoring ac- adjustments.
tual run times on a manufacturer’s Machine monitoring means
machines and feeding that informa- significantly more than its name
tion to the CMMS enable the cre- suggests.
ation of a company-specific preven- —Shop Floor Automations Inc.,
tive-maintenance schedule. La Mesa, Calif.
Benefit 3: Via machine monitoring,
machinists have a voice. They can
Shop Floor Automations
REACHING NEW HEIGHTS: Mea-
offer valuable feedback that is not suring machined parts on a sur-
easily communicated to upper man- machine is not running. Data-entry face plate has long been a tedious
agement. Machinists are the ones in screens and tablets on the shop job, one that requires mastery of
the trenches and usually know why a floor give machinists the ability to dial indicators, a pocket calculator

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IndustryNews.indd 18 9/19/17 4:49 PM

 Fowler High Precision

There’s a ‘night-and-day’ difference between inspecting parts with

an electronic height gage (left) and traditional Cadillac height gage.

and an adjustable height gage that most in the industry

refer to as a “Cadillac gage.”
But several metrology providers offer a more sophis-
ticated way to quickly and accurately check hole diam-
eters, the distance between part features, centerlines
and more. The tool is called an electronic height gage,
and it has made Cadillac gages about as popular as
whitewall tires.
“If you’re still measuring the old-fashioned way, an
electronic height gage will change your world,” said
Anthony Dilorio, regional manager at Fowler High Pre-
cision Inc., Newton, Mass. “As an example, checking
even a simple diameter with an indicator and Cadillac
gage requires you to sweep the bore for the low spot,
find that value on the Cadillac, jot it down, repeat the
process for the top of the hole, then subtract the first
value from the second. With an electronic gage, you
sweep the top, sweep the bottom and you’re done. It’s
a night-and-day difference.”
Because the policy at many shops is to make a CNC
machine and its operator wait for first-piece inspection
on new setups, faster throughput in the inspection lab
reduces machine downtime. And for shops whose co-
ordinate measuring machine is a bottleneck, off-load-
ing some of the simpler work to a substantially lower-
cost measuring device makes good sense as well.
“Depending on the model and features, you can
think of an electronic height gage as a single or
2-axis CMM,” said Mike Grosenbach, product spe-
cialist for distributed products at Mitutoyo America

ctemag.com/cteguide.com
PB322-SOLVING_SCRAP_PROBLEMS_HALF_PAGE_VERTICAL-CTE-OCT2017.indd 8/31/2017
1 19
3:44:10 PM

IndustryNews.indd 19 9/19/17 4:49 PM

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 Industry Briefs

Mitutoyo’s motorized LH-600E height gage UNDERSTANDING COMPRESSED AIR

is accurate down to 1.1µm.
Corp., Aurora, Ill. “The accuracy
of some machines is down in the
0.000045" range, comparable to
a CMM. They’re also much eas-
ier to use; operators with minimal
training can walk up and check most
part features on their own.”
Both manufacturers offer a variety
of easily calibrated probe and stylus
options, support for USB and RS-232
communication, integration to ex-
ternal statistical process control and
metrology software, air-assist and
advanced-measurement functions,
such as perpendicularity, min./max./
delta and angle measurement.
—K. Hanson
Mitutoyo America
PRESSURE AND FLOW: “Pressure”
and “flow” are common terms
when discussing air compressors,
but the relationship between the
two is often misunderstood.
Pressure, typically measured in
psi, determines an air compressor’s
ability to perform a certain amount
of work at any given point in time.
Consider an application as simple
as sliding a wooden block across
a table with compressed air. In this
application, 75 psi (5.2 bar) of air
might not deliver enough force to
move the block, but 100 psi (6.9 bar)
would.
At a minimum, the compressor
must provide the pressure (force)
continued on page 86

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IndustryNews.indd 21 9/19/17 4:49 PM

 Letter to the Editor
QUITE THE CHARACTER
The following letter was written in
response to Keith Jennings’ Man-
ager’s Desk column in the August
issue about making changes to im-
prove the workspace environment.
I just finished reading your article
“Time to Awaken the Shop.” I did
enjoy it. I have been following your
articles each month for quite some
time and look forward to them.
I decided to email you now be-
cause I feel people like to hear
nice things about themselves from
others.
As a CNC lathe machinist here
in western North Carolina, I enjoy
hearing about owners who really
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22 OCTOBER 2017
IndustryNews.indd 22
care about their company and its
employees. You strike me as one
of these people! It’s refreshing to
see how you had previously noticed
the small things in your office and
took action (like streaming music) to
bring morale back up.
I remember an article a while
CITCO TOOLS
+
GARDNER
ABRASIVES
back about how you had a cookout
for your employees. Now that was
sweet! To me, it speaks volumes
about your character. You are some-
one whose company I’d enjoy work-
ing for. I love to be around people
who care, who are intelligent and
who strive to make us all better.
That’s as good enough reason as
any to get up in the morning.
If I ever found myself in the north-
west section of Houston, you’d be
on my short list of people to visit.
I wish you and your company
prosperity and continued success.
Keep up the good work, and keep
the articles coming. CTE
Michael P. Fazio
Trend Performance
Pisgah Forest, N.C.
9/20/17 9:49 AM
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Full page ads.indd 23 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 Metalworking Product Review
METALWORKING FLUIDS FOR RANGE OF
APPLICATIONS: Based on its bactericide-free
duaLCys technology, Henkel Corp. has introduced two
metalworking fluids. Bonderite L-MR 20717 is suitable
for nearly all machining operations and a variety of
materials. Bonderite L-MR 21164 is for machining
specialized materials, such as brass, copper, pure
magnesium and aluminum alloys. It provides stability
in hard-water conditions. The fluids do not contain
boron or formaldehyde and do offer bio-stability,
corrosion protection, high lubricity and effective
cleaning ability, according to the company.
Henkel Corp.; www.henkel-northamerica.com
BANDSAW BLADE FOR HORIZONTAL AND
VERTICAL CUTTING: The 3868 carbide triple-set
“Xtra” TSX bandsaw blade from Bahco has a triple chip-
tooth design with a positive 10° rake angle. The blades
are suitable for sawing titanium, high-silicon aluminum
and other difficult-to-cut and abrasive materials. The
company reports that a set blade is more forgiving in
less-stable machines than an unset blade. The grind of
the carbide and set-tooth design help reduce vibration,
which is particularly beneficial when vertical cutting
because those applications tend to increase vibration.
Bahco; www.snaponindustrialbrands.com
24 OCTOBER 2017
MPR.indd 24
VERTICAL MACHINING CENTER IS
AUTOMATED: Matsuura Machinery USA Inc.
introduced the MX-520 PC4 5-axis VMC, a four-pallet,
automated version of its MX-520 single-table 5-axis
VMC. The MX-520 PC4 is equipped with 90 tools and an
installed Universal Robots interface. The machine comes
standard with the company’s Maxia 12,000-rpm spindle
(a 20,000-rpm spindle is optional) and CAMplete
TruePath CAM software.
Matsuura Machinery USA Inc.;
www.matsuurausa.com
MAGAZINE FOR MULTIPLE GRINDING
WHEELS: Haas Multigrind LLC offers high-capacity
shelf magazines for its grinding machines. On the
Multigrind CB grinder, the 2,000mm × 2,400mm
× 3,200mm (78.740"×94.448"×125.984") shelf
magazine offers space for 65 grinding wheels up to
300mm (11.811") in diameter. On the Multigrind CA
grinders, the magazine can be equipped with as many
as 70 wheels up to 250mm (9.842") in diameter.
The magazine can also hold up to 20 coolant nozzles.
The magazine enables users to dramatically reduce
changeover time between different parts by loading
wheels and tools for multiple part numbers in the
magazine.
Haas Multigrind LLC; www.multigrind.com
9/18/17 10:05 AM
Full page ads.indd 25 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 Metalworking Product Review

WASHER FOR HIGH-VOLUME CLEANING: The INTEGRATED TWO-POINT MEASUREMENT

LeanDrum CF washer from Ransohoff is for high-volume
and cold-forming cleaning applications. The washer’s
tanks, drum and housing are made of stainless steel. The
full-immersion cleaning system, which eliminates the
need for pumps and nozzles, and forced-air dryer produce
high-quality cleaning results over an extended machine
life, according to the company. The parts-production rate
is 12 cu. ft./hr. (0.34 cu. m/hr.) at the 2-rpm design drum
speed, with a variable-speed drive of 1 to 3 rpm.
Ransohoff; www.ctgclean.com
SYSTEM: Georg Capco Inc. offers a two-point
measurement system for its ultraturn MC-series
horizontal machining centers. The traveling
measurement system attaches to the frame and
automatically measures a workpiece in a machine with
two opposing probes. This technique reportedly ensures
high precision and high reproducibility. The system
can be retrofitted to existing lathes from Georg or other
builders.
Georg Capco Inc.; www.georg.com

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MPR.indd 26 9/18/17 10:05 AM

 BANDSAW HAS FOUR BLADE SPEEDS: The
AF50 Autofeed bandsaw from Tormach Inc. features
a pneumatic clamping vise, hydraulic feed control,
blade tensioning system and programmable automatic
workpiece positioning. The bandsaw offers a maximum
of 999 strokes per program and has a stroke-countdown
display. The capacity is 7" (177.8mm) for round material
cut at 90° and 6"×8" (152.4mm × 203.2mm) for flat
material cut at 90°. The blade speeds are 135, 161, 226
and 394 sfm (41.1, 49.1, 68.9 and 120.1 m/min.).
Tormach Inc.; www.tormach.com
MPR.indd 27
MICROMETER ELIMINATES CABLES: Mahr
Inc. says its Micromar 40 EWRi digital micrometer
with integrated, wireless data transmission quickens
and improves quality assurance by eliminating cables
and external transmitters. The micrometer confirms
whether data is transmitted correctly to a computer. The
micrometer’s 10mm-high (0.394") digits on a high-
contrast display reduce operator fatigue when reading
measured values. A hold, or digital lock, function allows
those values to be “frozen” so they can be easily read.
Mahr Inc.; www.mahrexactly.com
9/18/17 10:05 AM
 staying sharp
Manager’s Desk
SHOPS OFFER HELP AFTER HARVEY
By Keith Jennings
I ’m thankful to be working and writing this
column after being at the epicenter of
Hurricane Harvey in August, an experience
that could’ve disabled our shop for a while.
We were very fortunate and able to get back
up and running only a week after the storm.
My family and I had been unable to reach
our facility for several days because of
flooding that made the roads impassable.
We couldn’t get there to inspect anything
and relied on local police and neighbors
to monitor our property. Those days were
stressful as we waited to learn the condition
of the building and everything in it.
Finally, the flooding subsided and roads
started clearing up, giving us a chance to see
what Harvey had left us. It was a tremendous
relief to see the shop dry and intact. Even so,
it took another few days for some customers
and vendors to get back in business. We were
limited on what we could produce, due to
several employees being out and an inability
for materials to be delivered. But at least we
were safe and somewhat operational. Many
others weren’t so lucky, as their homes and
businesses incurred ruinous damage.
Throughout the storm and its immediate
aftermath, being unable to conduct business
for an extended period of time seemed like
a harsh but likely prospect. But I soon started
getting emails from other shop owners,
mostly from outside the Houston area,
generously offering to help us in whatever
way possible, including running our jobs at
cheap rates as a way to keep us in business.
In the thick of it all, I had not even considered
that need and wasn’t expecting any shop to
make such an offer.
Being on the Gulf Coast, we’ve
experienced plenty of weather drama over
the years, but rarely has a storm incapacitated
so many businesses. The national media
28 OCTOBER 2017
Managers Desk.indd 28
adequately covered the devastation, and
friends from all over contacted our family out
of concern. But it was another experience
entirely for fellow shop owners, most of whom
I’ve never met, to contact me and offer to run
our jobs. We are grateful for that incredible
generosity.
In the end, we were fortunate to have our
shop quickly back up and running. I suppose
we were also lucky that sending jobs to these
good shops wasn’t required after all and that
our customers understood the situation and
worked with us. But those unselfish acts of
kindness provided peace of mind for me and
our employees. It was just plain cool.
Mother Nature may not devastate us like
this again for 30 years, or it may happen again
next year. Eventually, some calamity will occur.
And whenever it does, we’ll handle it easier
knowing the caliber of people running shops,
whether nearby or across the country.
Thank you to all the shops that looked us
up and offered to help. It won’t be forgotten,
and I’ll be returning the favor sometime in the
future. CTE
Keith Jennings is president of
Crow Corp., Tomball, Texas,
a family-owned company
focusing on machining,
metal fabrication and metal
stamping. Contact him at
jennings4176@yahoo.com.
11/22/17 10:45 AM
Full page ads.indd 31 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 staying sharp
Machine Technology

