Tilting Tools

Turn mill operators are faced with a bewildering number of tooling choices Tooling up a CNC lathe was once a straightforward exercise. Mount and touch off an 80° diamond for roughing, along with whatever profile of finishing tool you fancy.…

From Coding to Chipmaking

Kitchener software developer tackles high speed machining Imagine running into a problem with your G-code—maybe one of the 3D surfaces on the mould cavity you’ve been programming is a little wonky, or a feature blend isn’t quite right. Wouldn’t it…

Cutting it down to size

Machining small parts takes big precision and plenty of know-how Without micromachining, we’d still be watching the Red Green Show on tube-style TV sets and calling Aunt Emma on a rotary dialer to discuss the family reunion. Contact lenses wouldn’t…

Mini Mills

Nineteen minutes into the second period and the University of Ottawa’s womn’s hockey team, the Gee-Gees, trails by one. Out of nowhere, the Montreal Carabins’ left wing bruiser Helga Lefèvre smashes Gee-Gees centre Holly McDuff into the boards, fracturing her…

Tightrope Walkers

In his 2011 MICROmanufacturing article, “Life on the Small Wire,” Dave Kari, director of wire electrical discharge machining at Top Tool Co., discussed the challenges of learning to machine parts with extremely thin wire. Three years later, Kari’s learning curve…