Magazine Articles

		Performance Racing Boot Up the Latest CAD/CAM Software June 2009 Computers and computer software change continuously with speed, capacity, and processing abilities expanding at near lightning speed. The challenge side is that obsolescence is an ongoing reality. The good news is that updates improve accuracy, speed, and capability, resulting in a more cost-effective process.

EDM Today Recession Buster April 2009 Today’s economic climate has shops around the world working hard to make sure they get the most out of their existing equipment. Software has no exception. Just as a shop tries to make sure they get everything they can out of their machine tools, they are wise to take the time to fully explore the CAD/CAM software they currently use. Many shops will be pleasantly surprised at what they find.		Manufacturing Engineering NHRA Pit Crew Runs a CNC Shop April 2009 It has been a long time since a Ford has ranked high in the NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) Pro Stock Car Racing standings. In its quest to do something about that, Cunningham Motor Sports turned to CAM software to squeeze more horsepower out of standard Ford engines. New CAD/CAM Software Tools Improve Productivity and Boost Programming Efficiency Software review

Cutting Tool Engineering The Impeller - Quintessential Example of 5-axis Machining March 2009 Few 5-axis machine users ever cut an impeller. Yet impellers are repeatedly used as examples by CAD/CAM software vendors and machine tool builders. There is a practical reason for this. Impellers have challenging shapes that ably demonstrate 5-axis capabilities.		Cutting Tool Engineering Turning Machines Improve Accuracy February 2009 A study conducted at Independent Quality Laboratory, Rockville, R.I., showed that via a process known as SuperTuning, the volumetric positioning accuracy of a moderately priced machine tool can be improved twofold vs. the same machine that was purchased and installed to the manufacturer’s standard specifications. Fail-Safe CAM Compilation article from many different CAM vendors.

Manufacturing Engineering Turbine Technologies January 2009 Instead of thinking in terms of shrinking the "time to market," Turbine Technologies focuses on compressing "time to test." This is particularly true for its newest product, the PT-50 turboshaft engine for UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles).		Moldmaking Technology Toolmakers Will All Have College Degrees January 2009 When Anchor Glass Container Corporation’s Mold Division needed to upgrade its capabilities for decorating the molds it produces for glass bottle manufacturing, engineers consulted with Zane State College to find out what software product was being taught in its Computerized Machine Tool Systems courses.

American Machinist Is the Most Popular CAD/CAM Package the Best? December 2008 According to the latest analysis of the CAM software market produced by CIMdata, Inc., Mastercam from CNC Software Inc. with more than 135,000 installations, is more than twice as popular as its nearest competitor.		American Machinist Software Tips from the 10 Best Shops November 2008 In talking to the people who run this year’s 10 Best Shops, the same patterns emerged that we’ve seen in the 10 Best Shops in the past two years. Six of these top ten shops are using Mastercam!

Modern Application News Prepping the Next Generation of Metalworkers November 2008 A community in rural Idaho took a look at what was needed to prepare its students for jobs in the metalworking industry and implemented an education system to ready them to work in any first-class shop in the country.		American Machinist The Soft Side of Performance Racing December 2008 There are drag racers, dirt track racers, road racers, offroad racers, rock crawlers, motorcycle racers, go-cart racers and more, and all of them have at least one thing in common – the vehicles they race need machined parts.

Modern Machine Shop Programming A Robot The Way You Program A CNC Machine Tool October 2008 It’s almost universally taken for granted that a multi-axis machine tool must be programmed with CAM software especially developed for this purpose. Now, that same kind of software can be used to program a six-axis robot arm.		Today's Medical Developments Product Development on the Fly October 2008 Companies that wish to compete in any aspect of medical device manufacturing have to be fast and flexible. The speed requirement results from the seemingly countless trial, evaluation and approval steps required to bring a medical device to market.