MANUALLY MEASURING 5-AXIS CENTERLINES

Figure 1. To find
By Michael Cope
the true X and
Y centerlines of
I n 5-axis machining, accurate rotary axis cen-
terlines are critical, so regularly measuring
and verifying these values is also critical. While
rotation for the
C-axis table, place
the indicator and
the best course of action is to measure the ma- magnetic base
chine using a high-tech system intended for on the table and
this purpose, in a pinch you can use a manual indicate the inside
process. of the spindle
Common shop tools, such as test indica- nose by rotating
tors, 1-2-3 blocks and edge finders, give close- the C-axis table.
enough-for-now verification of centerline mea-
surements on trunnion-style and add-on 5-axis
machine configurations.
In all 5-axis centerline measurement proce-
dures, the goal is to identify the location of an
All images: Hurco

sales@machinecontroltechnologies.com

30 OCTOBER 2017

MachineTech.indd 30 9/19/17 5:04 PM

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 staying sharp
Machine Technology
X-, Y- or Z-axis machine position for centerline location for the C-axis
both the rotary and tilting axes. For (the point in space that the axis ro-
example, on an A-axis trunnion ma- tates around) and the Y-Z centerline
chine, you need to locate the X-Y location for the A-axis. Although
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32 OCTOBER 2017
MachineTech.indd 32
each machine tool builder might
have a different set of rules for how
these positions are used and the
point from where they are mea-
sured, the basic idea of how to find
these values is the same.
Before you follow the procedures
outlined here, it is important to un-
derstand the origin point that you
need to use when measuring these
distances. Although the X- and Y-
axis measurements are almost al-
ways measured from the machine’s
home position, the Z-axis values
could be different. For example,
some builders refer to the spindle
gage line, but others might use the
face of the spindle nose itself. Re-
gardless of the builder, knowing this
information is critical, and it can be
obtained easily by calling your local
machine service provider.
A-axis trunnion machines are the
most popular configuration, so, be-
cause of space limitations, I will limit
my discussion to them.
You will need a test indicator, an
edge finder and a couple of 1-2-3
blocks or a dial height gage for set-
ting tools. Finding the X-Y center-
line will be fairly straightforward and
probably be the same for machines
from all builders. Although the Z-
axis results may vary, the following
procedure will help you find the
Michael Cope is
product technical
specialist at
Hurco Cos. Inc.,
Indianapolis.
Contact him at
(317) 298-2613
or copem@hurco.com. This
Easy. Fast. Built to Last. column was adapted from the
upcoming second edition of
his book The Power of Five:
LIVONIA, MI The Definitive Guide to 5-Axis
Machining.
9/19/17 5:04 PM
 C-axis X-Y centerline for your ma- above the table surface when the A- value found in the C-axis procedure.
chine: axis is positioned at 0°. Even though it’s possible that the
1. Run an indicator across the sur- The Y-axis centerline for the actual position is slightly different,
face of the C-axis table to ensure trunnion A-axis should be the same continued on page 77
that the A-axis is flat.
2. To find the true X and Y center-
lines of rotation for the C-axis table,
place the indicator and magnetic
base on the table and indicate the
inside of the spindle nose by rotat-
ing the C-axis table (Figure 1).
3. Note the current X-Y machine
position. This location is the X-Y
centerline for the C-axis.
The following steps are for find-
ing the Y-axis offset distance:
1. Set a part setup zero point at
the X-Y location found in the C-
axis centerline (step three in the
previous procedure). You will use
this new X0.000" Y0.000" part zero
reference location in the following
steps.
2. Position the X and Y axes at
the new part zero location (X0.000"
Y0.000") indicated in step one.
3. Swing the A-axis to -90°.
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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 33

MachineTech.indd 33 9/19/17 5:04 PM

 staying sharp
Shop Operations

IT’S HIP TO BE SQUARE

By Tom Lipton

F or a good part of my career,

I thought of squareness—or,
more correctly, perpendicularity—
as a visual geometry. Many of the
tools I use to inspect right angles
are comparative and involve eye-
balling, so it is natural to think of
perpendicularity in visual terms.
Checking perpendicularity is a re-
curring theme on the shop floor—
one that deserves detailed discus-
sion and special tools.
The right angle is an invention
of human mechanical arts. Its pres-
ence in nature is accidental and not
by design. Perpendicularity is also
foundational to the mechanical arts,
All images: T. Lipton
so it is crucial to be able to measure Figure 1. Tool and die makers have at their disposal simple, elegant tools for squaring parts
perpendicularity with certainty. to tight tolerances.
The closer the limits are that you
need to work with, the more impor-
tant it is to quantify the magnitude
of the observed error. High-quality
measurement feedback is neces-
sary to produce first-class work. If
you cannot verify your output, you
never will be able to produce supe-
rior work.
So, you might wonder, “How
square is that really nice machin-
ist square I use to check my work?”
The answer became obvious to me
when I started to make parts and
gages near the limits of my measur- Figure 2. Normally, commercial and modified surface gages, which are sometimes called
ing abilities and found that some of squareness comparators, are set using a master square reference, such as a cylindrical
my established references were not square, or a known calibrated right angle.
to be trusted.
The geometric dimensioning to the datum determined in the good enough anymore.
and tolerancing definition of per- feature control frame. So, in real- Faced with squaring parts to
pendicularity is something like this: ity, you need to know how far out close limits, you must be able to
The surface must be perpendicu- of square a particular surface is to a rapidly determine how much to
lar within X tolerance, with respect specific dimension. Eyeballing is not bias a part to bring it into tight-
34 OCTOBER 2017

ShopOps.indd 34 9/19/17 3:57 PM

Full page ads.indd 35 9/19/17 5:00 PM
 staying sharp
Shop Operations

tolerance perpendicularity. How do and die makers have been doing it modified surface gages, which
we resolve this quickly and with cer- for years. Figure 1 shows some of are sometimes called squareness
tainty on the shop floor? their simple, elegant tools. comparators, are set using a mas-
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8055i MC CNC true square, as long as you have a
Control basic, known, flat surface plate as a
• Turcite-B Coating on Saddle X/Y Axes Ways reference.
Dual Operating System makes this one of the most
• Optional ACU-RITE, NEWALL, or FAGOR The secret of these surface gages
versatile controls in existence. In one mode, it is a
digital readouts available lies in the foot, or ball, projecting
very powerful ISO G-code control System and in the
• Automatic Lubrication with Alarm other mode Icon conversational programming with from the front near the base. The
• Stainless Steel Front Y Axis Way Cover highly interactive graphics. foot is rocked in a small arc when in
contact with the part or calibration
Call 800-323-0972 or visit reference, and the high reading of
www.clausing-industrial.com the indicator sweep is the actual
Over A Century in the Machine Tool Business perpendicularity measurement. The
instrument is typically set to zero on
36 OCTOBER 2017

ShopOps.indd 36 9/19/17 3:57 PM

 the right-angle reference, and part and -0.002", respectively. plate) to do quality work. The flat
perpendicularity is plus or minus I have said it before, but it is worth plane is truly the foundation of the
some dimension from the true- saying again: A shop needs a high- mechanical world—followed closely
square zero point. The flat-faced quality, calibrated flat plane (surface by the right angle. CTE
model simply is butted against the
part, reference or both, and the in-
dicator is then zeroed.

SEEING
Figure 3 shows a common shop
steel attached parallel to a 1-2-3
block as a demonstration piece for

IS BELIEVING
determining a true perpendicular
reference. The parallel is easy to
verify accurately by sweeping the
top surface relative to the surface
plate with an indicator. Once it is
confirmed as truly parallel, you can
construct your right-angle refer-
ence. It makes no difference if it is
Amazing!
actually perpendicular when you
start, but the closer it is to eyeball ¡Fantástico!
square the better.
Using basic geometry, you can
Incredible!
start with either of the two sides that
were confirmed parallel. With the
Wow!
comparator, you zero the indicator
on the first parallel side. Moving to
the other parallel side, you take a
Ótimo!
reading and find that the second side
reads +0.004" (+0.102mm). We know
now that dead-true perpendicular is
exactly half the difference of the two
readings, or +0.002" (+0.051mm). If
you zero the comparator at half the
difference, you are now dead square.
As proof, recheck the setup—your ONCE YOU SEE IT,
actual readings should show +0.002" YOU’RE GOING TO NEED TO TRY IT.
We challenged large and small shops around the world to try Dynamic
Tom Lipton toolpaths. The results are nothing short of amazing. Dramatically shorter
is a career cycle times, with extended tool life and less strain on machines.
metalworker from
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Bay area who has
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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 37

ShopOps.indd 37 9/18/17 11:58 AM

 staying sharp
Get With the Program
RIGHT FROM WRONG
By Alan Levine,
Open Mind Technologies USA Inc.
T he world of a CAM programmer
may seem straightforward and
orderly. Programmers build tool-
path strategies in logical sequences,
select cutters from a library and cal-
culate and simulate results.
But there are complex challenges
when moving from the sterile pro-
gramming office to the shop floor. The
theoretical process becomes real.
About 10 years ago, the goals of
CAM technology were quite basic.
Everything fell into two important
categories: Improve the experience
of either the programmer or those
on the shop floor. Software that pro-
vided faster calculation times, an eas-
ier and more-organized user inter-
face and new strategies to simplify
programming aided the program-
mer. Shop floor personnel, however,
sought software that generated tool-
paths able to eliminate or minimize
collisions and that enhanced tool-
path efficiency to extend tool life.
Reducing engineering costs or
making parts faster and with higher
quality is certainly a positive develop-
ment. But a shop’s overarching goal
is to make a part that is accepted by
the customer. That requires control-
ling the many variables that enter the
scene when the programming world
meets the shop floor.
Machine tools may be aging, for
instance, or may have experienced
a spindle crash that left them out
of factory alignment. The shop en-
vironment, such as room tempera-
ture, might not be controlled. Also,
practical tolerance issues exist.
Tools may have been ground or
38 OCTOBER 2017
GetwiththeProgram.indd 38
re-ground incorrectly. Some tool-
holders have runout. Machine spin-
dles might grow when running
under load. Tool lengths can vary.
Then consider the realities of ma-
chining: A thin-walled surface or a
long cutter may deflect, or a worn
cutter may not behave predictably.
Modeling these variables can be
useful to producing an accurate
part. In a sense, it is akin to mak-
ing a part wrong to ultimately make
A compressor impeller shows deviation after first-article inspection.
it right. People attempt to model
these situations, whether through
examining spindle warm-up each
morning, probing to check tool
length or updating the controller
offset tables. But the reality is that
making a part to meet all tolerances
and objectives is not easy.
To achieve total part quality, ad-
ditional modeling is needed. This
modeling is available with advanced
CAM software. Although specific
software compensations are not pro-
vided for each of the previously men-
tioned process issues, the best solu-
tion is to target the totality of process
issues so the workpiece meets the
required quality standards.
The following examples begin
to create a paradigm for how to
make a better part. In one case, a
deformed model was programmed
and machined. In the other, the
toolpath was programmed inten-
tionally with sophisticated offsets
and blending algorithms to improve
part quality.
Production example: Turboma-
chinery compressor impellers are
Open Mind Technologies USA
complex parts that must be ma-
chined to a tight positional tolerance.
These components operate as high-
speed rotational devices. In addition,
blade failure can cause instant dam-
age and even loss of life. Therefore,
the manufacturing process must be
consistent for all blades.
Typically, a centrifugal compres-
sor has a long leading-edge surface
and, compared with the hub, thin-
ner sections near the shroud (outer
contour), which leads to machining
challenges.
Industrial compressors are usually
built to spec for each application,
but aero-engine components are
9/18/17 10:28 AM
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 staying sharp
Get With the Program
manufactured in production quanti-
ties via a defined process to achieve
the needed quality standards.
The typical way to set up a con-
sistent production process for these
compressors is to make first-article
components and measure impeller
blade surfaces. Because of machin-
ing challenges caused by blade de-
flection and other previously men-
tioned process issues, the first-arti-
cle component is typically not made
within dimensional tolerances. For
example, the area near the leading-
edge shroud may be oversized by
0.004" (0.1mm), but areas near the
hub and trailing edge may be correct
or close to nominal size. Therefore,
the deviation map is not uniform.
40 OCTOBER 2017
GetwiththeProgram.indd 40
The CAD model is then de-
formed according to the deviation
map to compensate for deflection
and other errors. Because the de-
viation is not uniform, the defor-
mation is a complex set of offsets.
The deformed model is used for
programming subsequent units.
Alan Levine
is managing
director of
Open Mind
Technologies
USA Inc.,
Needham, Mass.
For more information about the
company’s CAD/CAM software,
call (888) 516-1232 or visit
www.openmind-tech.com.
Deflection and other errors create
an oversized part, relative to the
deformed model. However, the ma-
chining deflections and process is-
sues on the deformed model result
in an in-tolerance part compared
with the actual part model.
Mold and die making example:
The requirements of mold and die
makers are considerably different
from those of manufacturers of aero-
engine parts. In moldmaking ap-
plications, specific dimensions near
fillets are not usually critical to part
performance, but surface finish and
blends in areas where cutters are
changed are of utmost importance.
It can be challenging to obtain
smooth blends, especially when wall
9/18/17 10:28 AM
 or bottom surfaces are not machined In summary, by going through this highest-quality parts. New turnkey
with the same cutter that was ap- check-and-balance process, pro- CAM software can be invaluable
plied to reduce fillets. Typically, large grammers and machinists discover for helping them move seamlessly
cutters machine walls and bottoms. the Bigbest
Latheway toHalf
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With a different holder and stick-
out, different feed rates and spindle
speeds and a different angle of at-
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To assure smooth blends, mold-
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Despite their efforts, benching does
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GetwiththeProgram.indd 41 9/18/17 10:28 AM

