When US snowmobile racer “Monster” Mike Schultz lost his leg, he knew life would be different. What he didn’t know was how different. Schultz began his snocross career in 1998 when he was a junior in high school, a time when most of us are still learning to drive the family car. He quickly progressed to semi-pro, and by 2003 he was[…]
If you have a handful of parts to check, you’ll probably pick up a micrometer. If you’re going to measure a truckload of them, however, only an automated solution will do. But measurement systems come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and offer more options than a new car. Deciding which one is best[…]
Rotational molding was invented in the mid-1800s as a means of producing hollow objects with consistent wall thicknesses. Since then, the process has been used to make everything from playground equipment to artillery shells. Today’s molds are filled with polyethylene powder the consistency of granulated sugar (the stuff plastic soda bottles are made of), then[…]
It’s the 47th lap of the Indianapolis 500. You’ve been leading the pack all morning but the left rear tire is getting a bit squishy. After signaling the crew to get ready, you barrel down pit lane and slide to a stop before the garage, just as the tire changers come running out equipped with[…]
The U.S. economy appears to be on the mend. In January, the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation gave a tentative thumbs up to sustained business expansion through the first half of 2013. And the Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index rose again in January, painting an optimistic picture. Maybe it’s time to buy that[…]
Endmilling is a mainstay of micromachining. And while micro and macro milling operations share certain similarities, there are several key differences—and surprises. One eye opener when shopping for micro-endmills is their cost—as the size goes down, the price goes up. Sometimes way up. Where a commodity 1/8” endmill might cost $6, a micro version 1/10th that[…]
Once-revolutionary microdevices that allow doctors to examine internal parts of the human body are now commonplace. One of the most commonly used of these devices is the endoscope, and its use is growing. The U.S. endoscopy market was valued at more than $9.87 billion in 2011, according to Sara Whitmore, analyst manager at iData Research[…]
Drilling cross-holes in some parts is no big deal. These are often simple parts, such as aluminum valve bodies, where the holes aren’t too deep and meet on-center, and the customer can live with a small burr at the intersection. On the other end of the spectrum are P-2 tool steel injection molds for complex[…]
Tim St. Martin knew there had to be a better way of fixturing parts on his company’s 5-axis machine tools. “We’d visited some of our suppliers and saw how they were holding parts on their 5-axis machines,” said the senior manager of manufacturing engineering for Carlsbad, Calif.-based orthopedic implant manufacturer Alphatec Spine Inc. “They were[…]
In the 1964 movie of the same name, the evil Goldfinger spoke fondly of industrial lasers. “You can put a spot on the moon or cut through solid metal with one,” he said to James Bond, strapped to a gold table and about to be laser-beamed in two. Luckily for Bond, the laser wasn’t very[…]