Production Machining Programming Lathes: Eliminate Cutting Air On The Second Pass October 2008 As you watch your tool cut into nothing but air during a turning operation, do you visualize greenbacks floating out the window or your operators’ eyes glazed in thoughtful reveries? You are not alone. One of the most common wastes of precious machining time is cutting air.		Cutting Tool Engineering Multiaxis Machining Myths September 2008 Many misconceptions exist regarding 5-axis machining. This column will dispel a couple of them and explain when it makes the most sense to use multiaxis machining.

Today's Medical Developments Masking Burns September 2008 A man in his early 40s lay in the burn intensive care unit (ICU) at Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. He sustained burns over his face, neck and fingers, and was on life support. The patient was scheduled for a skin graft the next day, and a special-fitting silicon soft gel burn mask needed to be prepared in order to give him the best scenario for healing.		MAN Leonardo's Notebook: Life and Machining: All are One September 2008 There are lessons in cutting grass that can be transferred to cutting stainless.

American Machinist From Perms to Programs September 2008 Being a female in the maledominated machining trade wasn’t easy for Debra Mann. She asked a lot of questions, and some of the guys she worked with didn’t believe she belonged in their “territory.” But Mann endured the sarcastic remarks and persevered.		MAN Eggs and Chickens, Something Must Come First June 2008 While it may not be art to rival DaVinci’s, Leonardo’s skills with a CAD/CAM package let him program a job that looked like it would bring in long-term work to his start-up job shop.

MAN The Right Software Led to Shop Success June 2008 After striking out on his own, a shop entrepreneur found a CAD/CAM package that saved him time and money, as well as solving “impossible” problems.		Manufactuing Engineering Ensure the Vision of Manufacturing is True June 2008 For decades now, many of us have been concerned about the declining number of skilled machinists. Within the last several years, though, effective efforts have been made toward correcting that trend.

Manufactuing Engineering Making Better Engineers with CAM June 2008 After striking out on his own, a shop entrepreneur found a CAD/CAM package that saved him time and money, as well as solving “impossible” problems.		Medical Manufacturing One Good Medical Part Deserves Another May 2008 Excellent facilities and advanced CAM spurs start-up medical part manufacturer’s growth

Modern Machine Shop Machining and Operator Productivity Get a Boost May 2008 Faced with global competition, today’s manufacturers need to use technology in a way that allows them to stay competitive or to gain a competitive advantage. These strategies often involve the purchase of new machine tools and other equipment. However, while the latest machine tools can do wonders for productivity, CAD/CAM software packages shouldn’t be overlooked.		Cutting Tool Engineering New Rules of Engagement May 2008 New CAM strategies for high-speed machining of hard materials.

Fabricating & Metalworking CAD/CAM Helps Container Systems Grow April 2008 Like many manufacturers, Container Systems (Franklinton, NC) took a heavy hit after 9/11. This thriving manufacturer of heavy duty shipping containers, boxes and specialty containers for electronics and communications equipment, as well as plywood reels for the rope and cable industries, saw the previous year's sales of $8 million drop to $4 million.		Today's Medical Developments CAM Boosts Prototype Productivity March 2008 Thortex Inc., a medical job shop, manufactures implants (primarily hips, femoral and tibia knee components, and shoulder products) for a number of international leaders in the orthopedic products field. The company has 25 advanced CNC machines including horizontal and vertical 5-axis mills, Y-axis lathes, and Swiss turning machines.

CNC West Mastercam Helps Monster Trucks Fly March 2008 Imagine a 10-ton truck crushing cars one moment, and then launching itself over a school bus the next. Every single component of the truck is stressed to the max, and just about every part is one-of-a-kind for this type of vehicle.		American Machinist Staying Up-To-Date Pays Off March 2008 CWF Hamilton & Co. in Christchurch, New Zealand, manufactures HamiltonJet waterjet propulsion systems that give a boat tremendous maneuvering capabilities while allowing it to travel in shallow water areas. The company pioneered the development of the modern waterjet more than 50 years ago, and they continue to develop innovations today.