 staying sharp
Machinist’s Corner
A LOOK AT D-O-W-N-T-I-M-E
By Michael Deren
O ver the past couple of years, I’ve been
heavily involved in lean manufacturing.
At the company I work for, we conduct
gemba walks every other day where the
work happens and have monthly kaizen
(rapid improvement) and 5S (workplace
organization) events.
A lean item I’d like to explain is the “eight
wastes of lean.” Look around your facility and
I’ll bet that you can identify a few areas where
waste occurs.
The acronym for the eight wastes is
DOWNTIME: Defects, Overproduction,
Waiting, Nonutilized talent, Transportation,
Inventory, Motion and Extra processing.
Let’s look at them individually.
The most obvious example of defects
waste is your scrap pile. But parts you must
rework to make good parts are also defects.
In addition, incorrectly given or taken
information is a defect because someone has
to verify and correct that information. The
costs include wasted production time, wasted
materials and wasted inspection.
Overproduction is more common in OEM
facilities, where too many parts are made
before they are ready to be sold. A machine
shop, however, may run a bar of turned shafts
and hope its customer will accept the lot. In
either case, costs include wasted production
time and materials.
How many times have you waited at a
machine to perform a secondary operation
because the prior operation was not
completed? Or maybe you’ve waited for
someone to bring raw stock so you can
start production. These are scenarios where
waiting wastes time.
Nonutilized talent involves preventing
employees from using all their skills and
knowledge. Imagine a qualified machinist
working in the assembly department. He is
overqualified for the job. If personnel think
42 OCTOBER 2017
MachinistsCorner.indd 42
they are languishing, they might look for a
position at another company.
Transportation waste has nothing to do
with trucks. This waste involves unnecessary
movement of a part or material. Examples
include moving a part from one end of the
plant to the other, such as from a machining
center to the QC department, and transporting
a part from a machine to a secondary operation
in a faraway part of the plant.
Inventory waste includes products and
materials that sit idle and consume costly
floor space. The costs to produce excess
parts include machining and inspection time,
movement to storage and the storage itself.
Motion can also be wasteful. Imagine an
assembler who takes three or four steps to
get a part, places the part in front of him
or her, reaches high to get some screws,
reaches down to get a wrench and then walks
to a cart to place the assembled part. Poor
ergonomics and workspace design can lead
to wasted motion.
Extra processing is more commonly
known as “over-processing.” For example, a
machinist is machining a part that calls for a
finish of 125µm Ra. The machinist, however,
takes pride in his work and imparts a 32µm Ra
finish. But the customer is paying for only a
125µm Ra finish. The operator may have been
able to machine two parts in the time it took
to make the one.
I have seen all eight of the DOWNTIME
wastes of many times. By reducing any or all of
them—even a little—a manufacturing facility
will be a much more productive and cost-
effective organization. CTE
About the Author
Michael Deren is a
manufacturing engineer/
project manager and a regular
CTE contributor. Contact him
at mderen1@wi.rr.com.
9/18/17 10:25 AM
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Full page ads.indd 44 9/15/17 2:52 PM
Full page ads.indd 45 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 TOUCHY S
Save time by setting tools
offline with a presetter
instead of touching them
off while on the machine.

46 OCTOBER 2017

Presetters.indd 46 9/18/17 11:59 AM

Y SUBJECT
By Kip Hanson
M ost machine tool accessory suppliers will tell you
that the majority of shops still set tool-length off-
sets the old-fashioned way: By touching off each tool
one at a time and manually keying in values—hope-
fully without fat-fingering one along the way.
Even on CNC lathes, most of which have a probe
arm that allows the operator to simply touch off tools
in the X and Z axes, tool setting might consume 3 to
5 minutes per tool—time that’s better spent making
parts. So why continue to do it when an offline preset-
ter saves time?
“For whatever reason, shops in
the U.S. have not embraced
presetting to the extent
of those in Europe,” said
Drew Strauchen, vice pres-
ident of marketing and
business development at
Haimer USA LLC, Villa Park,
Ill. “Part of the problem is
resistance to change, and
part is because the ben-
efits of presetting are
Haimer USA
Presetters.indd 47
Cover Story
somewhat intangible. It takes a little digging to actu-
ally understand how much time is spent manually set-
ting tools and what impact that has on shop through-
put and profitability.”
The math is fairly straightforward, he said. Assuming
1 hour per shift is spent on tool setting, five machines
operating two shifts at an hourly shop rate of $75 costs
the shop approximately $189,000 annually (10 hours a
day × $75 per hour × 252 days a year). Even if a shop
spends only a fraction of that time touching off, the
savings are more than enough to justify the $8,000 or
so for an entry-level presetter.
“Be it entry-level presetters for basic presetting or
fully automated presetters that do everything at the
push of a button, Haimer has options across its prod-
uct portfolio to meet specific needs,” Strauchen said.
“We can’t make setup time zero, but we can do a lot
more of the preparatory work offline while the machine
is busy making parts. And, in many cases, the preset-
ting process itself is becoming more automated, with
more options for sending data directly to the machine
tool or writing to an embedded RFID (radio-frequency
identification) tag. It offers a lot of advantages.”
That’s an understatement. Automatically sending
a presetter-generated offset list to the machine con-
trol is faster than manual data entry and lessens the
chance of a mistyped offset value. RFID takes it even
further by integrating tool life and identification data
with the tool, eliminating the possibility of inadver-
tently placing it in the wrong position. Not only is time
saved during setup, but risk of a crash is reduced. And
the accuracy of even a low-end presetter far exceeds
what’s possible with traditional touch-off methods, im-
proving part accuracy and preventing scrap.
Double Play
Not ready for networked machine tools or RFID-
tagged toolholders? There are simpler options.
Ian Haase, North American product manager for
EZset LLC, Ann Arbor, Mich., said presetters enable
shops to just check tool runout, do quick measure-
ments of lengths and diameters and then print tool-
offset information on a label or bar code.
“We offer presetters with tool management capa-
bility, pneumatic spindle functions, vacuum or power
Read/write RFID tags automate the tool-offset entry process.
ctemag.com/cteguide.com 47
9/18/17 11:59 AM
 Shopping for Software
Douglas Sumner, product manager for tool measuring
systems at BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc., Hoffman Estates,
Ill., discussed presetter software selection with Cutting Tool
Engineering.
CTE: What should someone shopping for a presetter look for
in control software?
DS: It depends a lot on where it’s used. In the toolcrib, for
example, you need robust tool management capability and
integration points to whatever CAM system the shop is using.
That way, there’s a single database for everything tool-related,
Touchy Subject
clamping, autofocus, machine tool integration and so
on, but for shops that only need basic functionality for
use on the production floor, those machines are avail-
able as well,” Haase said. “The important thing is to
start presetting. You’re losing money otherwise.”
Michael Colyer, regional sales manager at Zoller
48 OCTOBER 2017
Presetters.indd 48
and you can push this data to wherever it’s needed.
CTE: What about general shop floor use?
DS: People want to walk up, place a tool in the presetter
and quickly measure it. They want a single screen so they don’t
have to click all over the place. Some of them want the ability to
post-process directly to the CNC from there, while others want
to print a tag or even write it down. Either way, the interface
needs to be simple. Otherwise, it’s going to be hard to gain user
acceptance.
CTE: Is post-processing different from generating G code
from a CAM system?
DS: Not really. When you preset a tool, you store the
dimensions, nose radius and whatever other information is
needed at the machine. You can then post-process that data,
Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich., agreed, even if a shop isn’t sure
about its future needs. “The first thing you need to
consider is that bringing the tool-setting function out-
side of the machine tool is fundamental to lean man-
ufacturing,” he said. “So even if you start with a basic
presetter to get your feet wet, there are always sec-
ondary uses for those machines if you want to upgrade
to a more capable system later on.”
Chief among those uses is visual inspection of
9/18/17 11:59 AM
 which on a FANUC-compatible control means creating a G10
tool-offset program that must then be executed at the control.
And some machines allow direct updates to the tool tables, but
this requires a more careful approach to avoid updating tools

140
that are currently in process.
CTE: In terms of software, what advice can you give to
someone shopping for a presetter?
DS: Start with good hardware. When I buy a car, I want YEARS
to get 200,000 miles out of it. To achieve that, I need a
well-built vehicle with a proven track record and good Experience is the best teacher,
support. It’s no different with a presetter. The controls and and we’re at the head of the class
software can always be updated down the road as your needs
change.
—K. Hanson
Expertise

Global
Product Reach
Range

Sustainability
Cost
Efficiency

Koma Precision

Most presetters use high-resolution vision systems to find tool edges. Smart Solutions
cutting tools, something that many shops don’t give
much thought to. “They order a ½" drill from a large
Start with the Right
tooling supplier and assume that it was manufactured
correctly,” Colyer said. “Maybe it was, maybe it wasn’t,
Formula.
but you can’t eliminate that variable without inspect- With 140 years of experience and 450
ing it first. This is one function that any presetter is per-
fect for, even if it doesn’t have some of the higher-end people, Henkel is ready to support your
capabilities.” Cleaners & Lubricants needs.

Embracing the Gorilla Learn more at

Like a number of presetter manufacturers, Zoller of-
fers CNC versions of its wares that are able to automat-
ically pick up tool edges, determine corner radii and
seamlessly send offsets to machines on the production
floor. Many of these systems are also equipped with,
or integrate with, tool management software (TMS),
www.na.henkel-adhesives.com/
cleanandlube
All marks used are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Henkel and its affiliates in
the U.S. and elsewhere. ® = registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
© 2017 Henkel Corporation. All rights reserved. 725075 (5/17)

Kip Hanson is a contributing editor for

CTE. Contact him at (520) 548-7328 or
khanson@jwr.com.

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 49

Presetters.indd 49 9/18/17 11:59 AM

 Touchy Subject
providing a single source of the truth
for tool data. That eliminates the risk
of duplicate or conflicting informa-
tion from the CAD/CAM software
and ERP system, and spreadsheets
scattered about the business. “Tool
management is like a big, ugly go-
50 OCTOBER 2017
Presetters.indd 50
rilla,” Colyer said. “It sits in the cor-
ner, and everyone tries to avoid mak-
ing eye contact because they know
it’s going to be difficult and time-
consuming to deal with. But with In-
dustry 4.0 and the push towards dig-
ital manufacturing, it will become an
increasingly integral part of shop op-
erations everywhere.”
TMS provides a single database
that stores every aspect of tool in-
formation, from cutting tool and
tool assembly dimensions for use
by the programming department
to inventory levels and procure-
ment sources for purchasing. Cost
data, historical usage and location
in the toolcrib or vending machine
can be found in one place. Granted,
a presetter isn’t a prerequisite, but
it is a logical starting point.
“Once the operator sets a tool
on the presetter, Zoller’s TMS Tool
Though they offer limited
functionality, entry-level
machines are a great
way to get started with
presetting.
EZset
Management Solutions software al-
lows measurement data to be sent
directly to the CAM system, offsets
to the machine control, updates or
generates a tool list and verifies that
the right tools are in stock,” Colyer
said. “It becomes an integrated,
digital tool management solution.”
Making Time
Italy’s Elbo Controlli offers an-
other presetting solution. David
Meo, sales manager for East Wind-
sor, Conn.-based Elbo Controlli dis-
tributor Koma Precision Inc., said
it’s important to look for a preset-
ter mechanically suited to the rigors
of the shop environment and with
software capabilities appropriate to
a shop’s needs.
“You need thermal stability to as-
sure accuracy, as well as the tools
to make the entire process more
efficient,” Meo said. “A high-end
9/18/17 11:59 AM
 presetter is going to have wireless
capability, so you can send infor-
mation anywhere on the network.
It’s also going to let you import or
export CAD files, such as DXF tool
drawings. That allows you to make
an overlay to check the actual tool
for conformity to its intended de-
sign. Without this capability, you’re
relying entirely on the cutting tool
manufacturer, which could be an
tool and then uses it to measure
cutting tools, wasting the time
available for making chips.
“In one sense, all machine shops
do is sell machine time,” he said.
“By taking tool measurement off
the machine tool, they create more
time, which they can then sell to
their customers, increasing profit-
ability. Presetters also allow them to
reduce the potential for scrapped
parts because they’re now able to
verify that tools are within specifica-
tions and not damaged in any way.
When you consider that a chipped
corner on a $15 cutting tool can eas-
ily scrap a $50,000 workpiece, you
realize presetting offers immedi-
ate payback, even without the time
saved when changing tools.” CTE

STOP
expensive mistake.”
Meo agreed that accuracy is an-
other important feature, with 2µm
or better being the norm for high-
end presetters and 2µm to 4µm for
entry-level models.
When asked about static vs. dy-
namic accuracy and the fact that (taking hours to setup a mill)
tools deflect while in the cut, thus
negating any benefits of greater
accuracy, he said that’s easily com-
pensated for. “You preset the tool,
put it in the machine and cut the
first piece. At any point after that,
you can remeasure the tool and
update the software with the ac-
tual post-machining offset values.
This allows you to constantly mea-
sure and update the system—in es-
sence making it smarter as you go.”
Like the others interviewed, Meo
scratches his head when a shop
buys an expensive CNC machine

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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 51

Presetters.indd 51 9/19/17 10:07 AM


Modular fixturing offers many benefits, but sometimes
compatibility issues arise.
By Michael C. Anderson
M odular fixturing at its best offers the sta-
bility and accuracy of dedicated work-
holding with the flexibility to be reconfig-
ured quickly for a variety of parts. The design
and building of a dedicated fixture for a spe-
cific part or family of parts takes time and ef-
fort, whereas users can assemble modular fix-
tures quickly—particularly if they already have
the needed fixturing components in their
toolrooms.
Those components include subplates and
tombstones with a standardized grid pattern
for holding an interchangeable assembly of
fixtures, vises and accessories, such as blank
tooling plates, angle plates, parallels and
workpiece-setup components (for example,
locators, utility blocks and clamps). Adapter
52 OCTOBER 2017
ModFixturing.indd 52
Bluco
plates that can be used to convert third-
party vises, rotary tables, chucks or other de-
vices into modular accessories are also often
needed.
Modular fixturing components allow a job
shop to more quickly respond to its custom-
er’s need, said Aaron Hull, senior manufactur-
ing engineer at Carr Lane Manufacturing Co.,
St. Louis. “You can put a fixture together in a
day and start cutting.” This is a big advantage
for core customers of modular systems, the
growing number of job shops that typically
see high-mix, low-volume production.
Modular Investment
A well-stocked modular-fixturing toolroom
is a serious investment, which may be hard for
a job shop to rationalize.
“Whether it’s a dedicated fixture or their
9/19/17 10:00 AM
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 This is a
BIG DEAL!
The Fix Is In

first step into modular fixturing, it’s a big challenge for

high-mix, low-volume shops to justify the cost of the
fixturing when it’s for a job that isn’t going to produce
a lot of parts,” Hull said. “Seeing the payback can be
difficult if you’re looking at it from the standpoint of a
single job.”

Carr Lane Manufacturing’s fixture plate options include vises.

SPANNTOP nova size 160

The Safe Bet for Large Workholding
HAINBUCH’s standard line of 125 mm and 160 mm SPANNTOP nova
chucks are in stock in Germantown, WI at prices that will meet even
the tightest budget.

And, with the ability to change clamping heads in as little as 10 se-

conds, your machine utilization rates will soar, making these chucks
a really Big Deal.

He said the beauty of modular fixturing is that a shop

Key advantages
can buy the fixturing components, build a fixture for a
particular part, disassemble it and reuse the compo-

Now available as a standard size and in stock nents for a different part. “You can spread out that fix-

Which results in a reduced investment price
turing cost across several parts rather than [incurring

Clamping force up to 235 kN for maximum
the cost of] building a dedicated fixture for a single
machining performance

Extra rigid clamping due to the pull-back effect
part and having that cost need to be absorbed by that
single part number.”
But realizing that capital-investment mind-set isn’t al-
ways easy, Hull acknowledged. “It’s difficult for them to
figure out how to spread the cost throughout all those
different jobs because they don’t know what job is
coming next week or next month. It can be a challenge
to swallow that large up-front cost for a complete mod-
ular-fixturing system. What jobs do they tie that cost to,
1.800.281.5734 • Germantown, WI USA and how does that work in their accounting system?”
www.hainbuchamerica.com
Carr Lane Manufacturing allows a wary job shop to
54 OCTOBER 2017

ModFixturing.indd 54 9/19/17 10:00 AM

 stick its toe in the water of modular
fixturing before choosing to dive in
all the way, according to Hull. The
company offers complete modu-
lar-fixturing kits—ones with varied
components and sizes.
He said: “But we also sell all the
components individually. Someone
doesn’t have to start out buying a
complete system. They can start
ucts exist that can help.
For a job shop, such variety is all
good, isn’t it? As new jobs and new
kinds of jobs come in, the shop can
pick from a smorgasbord of fixtur-
ing options.
But it’s not that simple, accord-
ing to Gordon Coope, president
of Stevens Engineering Inc., Phoe-
nix, which has specialized in modu-
lar fixturing for more than 35 years.
Problems arise when the best fixtur-
ing option for a new job won’t work
with the modular components from
earlier jobs—an occurrence more
likely when more than one modular
fixturing company is involved.
“Workholding has evolved into a

Carr Lane Manufacturing

small and grow the kind and num-

ber of components they have in
their toolroom as they need them.”
The company has a thick catalog
of options. “There are many differ-
ent components available, in Eng-
lish and metric units,” Hull said.
“We are a manufacturing facility,
and we make most of the compo-
nents right here in St. Louis.”

Cross-System Challenges
And that’s just one company’s
catalog. The available modular-fix-
turing components and systems are
many and varied, and, whatever the
application, chances are that prod-

Michael C.
Anderson is
senior editor of
CTE. Contact him
at (734) 606-9673
or mike@jwr.com.

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 55

ModFixturing.indd 55 9/19/17 10:00 AM

 The Fix Is In

multiplicity of seemingly incompati-

Designed and built in Marshall, Missouri, only
DeHoff and Eldorado gundrilling machines
feature a box way design and hand-scraped
mating components. The result is superior
vibration dampening, improved surface finish,
and unmatched tool life.
ble products,” he said. “Companies
that purchased a product can find
themselves stuck.”
Made in Marshall, MO
Examples he noted include:
■ A workholding company's
sytem that uses 50mm (1.97") spac-
ing with M12 threads under a 12mm
(0.47") bushing. “Their vises mount
on this spacing, and no other com-
pany makes off-the-shelf products
to this spacing.”
■ Another company's system

incorporates 2" (50.8mm) cen-

ters with 1/2 -13 threads under a 1⁄2"
(12.7mm) bushing.
■ Stevens Engineering itself uses
View our entire line of machines: www.kays-dehoff.com/cte
1.25" (31.75mm) grid spacing with
alternating bushings and threads.
■ Every model of a popular brand
660.886.9929
of vise has different hole spacing,
info@kays-dehoff.com Visit us: Booth #1533

“as though a different product

team designed each vise.”
He noted that unlike machine
spindles, which are available in just
a limited number of choices—CAT
40, CAT 50, BT 30 and a handful of
others—machine tables and pallets
are not standardized. “T-slot size
and spacing or tapped hole size
and spacing can be different even
within a single brand of machine,”
56 OCTOBER 2017

ModFixturing.indd 56 9/19/17 10:00 AM

 Coope said.
One result is that a shop turns
to subplates engineered to hold
disparately sourced fixturing com-
ponents—a good workaround,
Coope acknowledged, but it tends
to keep that shop locked into a sin-
gle style of system.
“There’s a lot of loyalty to spe-
cific brands or systems. A shop
thinks of itself as a ‘Kurt shop’ or
‘You can put a fixture together in a day and
start cutting.’
a ‘Chick shop,’ or a ‘Stevens Engi-
neering shop.’ And none of these
systems are made to work easily
with the others,” Coope said.
For this reason, at Stevens Engi-
neering “we get lots of calls from
manufacturers that ask, ‘Do you
have anything that will work with
this other style of workholding?’”
Stevens Engineering
Example of a Stevens Engineering modular-
fixturing kit.
And not only from job shops. He
noted a major shoe manufacturer
in Oregon for whom Stevens made
all its fixtures when it tooled up pro-
duction of new molds for the soles
of shoes. And for the past 15 years,
a Connecticut-based aerospace
manufacturer has relied on Stevens
ctemag.com/cteguide.com
ModFixturing.indd 57
to produce fixture plates for its co- A Member of the BIG DAISHOWA Group
ordinate measuring machines used
to inspect parts. Both companies
needed Stevens Engineering parts
designed to accommodate differ-
ent legacy systems.
Coope said Stevens Engineering
has often worked with other mod-
ular-workholding companies to
help customers overcome specific
incompatibility issues. “When we
THE MOST RELIABLE
BENCHTOP TOOL MEASURING
INSTRUMENT AND
WE’LL
talk to fellow modular-fixturing
companies, they acknowledge that
PROVE IT.
it’s an issue for customers.” It’s an
issue that prospective modular-fix-
turing users need to think about
before they buy. (See sidebar on GAUGE REPEATABILITY &
page 59.) REPRODUCIBILITY
.0025
BRAND A TEST
BRAND B TEST
.0020 SPERONI TEST
DIAMETER (IN)
From Components to Systems .0015
Other modular-fixturing compa- .0010
nies acknowledge the challenge .0005
that incompatible components 0
1 2 3 4 5 6
MEASUREMENT NO.
7 8 9 10
hold for their customers. Carr Lane
Manufacturing’s Aaron Hull said his The construction characteristics
company also works to bridge the of the Speroni MAGIS make it
gaps. the most robust, accurate and
repeatable benchtop model on
“For example, we have systems the market. Gauge R & R tests
that have a ball-lock-style receiver prove the precision during length
plate that would go on the table or measurements, but even more
a horizontal tombstone and then impressively in diameter.
a subplate that can be put on that
Don’t believe us? Test the Speroni
Carr Lock fixture receiver plate,” he MAGIS in your shop to see the proof.
said. “You can set up your [other-
wise incompatible] modular fixture Visit BIGKAISER.com/TestUs
to request your Speroni MAGIS
on the Carr Lock subplate while the
no-risk trial.
machine is running the previous
job. From there you could immedi-
ately go from your modular-fixtur-
ing subplate to another subplate Visit us at Southtec to see what’s
such as a blank Carr Lock subplate new at booth #1418!
to which you’ve attached a vise.”
Brian Dodsworth, director of
sales at Bluco Corp., Aurora, Ill.,
emphasized that a job shop that
acquires its modular-fixturing com-
ponents in a job-by-job, piecemeal
fashion is headed for unnecessary www.bigkaiser.com
complications. The best solution,
57
9/19/17 10:00 AM
 Bluco modular- The Fix Is In
fixturing setup
on a horizontal
machining center. when possible, is for the shop to
think of modular workholding not
as a collection of components but
as a complete system—and that a
good time to acquire one is when a
machining center is purchased.
This leads back to the challenge
of finding a cost justification that is
more like a capital investment than
the cost of a single job—a chal-
lenge made greater after just mak-
ing a large capital investment in a
machining center. But if it can be
done, it helps avoid more costly is-
sues down the road. In short, Dods-
worth said, if a shop starts with a
genuinely comprehensive system,
it won’t have compatibility issues.
“When you design your machin-
ing center from the ground up so
that you have removable plates, you
Bluco
can swap a Bluco tooling plate off

ModFixturing.indd 58 9/19/17 10:00 AM

 Getting Started With Modular Fixturing
Because of the ongoing issue of incompatible modular- fixturing is not necessarily the person fixturing verticals.”
fixturing systems, Stevens Engineering President Gordon n Plan for adapter plates that are made for the purpose of

Coope has advice for shops looking at any modular-fixturing adapting across product lines.
product or product line—including his own: n Try to maintain an organized CAD library of your fixturing
n Think through the ramifications of embracing a product “to help your programming staff and toolroom.”
line. “Make sure that the supplier has broad enough offerings n Finally, when necessary, be ready to develop ways of

and accuracy specs to match your requirements.” integrating the best offerings of multiple companies.
n Plan for the future migration of fixturing. “Often, fixturing Stevens Engineering has been trying to address all these
that has been running on vertical machines is moved to issues, he said. “Most likely, other companies are also trying.”
horizontals, but the person in charge of the horizontal —M. Anderson

and put in a plate with, say, a Kurt
vise when that makes sense. You’re
not locked in,” he said.
For example, Bluco’s manufactur-
ing facility in Aurora uses Kurt vises,
as well as Ball Locks from Jergens
Inc., Cleveland. “So if I were talk-
ing to shops who had that concern,
I would step back and paint a big-
ger picture of how to approach the
tooling for their machine so they
can have interchangeability.”
Dodsworth said Bluco’s tooling
system “hasn’t really changed in 20-
plus years.” The company has inno-
vated and adapted over time—“it
hasn’t just been static. But the core
system hasn’t changed. And when
you have a comprehensive system,
you don’t ‘grow out of it’” and need
to use other vendors’ fixturing.
Closed-Door Policy
There’s another mind-set found
at some customers that Dodsworth
is trying to change. “The common
method of workholding setup is
that the machine stops, you open
the doors, you tear down your fix-
ture and set up your next fixture—

ModFixturing.indd 59 9/19/17 10:00 AM

 The Fix Is In
all done in the machine, with the
doors open and the machine idle,”
he said. That might be OK for long
production runs, but for low-vol-
ume, high-mix shops, it’s a through-
put killer.
When the doors are open
because the machinist is setting up
fixtures, the spindle is idle, hurting
productivity. “When those doors
are open, you’re not making chips,
[and therefore] you’re not making
money,” Dodsworth said.
Better to set up offline. “With
our system, the fixturing is all
on a tooling plate, so all you have
to do when you open doors is
swap out tooling plates,” he said.
“Your next fixture has already
been set up on a tooling plate out-
side the machine, offline, while the
spindle was still spinning on the pre-
vious job.” So when the door opens,
the machinist disconnects the tool-
ing plate from the machine, pulls it
out, loads the next one, closes the
door and hits the button, and the
machine is running again. “You’re
really keeping to a bare minimum

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Bluco Corp.
(800) 535-0135
www.bluco.com

Carr Lane Manufacturing Co.

(314) 647-6200
TEL 866-426-3300 www.carrlane.com
FAX 781-582-8095
8 Aldrin Road Stevens Engineering Inc.
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60 OCTOBER 2017

ModFixturing.indd 60 9/19/17 10:00 AM

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Full page ads.indd 61 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 Chamfers and countersinks put the brakes on burr formation.

By Marlon Blandon,
Emuge Corp.

T he purpose of chamfering or countersink-

ing an internal threaded hole is typically to
avoid creating a raised burr that can prevent
a mating part from properly seating with an-
other flat surface. In addition, when the mat-
ing part is placed on a burr, the burr can be
forced down, effectively deforming the in-
ternal thread and increasing the potential for
cross threading.
A chamfer or countersink may also be spec-
ified on a part drawing to help a bolt properly
align or start. And adding a chamfer or coun-
tersink to a hole that will be tapped will always
aid when starting the tap.

Adding a chamfer or
countersink to a hole that
will be tapped will always
aid when starting the tap.
For reasons such as these, the vast majority
of threaded holes require some type of cham-
fer or countersink. As a result, this is one of the
most common machining operations. And it’s
one that can usually be improved.
Threaded-hole chamfers normally have in-
cluded angles of 120° or 90°, with 90° being
most common. The OD and depth of the
chamfer sometimes are specified on the blue-
print. However, it is frequently left to the discre-
tion of the machinist or programmer to deter- All images: Emuge

mine the depth or OD of the chamfered hole.
While a DIN standard does not exist, there
are a few well-worn machinist rules of thumb.
The most common practice is to apply a cham-
fer diameter that is 0.010" to 0.015" (0.254mm
to 0.381mm) larger than the thread’s major di-
ameter. This will eliminate the burr and pro-
vide enough depth to act as a starter for a
mating bolt.
Machining Methods
Creating a chamfer or countersink can be
62 OCTOBER 2017
accomplished in various ways, some of which
are more efficient than others. Formerly, the
customary way of machining a chamfer on a
hole to be threaded was to apply a 120° or
90° countersinking tool after the initial drill-
ing operation.
Today, many machine shops apply an NC
spot drill with a 90° point angle to accom-
plish spot drilling, countersinking and cham-
fering, which saves tool-change time and re-
duces tooling costs. The NC spot drill is used
as a lead tool prior to drilling to create the 90°

Holemaking.indd 62 9/19/17 10:13 AM

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 High-Performance
Carbide Burs
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CUT
Aggressive removal and fine
finish with reduced vibration
on hardest grades of
titanium and alloys.
CAST
CUT
Generates very high stock
removal on cast iron with
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ALU/NF
CUT
Produces large chips with
high stock removal on all
grades of aluminum and
non-ferrous materials.
STEEL
CUT
Up to 50% higher stock
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cast steel compared to
conventional burs.
PFERD’s high-performance line of carbide burs
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64 OCTOBER 2017
Holemaking.indd 64
MICRO
CUT
Creates an extremely fine
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removal rates and little
vibration.
INOX
CUT
Produces large chips
with high stock removal
performance on all types
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EDGE
CUT
Designed for chamfering
or radiusing using a
bearing to run along the
edges of the workpiece.
PLAST
CUT
Perfect for combined
drilling and cutting tasks
on glass and carbon-fiber
reinforced duroplastics.
TRUST BLUE
Burr Stoppers
included angle. While this may be convenient, don’t do
it if you are holemaking with newer, high-penetration-
rate carbide drills. These drills are manufactured with a
140° point angle. Applying a 90° spot drill prior to drill-
ing with a 140° carbide drill will lead to chipped cor-
ners on the latter drill and premature tool failure. The
tool sequence must be
changed if a carbide
drill is applied for mak-
ing a hole that’s to be 45°
tapped.
The proper tool se-
quence becomes: drill,
chamfer (or counter-
sink) and tap. In this
scenario, a counter-
50mm
sink tool or a cham- 90°
fer mill with a 120° or
90° point angle is the
best choice. By select-
ing the proper tool se-
quence, the tool life of
the carbide drill will in-
crease dramatically.
In addition, care
should be taken when
aligning a tool to Chamfer
Thread
Countersinks and chamfers inner dia.
are called out in various ways
on blueprints or can be left to
the machinist’s discretion.
2 × 45˚
2 × 45˚
or
Ø 14mm
90˚
90˚
or
3.5mm
9/19/17 2:24 PM
 countersink or chamfer a hole. Misalignment can be
detrimental to part quality and function. A chamfer mill
can cut a circular chamfer via circular interpolation but RELY ON
O.M.G.
may not be the best design for straight plunging. Con-
versely, traditional HSS countersinks are designed for
plunging applications, but they are not designed for fol-

HEADS
lowing a helical circular interpolation toolpath.

Combining Operations
The most efficient, quickest way to produce a cham-
fer in a hole that’s to be threaded is with a step drill that
combines drilling and countersinking. By having a 90° With more than 70 different models,
countersink step angle in the drill, the hole and cham- OMG offers the most complete
fer are produced in one operation. range of angle heads on the market.
Combining two machining operations into one re- • Compact housing machined from
duces tool-change time, cycle time and tool inventory. steel for greater rigidity.
Another benefit is that when a step drill produces the • Precision class ABEC7/9 angular
Series BAH

chamfer, the location of the chamfer is completely con- contact bearings.

centric with the hole. • Gleason rectified gears for minimal
vibration.
Creating a chamfer or countersink • Unique torque arm eliminates Series MO
play for greater stability and
can be accomplished in various performance.
ways, some of which are more
efficient than others.
Series HT

If a step drill is selected as the preferred method of

hole preparation, be wary of using modified standard
drills in which the pilot’s minor diameter is ground onto
an existing single-diameter drill. The web thickness of Series VH
the minor diameter will likely be too thick, and chip flow
will be impeded. The minor diameter is commonly ap-
plied without a margin for clearance purposes, which
also lessens the performance of the drill by creating Series TSI/TSX
friction on the OD.
Step drills, especially carbide ones, should be ground
from a carbide rod and not by modifying an existing
finished tool so the web and margin fit the application.
Standard step drills are available, and some tool man- Series T
ufacturers quickly deliver them to allow an end user to
vary the tapped hole depth in blind-hole applications.
Process improvement is always a goal for progressive
manufacturers. Although chamfers and countersinks
are common features for holes that will be threaded, Angle heads Series MT-TC-TC3
the machining sequence is not a standardized process
Series TA-TAV-TAF-TAO
and is—as is the case with most processes—open to
improvement. CTE

OMG NORTH AMERICA

802 Clearwater Loop, Post Falls, ID
83854 Phone: 866-440-8519
Marlon Blandon is thread mills product manager
e-mail: info@omgamerica.com
for Emuge Corp., West Boylston, Mass. For more
information about the company’s cutting tools, call
www.omgamerica.com
(800) 323-3013 or visit www.emuge.com.

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 65

Holemaking.indd 65 9/19/17 9:58 AM

 Navigating and complying with safety regulations can
frustrate companies.
By Greg Bartlett Its regulations “certainly can be complex,”
said Alan Herberger, senior health and safety

I f the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health

Administration just could make its regula-
tions sticky and crimson, then they would em-
manager at Master Lock Co. LLC, Oak Creek,
Wis., which manufactures security and safety
products.
body red tape. He cited the “Walking-Working Surfaces
and Fall Protection Rule” as an example.
OSHA extensively revised the rule this year,
with most changes already taking effect but
some being delayed by several months—or
up to about 20 years.
“The rules vary quite a bit by the individual
regulation,” Herberger said. “Some regula-
tions are heavily performance-based, where
OSHA spells out the outcome they want to
see and leaves it up to you to get there. They
also have some very prescriptive standards,
where OSHA goes into elaborate detail defin-
ing exactly what a ‘hole’ is, for instance.”
These standards might include what such a
hole looks like, what type of guarding needs
to be around it and what measurements those
guards need to take.
Matt Brenner, vice president of sales at ma-
chine safeguarding specialist Rockford (Ill.)
Systems LLC, sympathizes with companies
subject to OSHA regulations.
“For end users, it’s very difficult to get
through, analyze and understand what the
standards are and what they mean—basically,
to interpret them properly,” Brenner said.
From an application standpoint, it’s hard to
know how to make a machine comply while
maintaining a high level of productivity, he
noted. “I can’t stress enough that the stan-
dards are complex, the machines are complex
and many times the machines’ usage is com-
plex to the user.”
The challenge lies more with education
than compliance, said Aaron McDevitt, presi-
dent and COO of Fort Wayne, Ind.-based Faz-
Faztek
tek LLC, which builds customized industrial
Hybrid guarding solutions utilize two or more safety safeguarding equipment.
product lines to create a custom safety solution. This one “Understanding what the regulations are
uses T-slotted and electronic safety devices to create a and who they’re dictated by is difficult,” he
machine enclosure. said. “There’s a lot of confusion about what
66 OCTOBER 2017

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 The Safety Dance
exactly is a regulation and what
is a recommendation.” He de-
scribed the OSHA standards book
as incredibly hard to follow. “It’s not
clearly laid out that ‘If you have this
type of machine, you need to have
this on it,’” he said. He understands
that the many differences among
machines make OSHA’s task diffi-
cult, however.
It’s not only OSHA’s regulations
but its enforcers who are inconsis-
tent, according to McDevitt. He
compared the discretion of the lat-
ter with that of the police. “You
might be driving down the road
going 63 miles an hour in a 55 zone
and not get a ticket from one po-
lice officer. But the next day you’re
going the same speed and you get
a ticket from a different officer. That
inconsistency leaves a lot of people
willing to roll the dice with OSHA”
because they don’t understand the
regulations, he said.
Regs vs. Recommendations
“Then you’ve got ANSI, but
they’re not necessarily providing
regulations. It’s very confusing,”
McDevitt said.
The American National Stan-
dards Institute is a not-for-profit
organization that recommends
voluntary workplace standards.
Sometimes those standards are ad-
68 OCTOBER 2017
Safety.indd 68
Matt Brenner, vice president
of sales at Rockford Systems,
conducts a machine safeguarding
survey.
Fro m a re g ula to r y
standpoint, it is common
for OSHA to be cut and
dried in its expectations
and requirements while
organizations like ANSI
seek to promote effec-
tive work practices that
protect workers because
they’re recognized as
a valuable resource, ac-
cording to Grover. He be-
lieves that because of the
OSHA laws, many work-
Rockford Systems places seem focused on
simply meeting compli-
opted or adapted by governmental ance requirements “instead of fig-
agencies, such as OSHA. uring out the very best methods
“OSHA has the ability to set laws to get the job done with the least
that, in their mind, protect workers risk to the worker. So complying
from illness or injury and create re- with safety laws becomes conflic-
sponsibilities for their employers tual rather than an incentive to im-
to comply with,” said Todd Grover, prove processes.”
global senior manager for applied
safety solutions at Master Lock. Lockout/Tagout
He’s a participating member of A good example of regulatory
the ANSI Z244.1 committee on the complexity is the lockout/tagout
control of hazardous energy and a standard—formally titled “The Con-
delegate to the U.S. PC283 com- trol of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/
mittee contributing to the upcom- Tagout)”—which OSHA enacted
ing ISO 45001 global standard for in 1989. Lockout/tagout prohib-
occupational health and safety. its employees from maintaining
9/18/17 10:31 AM
 or servicing a machine unless its
power is off and some sort of lock
prevents people from resuming
power during maintenance or ser-
vice. Despite the standard being in
place for 28 years with little revision,
OSHA blames the failure to control
hazardous energy for almost 10 per-
cent of the serious accidents that
occur in many industries.
Grover said complying with lock-
out/tagout is challenging because
its expectations do not come with
precise criteria for performance and
its very nature is difficult to address.
If a potential issue is not predicted,
a facility may not be ready for it.
“There are a lot of safety prac-
tices, such as the use of safety
glasses or inspecting your forklift,
that happen routinely,” he said.
“But lockout often is used with
very little notice when a problem
occurs that demands a quick so-
lution. Many times, the resources
needed, like trained personnel and
the right equipment to secure en-
ergy sources, are not available. So
people are unprepared to apply
lockout, and the accidents happen
when—through their best inten-
tions to stop the machine—it sud-
denly starts up because it hasn’t
been secured.”
Furthermore, he said OSHA’s in-
sistence on applying lockout/tagout
so frequently for shop operations,
even when arguably unnecessary for
precautionary purposes, ironically
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Safety.indd 69
A Safety Partnership
Rockford Systems and Master Lock have formed a strategic
partnership to accelerate the adoption of safety technologies at
manufacturing facilities throughout North America. The companies
teamed up to reduce workplace accidents, improve job efficiencies
and help ensure that manufacturers comply with OSHA, ANSI and
NFPA 79 machine-guarding and lockout/tagout standards. For more information, scan
the QR matrix code on your smartphone or visit cteplus.delivr.com/2t6yt
can backfire and result in injuries. creased by 78 percent in 2016, from
“There are times that, technically, $7,000 to $12,471 for nonserious and
lockout is required when it’s not a serious violations and from $70,000
very dangerous task,” Grover said. to $124,709 for willful and repeat vi-
“So the worker will adopt a mind- olations. The maximum fines in 2017
set of ‘I’m wasting my time with are $12,675 and $126,749, respec-
lockout/tagout. I’m in control here. tively.
I know what’s going to happen. I’m Although penalty limits have
not going to use lockout to protect begun increasing, whether enforce-
myself.’ But underestimating the ment also will escalate has yet to be
ability of a machine to start up is the seen. Brenner predicts that it will
foundation of lockout accidents.” take another year or two to have a
clear answer, and despite noticing
Fines and Enforcement a heightened presence of OSHA
OSHA raised its maximum representatives at facilities this year,
fines last year for the first time McDevitt is unsure whether that indi-
since 1990 and tied them to infla- cates a trend. At multiple companies,
tion on an annual basis for subse- Herberger has observed a slight up-
quent years. Maximum penalties in- tick in enforcement. But he describes
financial penalties as almost irrele-
vant compared with such costly fac-
Greg Bartlett is tors as downtime, equipment dam-
managing editor age, lawsuits and reputational harm.
of CTE. Contact
him at (847) 714-
The actual penalty value that
0182 or gregb@ OSHA can assign to violations re-
jwr.com. mains “pretty paltry,” he said. The
threat to a company’s reputation is
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69
9/18/17 10:31 AM
 The Safety Dance
much more significant. A tactic that
OSHA has been trying lately is “to
shame manufacturers by plastering
violations all over its home page and
sending releases out about them,”
Herberger added. “If you have a se-
rious injury that results from some
sort of regulatory nonconformance,
you’re going to spend 10 times the
amount that OSHA would fine you.
The increased fines aren’t chang-
ing manufacturers’ decision-mak-
ing processes.”
ing that can hurt someone—a con-
veyor, a robot, a grinding wheel,
whatever that may be—making it
where people can’t get their selves,
their hands, their fingers, their hair,
into that is a common-sense ap-
proach to being safe as opposed
to following what a regulating body
says.”
Each year, OSHA inspects only a
tiny fraction of the employers under
be taken toward injuries, McDe-
vitt said. Avoiding accidents for a
certain period of time does not
necessarily reflect proper safety
measures.
“That is one of the biggest mis-
conceptions at any metalworking
company,” he said. “You may sim-
ply have an experienced staff who
knows how not to get hurt—and
then you bring in someone new.”

Safety First
Despite the potential for confu-
sion, if a company takes the right ap-
proach, the regulatory burden from
OSHA can seem secondary to the
overall issue of safety, experts said.
“When we see companies pro-
actively safeguarding machines, it’s
not because there’s been an in-
jury,” Brenner said. “It’s not be-
cause there’s been a visit and a fine.
It’s because they see there is cost
savings in making their machines
safe and creating a safe work envi-
ronment. Workers who feel valued
and safe are, in fact, more produc-
tive. More highly educated safety Faztek
personnel feel it’s the right thing to This machine guard uses a T-slotted frame and clear panels for easy viewing while keeping
do. At the corporate level, compa- sprayed fluids contained and off the ground to prevent slipping.
nies are starting to understand that
there are substantial costs in work- its jurisdiction. Even if a company is Herberger said one of his prior
place injuries.” visited and found to be compliant employers had many facilities and,
Safety is an investment, not an with regulations, that is no reason consequently, many incidents in any
expense, according to McDevitt. for celebration," Brenner said. given year, but only about 1 per-
“If you’ve got something mov- “Just because a machine is com- cent of those could be attributed
pliant with OSHA does not mean to a failure to adhere to regula-
contributors it’s completely safe,” he added. “Al- tions. Herberger considers regula-
Faztek LLC though not law, ANSI standards are tions the “minimum requirements”
(855) 598-7740 what they really should be shooting and nothing more in the quest for
www.faztek.net for to reduce risk and create a safe safety.
work environment. Most OSHA reg- Regulations were “derived
Master Lock Co. LLC ulations for metalworking machines through pain and blood, through
(800) 464-2088
haven’t changed in 40 years. The trial and error,” he said. “Perfect
www.masterlock.com
machines have changed, the tech- compliance with the regulations
Rockford Systems LLC nology has changed, but the laws will keep you in good standing with
(800) 922-7533 haven’t changed.” OSHA, but it’s not going to keep
www.rockfordsystems.com The same at titude should your employees safe.” CTE

70 OCTOBER 2017

Safety.indd 70 9/18/17 10:31 AM

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Shop considers investing in 5-axis machining.
By Christopher Tate
W hen I started my career in machining,
it was common to find machine shops
that did not have CNC machines. My family’s
shop, for example, did not get its first machin-
ing center until 1995. We paid what felt like a
king’s ransom for a small, 3-axis vertical ma-
chining center before adding another ma-
chining center and, eventually, 2-axis turning
centers.
What really made a difference was the ad-
dition of a rotary table as the 4th axis. Being
able to reach multiple sides of a part in a sin-
gle setup gave us a competitive edge. From
that point onward, every machining center we
72 OCTOBER 2017
5-Axis.indd 72
Hurco
purchased had a 4th axis.
Four-axis machining centers became the
norm at our shop, but over time it became
apparent that 5-axis machining was the holy
grail. Five-axis machining was an elusive goal
for our shop—the investment required, cou-
pled with the commoditized nature of the
parts, seemingly did not justify the expense.
On many occasions, we discussed the po-
tential ramifications of purchasing a 5-axis
machine. Ultimately, we decided against it.
Considerations
We studied how 5-axis machining related to
the geometry of the parts we manufactured
and how we would operate a 5-axis machine.
9/18/17 4:34 PM
Full page ads.indd 73 9/15/17 2:52 PM
 High (on) Five
Our parts were simple compared
with those produced by other man-
ufacturers. Aerospace parts like jet
engine blades and medical parts
such as replacement joints are com-
plex and often require simultane-
ous machine tool motion in all five
axes. (Machining in more than one
axis is called interpolation.)
Christopher Tate
is engineering
manager of
advanced
manufacturing
engineering
and machining
at the Savannah, Ga., facility
of Mitsubishi Hitachi Power
Systems Americas Inc., Lake
Mary, Fla. Contact him at
chris23tate@gmail.com.
74 OCTOBER 2017
5-Axis.indd 74
A simpler form of 5-axis machin-
ing is referred to as 5-sided, or 3+2,
machining. With this approach, a
part is manipulated so five sides of
a part are accessible, but interpola-
tion in all five axes is not necessary
to complete the geometry. Con-
sider a cube that has a feature ma-
chined on the top and each of the
four sides; the machine turns the
part so each side is positioned for
the tool to perform its work.
Next, we considered the dimen-
sional tolerances of our parts. Five-
axis machining makes it easy to
hold close dimensional tolerances
on multiple faces. Traditional ma-
chining methodology requires mul-
tiple workholding devices to access
all faces. Having a setup with mul-
tiple coordinate systems, multiple
workholding devices and numer-
ous setups makes troubleshooting
dimensional errors difficult.
Besides reducing the number of
9/19/17 9:54 AM
 Five-axis machining makes it easy
to hold close dimensional tolerances
on multiple faces.
workholders needed, 5-axis ma-
chining allows access to multiple
sides without moving the part.
Therefore, errors introduced from
fixtures, multiple machining ori-
gins and other setting errors are
to machine—they can be difficult
to inspect. Geometric dimension-
ing and tolerancing (GD&T) require-
ments found on complex parts often
necessitate using a coordinate mea-
suring machine. Although most
shops debating the merits of 5-axis
machines have a CMM, it is still a
consideration as CMM software and
hardware upgrades may be neces-
sary to support inspection of com-
plex geometry.

It became apparent that 5-axis machining

was the holy grail.
eliminated. Troubleshooting prob-
lems with true position and other
geometric errors is much easier
when using only one workholder
and one coordinate system.
Another consideration is inspec-
tion methods for 5-axis parts. Com-
plex geometries are not only difficult
Heller Machine Tools
Software and Style
When my family’s shop bought
its first machining center, we did
not purchase CAM software to
program the machine. Program-
ming was done at the machine with
a calculator, notepad and pencil.
However, our parts were relatively

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 High (on) Five
simple and did not require CAM
software. For most shops, moving
to 5-axis machining will likely call for
purchasing new or upgraded CAM
software.
Five-axis CAM software adds an-
other level of cost and should be
considered before purchasing a
5-axis machine. Software can eas-
ily cost $10,000 for a single 5-axis
license, and it may be necessary
to send programmers off-site for
training.
Finally, we had to consider the
style of machine we would buy.
Five-axis machines come in dis-
tinctive styles. Some have a spindle
mounted in an articulating head.
Others have a trunnion with a rotat-
ing table that tilts in the X-Y plane.
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76 OCTOBER 2017
5-Axis.indd 76
versions put a 2-axis rotary unit on
a 3-axis machine’s table. All styles
have unique advantages.
Trunnion-style machines were
best for our parts. This style mini-
mizes interference among cutting
tools, workholders and the ma-
chine, allowing for short, rigid tools
and compact setups.
Five-axis technology
can seem difficult to
justify financially.
Machines with articulating heads
were too large for our parts and
more expensive. We considered
purchasing a 3-axis machine and
installing a 2-axis rotary unit, but
we were concerned that integrat-
ing two components that were not
designed as a system would cause
reliability issues. (I learned later,
with extreMe aCCuraCy,
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through experience, that a 3-axis
machine with a 2-axis rotary unit
can work very well.)
Five-axis technology can seem
difficult to justify financially. Like
many other machine shops, we
were intimidated by the costs of
5-axis machining and chose not to
adopt the technology, ultimately
preventing us from gaining an ad-
vantage over our competitors. If
your shop makes parts that de-
mand multiple setups, parts that
have challenging geometry or parts
with difficult GD&T requirements,
5-axis machining could provide sig-
nificant benefits.
Do not let the potential cost of
the investment prevent you from
conducting a thorough cost analy-
sis of your current machining meth-
ods. It is possible you will discover
that investing in 5-axis machining is
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 Machine Technology Figure 2. In this
continued from page 33 machine, the
A-axis can tilt 110°
you cannot verify the precise posi- forward but only
tion because of the tilting limita- 30° in the opposite
tions (in one direction) on most AC- direction.
style trunnion machines. For exam-
ple, Figure 2 shows that the A-axis
can tilt 110° forward but only 30° in
the opposite direction. Because of
this limitation, you can’t locate the
true Y-axis centerline.
However, this procedure is in-
tended to provide the needed in-
formation in a pinch. When finding
the A-axis Z centerline, you must lo-
cate the surface of the C-axis table
to determine the Z-axis centerline.
Yet the actual procedure for finding
the Z-axis centerline will vary de- location of the table surface. (Ac- 6. Use the value found in the Y-
pending on the location from where count for the length of the master axis offset distance procedure
the centerline is measured, which length reference tool if used, the (where you used the edge finder
might differ depending on the par- 1-2-3 blocks or dial height gage, to locate the surface of the table),
ticular machine builder. and any gage blocks.) The resulting and add or subtract the value, as
For example, Hurco refers to the value will be the distance to the sur- needed, to determine the location
gage line of the spindle, which is face of the C-axis table. of the Z-axis centerline. CTE
a specific location on the spindle
taper. Other machine builders refer
to the face of the spindle nose. This
is why a complete understanding
of a particular machine is critical.
Therefore, step three is intention-
ally vague because I don’t know ex-
actly what will make contact with the
1-2-3 blocks or height gage used. (It
could be the face of the spindle or
the tip of a master length-reference
tool.)
1. Return the A-axis to 0°.
2. Place 1-2-3 blocks or a dial
height gage on the table surface so
the blocks or gage can be reached
when the Z-axis is jogged all the
way negative, which may require 20,045 of CTE’s 22,991 machine
stacking the blocks, depending on shop subscribers are managers.
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3. Jog the Z-axis down until con- Reach them by advertising in CTE.
tact is made with the top of the
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4. Note the current Z-axis ma- East
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5. Using the position from step

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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 77

MachineTech.indd 77 9/19/17 5:04 PM

 Productive Times

SLICING THROUGH THE CHALLENGE

D oubleStar Corp. is well known
for the firearms and accesso-
ries it manufactures at the com-
pany’s 65,000-sq.-ft. facility in Win-
chester, Ky. DoubleStar’s machine
shop houses Haas vertical and hori-
zontal machining centers and drill-
tap machines, a Doosan VMC and
turning centers, and Tsugami Swiss-
style machines.
About 2 years ago, DoubleStar,
launched in 1999 by Jack and Te-
resa Starnes, diversified its prod-
uct portfolio, adding knives and
other edged weapons. They are
machined from 1095 steel and S-7
tool steel; the company plans to
All images: DoubleStar

Tom Vagasky is CNC programmer at DoubleStar.

produce knives made of Nitro-V cutlery-grade steel.

However, machining a knife blade with sculptured
surfacing is a more complex job than producing, say,
a buttstock for a firearm, according to Tom Vagasky,
CNC programmer for DoubleStar. For example, the
company’s new Wrath edged weapon has six distinct
surfaces, each of which subtly bevels into the next so
the surfaces nearly blend together.
“That’s not something you could manually pro-
gram,” Vagasky said.
He added that the aesthetics and smoothness of a
blade are critical to the company’s customers. “People
who are into this can really see how everything flows
together.”
Vagasky was already writing CNC programs with
ESPRIT CAM software from DP Technology Corp., Ca-
marillo, Calif., but needed assistance from ESPRIT ap-
plication engineers when blade production entered the
picture. Vagasky said their advice proved quite helpful
to get him up and running on the first couple of knives.
However, to augment the remote technical support, he
visited DP Technology’s office in Rosemont, Ill., to re-
ceive personalized training.
“That was a very intense 4 days,” Vagasky said about
the training. “I’d been using ESPRIT for almost 7 years,
but I was covering stuff I had no clue even existed.”
He added that the training taught him how to
78 OCTOBER 2017

ProTimes.indd 78 9/18/17 10:39 AM


END USER
DoubleStar Corp.
(888) 736-7725
www.star15.com
CHALLENGE Write CNC programs to efficiently machine knives.
SOLUTION 3D milling strategies in a CAM program.
program part features directly from
a solid model and better under-
stand 3D milling strategies to, for
example, extend a surface to obtain
the sharp edges of a knife.
Vagasky emphasized that two
milling strategies in particular are
beneficial for producing knives:
DoubleStar says its Wrath tomahawk edged
weapon, shown without its textured handle,
can hack through a car’s A-pillar.
between curves and composite.
The former enables setting up a
free-form shape and then describ-
ing it with chains, which bounds the
surface to be machined. The latter,
ProTimes.indd 79
GRIPPERS.
PINS.
ROLLERS.
SOLUTION PROVIDER
DP Technology Corp.
(800) 627-8479
www.espritcam.com
which is employed more frequently,
allows surfaces to be finely blended
together, such as a plunge line ex-
tending into another surface.
The programming process be-
gins with the engineering depart-
ment providing a solid model of the
part, which is then imported into the
CAM software, Vagasky said. Then
he determines how the part should
be held and machined.
“Once I get everything done, I
can go ahead and simulate machin-
ing to make sure my surfaces look
good and my rotations of the rotary
table are good, if I’m using a rotary,”
Vagasky said. “I can see all that from
the ESPRIT system.”
To exercise greater control over
costs and quality, DoubleStar
has begun bringing in-house the
production of many complex parts
that were previously outsourced.
“Without ESPRIT, we would not
have been able to bring a lot
of these parts under our roof,” Va-
gasky said.
In addition, the CAM software
enables DoubleStar to continually
improve its efficiency, according to
Vagasky. “When my foreman’s out
on the floor and he sees something
that needs to be changed to make it
better, I can pull it up on the screen
and make the change. And boom—
we’re running it a better way.” CTE
FRL-082 2.25x9.75.indd 1 ctemag.com/cteguide.com 79
12/21/16 9:53 AM
9/18/17 10:39 AM
 People & Companies
PEOPLE
■ Cincinnati Inc., Harrison,
Ohio, named Rakesh Kumar vice
president of sales, marketing and
service. Cincinnati manufactures
laser-cutting, automation
and other metal fabrication
equipment.
■ Scott Lister was appointed
regional sales manager, covering
Texas and Louisiana, for
Dorner Manufacturing Corp.,
Hartland, Wis. He will work with
sales channel partners and key
accounts to grow the company’s
industrial and sanitary conveyor
business.
■ Paul Polesnak joined
Franklin Bronze Precision
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P&C.indd 80
Alonso Acevedo, Desiré Karp,
Haimer Mexico Haimer USA
Components LLC, Franklin, Pa.,
which manufactures investment
castings, as quality-assurance
manager.
■ Haimer Mexico, Santiago
de Querétaro, Mexico, brought
in Alonso Acevedo as general
manager. His role will include
strategic planning and directing
companywide sales, marketing
and logistics initiatives throughout
Mexico. In other company news,
Haimer USA LLC, Villa Park, Ill.,
named Desiré Karp marketing
coordinator. She will be the lead
organizer of trade shows, training,
events and support marketing
efforts in North America. Haimer
produces tools, toolholders,
presetters and tool-balancing
machines.
■ Kito Americas Inc.,
Manheim, Pa., which
manufactures chain hoists,
wire rope hoists and cranes,
promoted Chris Hess, Jason Said
and Ken Woidill. Hess is vice
president of quality and product
development engineering for
Kito Americas. Said is director
of business development at
Harrington Hoists Inc., Manheim,
Pa., and oversees marketing and
sales strategies for the product
development of hoists and lifting.
Woidill is managing director of
Harrington Hoists.
■ LNS America Inc., Cincinnati,
Michael Roche, Bo Shomaker,
Pferd Schunk USA
appointed Bob Bodde regional
sales manager for Michigan,
Ohio, western Pennsylvania,
Kentucky and West Virginia. He
will be responsible for sales and
customer support of bar feeders,
chip and coolant management
systems, air filtration products and
workholding devices.
■ Machine tool builder
Matsuura Machinery USA
Inc., St. Paul, Minn., announced
a number of personnel
appointments. Stephan Haight is
Western regional sales manager.
Thomas Houle was named
director of Matsuura’s metal-
additive-manufacturing product
line; he will be responsible for
the division’s overall operation
and performance. David Hudson
is vice president of sales and
marketing. Hannah James is
sales assistant and will provide
general support to the Matsuura
sales team. Kana Moore is service
assistant and will provide general
support to the Matsuura service
team. R.J. Reed is Midwest
regional sales manager. Larissa
Stemberger is accounting
clerk and will conduct accounts
payable/receivable tasks.
■ Pferd Inc., Milwaukee, a
manufacturer and distributor of
abrasives, brushes and power
tools, appointed Michael Roche
account manager of the pipeline
9/18/17 12:14 PM
 market. He will LLC, Warren, Ohio, was sold in to continue to serve its customers
be responsible a court-ordered receivership. wherever they are located.
for developing The company formed a strategic ■ Toolmaker Heule Tool

working partnership with bearing Corp., Cincinnati, named Bullock

relationships manufacturer CW Bearing Group, Tooling & Accessories Inc.,
with pipeline Northville, Mich., to enable Drake Upland, Calif., the company’s
channel
customers in
Jeffrey Reinert,
Schütte the U.S. and
Canada while
providing
technical assistance.
■ Schunk USA, Morrisville,

N.C., which provides gripping

systems and clamping technology,
appointed Bo Shomaker vice
president of sales, tooling and
workholding.
■ Schütte LLC, Jackson, Mich.,

which builds multispindle machine

tools and grinders, appointed
Jeffrey Reinert CEO for North
American operations.
■ Supfina Machine Co.

Inc., North Kingstown, R.I., a

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two members to its U.S. sales
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regional sales manager for the tick. But, every now and then you may come across a
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■ Unist Inc., Grand Rapids,
the industry’s best peer-to-peer resource, so you can
Mich., which manufactures fluid find the right solution for you. Practical Machinist is
application systems, hired Jeff the most visited, free metalworking resource on the
Stowe as territory manager. web. Register, post your questions, browse the 2.9
■ Vero Software Ltd.,
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Cheltenham, England, which than 134,000 other industry pros—just like you.
develops CAD/CAM/CAE
software, hired Sales Account Visit PracticalMachinist.com today!
Manager David Lee to represent
the Edgecam and Surfcam brands
from his office in Bellevue, Wash.

COMPANIES
tool builder Drake
■ Machine

Manufacturing Services Co.

prac5620_2017_Sept Print Ad_CTE.indd 1 8/30/17 81

ctemag.com/cteguide.com 3:01 PM

P&C.indd 81 9/18/17 12:14 PM

 People & Companies

representative in Southern
California.
■ Kyocera Corp., Kyoto,

Japan, acquired fastener and tool

manufacturer Senco Holdings
Inc., Cincinnati. The combined
enterprise has been renamed
Kyocera Senco Industrial Tools
Inc.
■ MachiningCloud Inc.,

Camarillo, Calif., and Colibri

Spindles Ltd., Lavon, Israel,
partnered to provide Colibri
Spindles product data in the
cloud. MachiningCloud is Siemens Industry

a product data provider for Control manufacturer Siemens Industry Inc. expanded its Technical Application Center in
cutting tools, CNC machines Elk Grove Village, Ill. The center offers classroom training, online, instructor-led training and
online, self-paced training to machine tool dealers, importers and end users of Sinumerik
and workholding, and Colibri
CNCs.
Spindles manufactures high-
speed spindles. MachiningCloud ■ Machine tool builder Okuma constructing an expansion at
similarly partnered with toolmaker America Corp., Charlotte, N.C., its headquarters that will more
Melin Tool Co., Cleveland, and welcomed Kitchener, Canada- than double the size of its facility.
Renishaw PLC, Wotton-under- based Praemo, which helps The company plans to invest
Edge, U.K., a provider of on- companies adopt technologies $30 million in infrastructure,
machine probes. related to the IIoT, to Partners equipment and personnel by
■ Master Lock Co. LLC, in THINC. Partners in THINC is 2022.
Oak Creek, Wis., and Rockford a collaborative network of more ■ Transor Filter USA, Elk

(Ill.) Systems LLC announced a than 40 companies that come Grove Village, Ill., which provides
joint initiative to accelerate the together to solve problems and coolant filtration systems,
adoption of safety technologies explore productivity ideas for expanded its facility in Kunshan,
throughout the North American manufacturers. China. Established in 2008, the
manufacturing sector. Master ■ Schunk USA, Morrisville, facility now occupies 29,000
Lock offers security and safety N.C., which manufactures sq. ft. and has 23 employees in
equipment, and Rockford Systems clamping technology and sales, engineering, assembly and
makes machine safeguarding. gripping systems, started service. CTE

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 WATCH EVERYWHERE
Tune into CUTTING TOOL ENGINEERING’s staff-produced
videos wherever you go—and on all your electronic devices:
desktop computer, laptop, mobile phone, tablet, smart TV
Visit: delivr.com/2Wvnn

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CTEMAG.indd
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9/15/17 3:13
3:15 PM
PM
®
 Ad Index
ADVERTISER NAME PAGE # CONTACT NAME CONTACT PHONE CONTACT EMAIL / WEBSITE
Abrasive Technology Inc. 61 Customer Service 740-548-4100 customerservice@abrasive-tech.com / www.abrasive-tech.com
Agathon Machine Tools 18 Roland Merk 203-730-8741 rmerk@agathonusa.com / www.agathon.com
A.G. Davis/AA Gage 75 Greg Chapman 586-977-9000 agdavis@agdavis.com / www.agdavis-aagage.com
Allied Machine and Engineering 25 Deborah Belew 800-321-5537 info@alliedmachine.com / www.alliedmachine.com
AMAMCO Tool 43 Andrew Gilpin 800-833-2239 andrew.gilpin@amamcotool.com / www.amamcotool.com
ASC Industrial Air Filtration 56 Jon Basti 866-619-7686 jonb@ascaircleaning.com / www.ascaircleaning.com
Beckett Packaging, a div. of MOCAP 40 Jim Boehm 800-649-4980 sales@beckettpackaging.com / www.beckettpackaging.com
BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc. 57 Ronald Lawson 888-TOOL-PRO bigkaiser@bigkaiser.com / www.bigkaiser.com
Bluco Corporation 51 Brian Dodsworth 800-535-0135 bdodsworth@bluco.com / www.bluco.com
Castrol Industrial North America 35 Customer Care 877-641-1600 techhelp@castrol.com / www.castrol.com/industrial
Clausing Industrial Inc. 36 Kevin Mungovan 269-585-8194 km@clausing-industrial.com / www.clausing-industrial.com
CNC Software Inc. 37 Ben Mund 800-228-2877 info@mastercam.com / www.mastercam.com
Cogsdill Tool Products Inc. 39 Don Aycock 803-438-0262 donaycock@cogsdill.com / www.cogsdill.com
DropsA USA 10 Ryan Mikolasik 586-566-1540 rmikolasik@dropsausa.com / www.dropsausa.com
Dura-Mill 50 David Walrath 518-899-2255 djw@duramill.com / www.duramill.com
Emuge Corporation 20 Customer Service/Sales 800-323-3013 info@emuge.com / www.emuge.com
Eriez Manufacturing Co. 21 Dan Zimmerman 888-300-ERIEZ (3743) eriez@eriez.com / www.eriez.com
E-Z Burr Tool Co. 32 Dan Ewing 844-363-0240 dewing@ezburr.com / www.ezburr.com/cte
Fairlane Products Inc. 79 Justin Gordon 800-548-2935 jgordan@fairlaneproducts.com / www.fairlaneproducts.com
FANUC America Corporation 71 Derek Sheedy 847-898-5679 derek.sheedy@fanucamerica.com / www.fanucamerica.com
Fives Landis Corporation 22 440-709-0700 citcoinfo@fivesgroup.com / www.fivesgroup.com/tools
G.W. Schultz Tool 55 Adam Lafferty 866-866-5497 adam@gwschultz.com / www.gwschultz.com
Genevieve Swiss Industries Inc. 74 Scott Laprade 413-562-4800 slaprade@genswiss.com / www.genswiss.com
Greenleaf Corporation 58-59 Bill Greenleaf 814-763-2915 sales@greenleafcorporation.com / www.greenleafcorporation.com
HAINBUCH America Corporation 54 Mike Larson 414-358-9550 mlarson@hainbuchamerica.com / www.hainbuch.com
Heimatec Inc.-Tecnicrafts 75 Preben Hansen 847-749-0633 www.heimatecinc.com
Henkel Corporation 49 Carrie Cioffi-McGuire 248-589-4640 carrie.cioffi-mcguire@henkel.com / www.henkel-northamerica.com
HORN USA Inc. 31 Jason Farthing 888-818-HORN technicalsales@hornusa.com / www.hornusa.com
Hurco Cos. Inc. 29 Maggie Smith 317-298-2622 smithmag@hurco.com / www.hurco.com
Iscar Metals Inc. Cover 2 Customer Service 877-BY-ISCAR information@iscarmetals.com / www.iscarmetals.com
J.W. Done Co. 48 Michael Kapgan 510-784-0667 mkapgan@jwdone.com / www.jwdone.com
Kays Engineering Inc. 56 Matthew Kays 660-886-9929 matt.kays@kays-dehoff.com / www.kays-dehoff.com
Koma Precision Inc. 7 Janee Agosti 860-627-7059 janee@komaprecision.com / www.komaprecision.com
Kyocera Precision Tools Inc. Cover 3 Mark Gardiner 828-698-4137 mark.gardiner@kyocera.com / www.kyoceraprecisiontools.com
Lang Technovation 16 Kerstin Pynakker 262-446-9850 k.pynakker@lang-technovation.com / www.lang-technovation.com
Machine Control Technologies Inc. 30 Sam Yu 951-808-0973 machinecontroltech@sbcglobal.net / www.machinecontroltechnologies.com
MERSEN 67 Gerald Uberti 814-781-8489 gerry.uberti@mersen.com / edm.mersen.com
Microcut 60 Joe Dennehy 781-582-8090 info@microcutusa.com / www.microcutusa.com
Mitee-Bite Products LLC 80 Andy Arsenault 603-539-4538 andy@miteebite.com / www.miteebite.com
Mitsubishi Electric Automation Inc. 12 Justin Kueker 847-478-2500 justin.kueker@meau.com / us.mitsubishielectric.com/fa/en
Nachi America (Cutting Tools) 17 Matt Jones 317-362-5048 mjones@nachiamerica.com / www.nachiamerica.com
NT USA Corporation 68 Cameron Lea 615-771-1899 cameron@nttoolusa.com / www.nttoolusa.com
NTK Cutting Tools 53 Melissa Singher 248-668-0100 msingher@ntktech.com, ctinfo@ntktech.com / www.ntkcuttingtools.com
OMG North America LLC 65 Mark Johnson 866-440-8519 markj@omgamerica.com / www.omgamerica.com
OSG USA Inc. 44-45 Tak Aoyama 630-274-2065 tak.aoyama@osgtool.com / www.osgtool.com

The Advertisers Index is provided as a courtesy to advertisers. Every effort is made to avoid errors, but should one occur, CTE is not responsible.

Reviewed by the Engineering Index. Cutting Tool Engineering® (ISSN:0011-4189) is published monthly. Copyright 2017 by CTE Publications
Inc., 1 Northfield Plaza, Suite 240, Northfield, IL 60093-1213. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Winnetka, IL 60093 and additional
mailing offices. Circulated in the U.S.A. to qualified individuals concerned with the material-cutting function in industry. For others, subscriptions
are $75 per year in the U.S.A.; $125 in Canada. Other foreign subscriptions are $125 per year; overseas delivery via airmail, $195. Editorial Produced in the U.S.A.
and advertising offices: 1 Northfield Plaza, Suite 240, Northfield, IL 60093-1213. Phone (847) 498-9100; Fax (847) 559-4444. This magazine
is protected under U.S. and international copyright laws. Before reproducing anything from this publication, call the Copyright Clearance
Center Inc. at (978) 750-8400. CTE Publications makes every effort to ensure that the processes described in Cutting Tool Engineering
conform to sound machining practices. Neither the authors nor the publisher can be held responsible for injuries sustained while following
procedures described herein. Postmaster: Send address changes to Cutting Tool Engineering, P.O. Box 2747, Orlando, FL 32802-2747.
Canada Post: Publications Mail Agreement #40065725. Canada returns to be sent to 2835 Kew Dr., Windsor, ON N8T 3B7.

84 OCTOBER 2017

Adindex.indd 84 9/19/17 3:55 PM

 ADVERTISER NAME PAGE # CONTACT NAME CONTACT PHONE CONTACT EMAIL / WEBSITE
PFERD INC. 64 Maria Cartier 262-255-3200 sales@pferdusa.com / www.pferdusa.com
PRAB 19 Mike Hook 269-382-8241 mike.hook@prab.com / www.prab.com
Practical Machinist 81 www.practicalmachinist.com
Pratt Burnerd America 41 B.J. Lillibridge 800-253-0820 bj@prattburnerd.com / www.prattburnerd.com
Precision Cutting Tools Inc. 11 Louie Covarrubias 562-921-7898 sales@pctcutters.com / www.pctcutters.com
Rollomatic Inc. 63 Eric Schwarzenbach 866-713-6398 solutions@rollomaticusa.com / www.rollomaticusa.com
RoTec Tools Ltd. 74 Ivo Straessle 845-621-9100 info@rotectools.com / www.rotectools.com
Sandvik Coromant Co. 5 Robert Kogan 800-SANDVIK robert.kogan@sandvik.com / www.sandvik.coromant.com/us
Schütte North America 9 800-668-4035 rfq@schutteusa.com / www.schutteusa.com
Scientific Cutting Tools 69 Todd White 805-584-9495 t.white@sct-usa.com / www.sct-usa.com
Seco Tools LLC 26-27 Customer Service 800-832-8326 marketing.us@secotools.com / www.secotools.com
T.M. Smith Tool Intl. Corporation 13 Jared McKown 800-521-4894 sales@tmsmith.com / www.tmsmith.com
Somma Tool Co. Inc. 76 Jerry Somma 203-753-2114 sales@sommatool.com / www.sommatool.com
Star SU LLC 33 Mark Parillo 847-649-1450 mparillo@star-su.com / www.star-su.com
Stor-Loc 85 Mike Ryan 800-STOR-LOC sales@storloc.com / www.storloc.com
Superior Tool Service Inc. 73 Christie Whitney 316-945-8488 christie@stsincusa.com / www.superiortoolservice.com
TechMet Carbides Inc. 14, 15 Steve Paulding 828-624-0222 s.paulding@techmet-carbide.com / www.techmet-carbide.com
TE-CO Workholding Technology 76 Ray Strickland 800-543-4071 rstrickland@te-co.com / www.te-co.com
Tool-Flo Manufacturing Inc. 1 Doug McLaughlin 800-345-2815 dmclaughlin@toolflo.com / www.toolflo.com
Tungaloy America Inc. Cover 4 Lisa Penzick 888-554-8394 lpenzick@tungaloyamerica.com / www.tungaloyamerica.com
Walter USA LLC 23 Kurt Ludeking 800-945-5554 service.us@walter-tools.com / www.walter-tools.com/us
Wetmore Tool & Engineering 78 Phil Kurtz 800-708-3713 info@hpwetmore.com / www.hpwetmore.com
YG-1 Tool Co. Ltd. 2 Shane Hollenbaugh 800-765-8665 shanehollenbaugh@yg1usa.com / www.yg1usa.com
Zebra Skimmers Corporation 81 888-249-4855 sales@zebraskimmers.com / www.zebraskimmers.com

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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 85

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 75 psi 10 cfm
1 lb. 1 lb. 1 lb.

100 psi 100 cfm

1 lb. 1 lb. 1 lb.

Atlas Copco

Figure 1 (left). Pressure is typically measured in psi and determines an air compressor’s ability to perform a certain amount of work
at a given point in time. Figure 2 (right). Flow is typically measured in cubic feet per minute at a specific pressure and indicates an air
compressor’s ability to continuously perform a task.

Industry Briefs
continued from page 21
needed to perform the job. If the
minimum pressure required is 100
psi but the compressor can’t pro-
vide it, the job won’t get done.
However, too much pressure can
damage compressed air equipment
or cause it to operate erratically.
Each pneumatically powered de-
You can also enjoy
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Visit your app store
and download
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www.ctemag.com
vice has a stated pressure range in
which it works reliably, and these
limits must not be exceeded.
Flow is the ability of an air com-
pressor to continuously perform a
task. In the U.S., flow is typically mea-
sured in cubic feet per minute (cfm)
at a specific pressure. The amount of
flow depends on the length of time
needed to complete the task.
For example, if you only had to
move the previously mentioned
block a short distance every hour,
a small compressor with a com-
pressed-air storage tank would be
suitable. The compressor would re-
fill the tank, storing the air until the
next time it was needed to move
the block. However, if the process
required the block to continuously
move during a 24-hour period, a
larger compressor with continuous
flow would be needed.
Insufficient flow will require
breaks to be taken during the pro-
cess while the compressor builds up
pressure in a reserve air tank. Fre-
quent breaks to let pressure build
or pressure that builds slowly indi-
cates that air may be leaking from
the compressed air system.
Pressure is determined by the
job being performed. For instance,
spraying paint requires significantly
less pressure than bottle blowing.
Flow is determined by how many
of these jobs must be performed
simultaneously or how often they
must be performed.
For a given compressor, such as
a 50-hp (37.3kW) one, flow will de-
crease as pressure increases, and
vice versa. Therefore, it’s important
to purchase a compressor that opti-
mizes flow and pressure.
And keep in mind that every 2 psi
(0.14 bar) increase in pressure results
in 1 percent more energy needed to
maintain the same airflow (cfm).
—Steve Bruno,
30-90kW Rotary Screw Product
Marketing Manager, Atlas Copco
U.S. CUTTING TOOL SALES SLIDE:
The total billings index for mem-
ber-companies of the United States
Cutting Tool Institute fell 1.1 per-
cent from June to July. Compared
to July 2016, however, the July 2017
index climbed 16.8 percent.
Total billings in dollars for July
were up 1.8 percent compared to
June.
Call (216) 241-7333 or visit www.
uscti.com for more information
about USCTI. CTE
Total Billings Index (The index uses 2012 annual
data, which equals 100 percent, as its baseline.)
2016 2017
February 93.9% 92.0%
March 99.2% 105.5%
April 94.0% 88.9%
May 89.2% 101.2%
June 95.6% 98.2%
July 80.3% 97.1%
The USCTI collected the above data from member-companies.

86 OCTOBER 2017

CTE 1-6 vert.indd 1 1/13/15 8:28 PM

IndustryNews.indd 86 9/20/17 9:51 AM

 Look-Ahead believes that it has created a sys-
continued from page 88 tem that does so: the toii Platform.
This makes it possible to digitally
ST Robotics, Princeton, N.J., visit connect bandsaws and bending
www.strobotics.com or call (609) machines; mobile objects, such as
584-7522. cranes; complex production facil-
ities, such as slitting and cut-to-
ALL TOGETHER NOW length lines; and sophisticated pro-
cessing and machining solutions.
to our needs. It will enable us to ac-
celerate the automation of our pro-
duction operations and make our
processes much more efficient,”
said Hans-Josef Hoss, thyssenkrupp
Materials Services board member.
The system has been success-
fully used at various thyssenkrupp
facilities in Germany, and plans are

T he promise of the industrial inter-

net of things (IIoT) is that every
aspect of the manufacturing process,
The platform allows machines to
share data and communicate with
one another and IT systems.
from product design to delivery, can It also is designed to simplify data
be digitized, networked, monitored analysis through a clear, easily navi-
and, based on the collected data, gated system accessed with the
improved. The challenge is that it’s click of a mouse, the company re-
hard to realize a system that effec- ports. Processes can be planned
tively can communicate with such a and coordinated optimally and flex-
wide array of systems and devices. ibly—across locations worldwide.
They perform a broad range of tasks, The platform is highly scalable and
were made by various manufacturers can integrate up to several hundred
and differ in age. machines a year.
For its own in-house use, thys- “We’ve created an end-to-end
senkrupp Materials Services GmbH solution that is tailored specifically
in place to deploy it in the U.S. and
U.K. as well. According to Michael
Ridder, the company’s head of com-
munications, all data affiliated with
the platform is hosted on a cen-
tral server in Germany. To comply
with all data protection law require-
ments, local servers will also be
used for the system in the U.K. and
U.S. as part of the platform’s rollout.
For more information about thys-
senkrupp Materials Services GmbH,
Essen, Germany, visit www.thyssen
krupp-materials-services.com or call
+49 (201) 844-534416. CTE

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ctemag.com/cteguide.com 87

LookAhead.indd 87 9/18/17 12:03 PM

 Look-Ahead

This month Cutting Tool Engineering covers:

■ A collaborative-robot safety system.
■ An IIoT platform for connecting machines of different types.

By Michael C. Anderson

SECURING ROBOTS’ collaborative robotics system is the workspace, programmable decel-

‘PERSONAL SPACE’ first one specifically designed to eration stops the cobot long before
meet those safety specifications. it makes contact with the person.

C ollaborative robotics has three

aspects: the human, the robot
and the workspace where the task
The ST Robotics Workspace
Sentry system is the result of step-
ping back from the robot itself
Once the area is cleared, the cobot
can continue on its way.
This approach is safer than de-
is to be completed. Much of the and looking at the workspace as pending on the cobot to stop only
media coverage has focused ex- well. The system includes a small after a person comes into contact
clusively on the ro-
bots themselves—
the efficient Baxter
and the distinctively
green FANUC ro-
bots, for example.
With human
safety in mind, these
machines may be
purposely limited in
weight and speed
and are given a soft
surface in case they
accidentally con-
tact a mortal co-
worker. They have
trip torque sensors
that stop the col-
laborative robot, or ST Robotics
cobot, as soon as it The ST Robotics Workspace Sentry system uses infrared scanning to monitor a cobot’s work area.
is touched.
But is that enough? No robot module that infrared-scans the co- with it—particularly with larger,
stops instantly, as Newton’s laws bot’s personal space. Each mod- heavier cobots.
make clear. Relying on the cobot’s ule has three beams set at different “A robot that is tuned to stop
ability to stop after it’s touched in- angles, and the distance a beam on impact may not be safe,” said
volves risk. Once a cobot collides reaches is adjustable. Two or more David Sands, president and CEO of
with a human, it’s too late. But at the modules can be daisy-chained to ST Robotics. “Robots where the trip
same time, setting the torque trip at monitor a wider area. If a human torques are set at low thresholds
a low threshold may render a cobot puts his or her hand into the cobot’s are too slow for any practical indus-
too slow to be useful. trial application. The best system is
These concerns are addressed in where the work area has proximity
Michael C.
ISO/TS 15066 on collaborative op- detectors so the robot stops before
Anderson is senior
eration, which provides guidelines editor of CTE.
impact, and that is the approach ST
for the design and implementation Contact him at Robotics has taken.”
of a collaborative workspace that (734) 606-9673 or For more information about
reduces risk to people. And a new mike@jwr.com. continued on page 87

88 OCTOBER 2017

LookAhead.indd 88 9/18/17 12:03 PM

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