Manufacturing Engineering Sculpting Product Development Cycles With CAM March 2008 Agile CAM software helps dental equipment manufacturer get to market faster with better organically designed products. Producing patterns and part prototypes used to be a bottleneck in the product development cycle for A-dec (Newburg, Oregon), America’s largest dental equipment company. That is not the case anymore.		Moldmaking Technology How to Evaluate Your Software Reseller January 2008 Your CAD/CAM reseller plays an important role in your use of software by offering technical support, answering your questions and making sure you are productive as quickly as possible. Therefore, it’s important to consider the following nine factors when evaluating them before choosing a new CAD/CAM system.

Moldmaking Technology Software Sharpens Laser Cutting November 2007 When it comes to unique knives with a broad selection of available styles and models, it's hard to beat US knife manufacturer Kershaw Knives (Tualatin, OR), a company with an unusual history.		Tooling & Production Looking Through the Cyrstal Ball November 2007 Tooling & Production asks Mark Summers, President of CNC Software, questions about where Mastercam is going five years from now.

Modern Machine Shop Versatile CAD/CAM Software Helps Small Shop Excel At Overnight Prototyping December 2007 When Dale Greife decided to open his own rapid prototyping machine shop, the first thing he did was place an order for the tool he would rely on most to build his business. It Mastercam that Greife says provides the capability to do “just about anything."		Tooling & Production How to Prepare Yourself for Whatchamathingies October 2007 “My God, they want you to make THAT! Where would you start? How would you hold it? What the heck is it anyway? You told them no, right?”

CNC West Software and Advanced Machine Tools Fill a Need for Better Cycle Times and Quality August 2007 With micro-motors spinning at speeds from 5,000 to 200,000 RPM and part tolerances that would make most machinists sweat, Pro-Dex medical instruments can help a skilled doctor relieve a patient’s pain and suffering.		American Machinist Software Helps Save DoD Millions August 2007 Since it was founded in 2003, the National Center for Defense Manufacturing and Machining (NCDMM) in Latrobe, Pa., has undertaken nearly 50 projects for the Department of Defense (DoD) facilities and its suppliers. The DoD-funded NCDMM relies on equipment and technology solutions provided by dozens of U.S.-based alliance partners to develop and transfer state-of-the-market and state-of-the-art solutions to specific project objectives.

Tooling and Production DeNerdo Becomes Leonardo June 2007 His name is really Leo Denardo, but everyone around the production floor calls him Leonardo. They didn’t call him that at first. When he got here from the technical community college about nine years ago, we called him DeNERDo because he liked art and always carried this sketchpad around with him.		Manufacturing Engineering Skills Champs Train on Peanut Butter May 2007 A team of three students from the Orleans/Niagara BOCES (Board of Cooperative Educational Services) Technical High School (Sanborn, NY) take first place honors in the National Skills USA Automated Manufacturing Technology Competition last year in Kansas City, MO.

Moldmaking Technology Rediscovering CAM May 2007 Moldmaking shops have it rough. They face continual market pressure to shorten delivery leadtimes and reduce labor and material costs, while maintaining or improving their already high quality standards.		Manufacturing Engineering CAM Software Eases Manufacturing Programming May 2007 Manufacturing Engineering interviews Mark Summers (president of CNC Software, Inc.) about some of the major trends affecting CAM software users today.

Moldmaking Technology Molding New Moldmakers April 2007 Stepping into the Machine Tech suite at McCann is not unlike entering a busy machine shop in Anytown, USA—all the sights, sounds, and scents of metal being cut, ground, drilled, bored, chamfered, tapped and reamed—only here, the machine operators are students and the supervisors are teachers.		Machine Design Cam Gets the Most Out of a Five-Axis Router Febuary 2007 Central to our operation is making parts and tooling on an advanced, five-axis Thermwood CNC router with a 10 10-ft dual table (each table-half can index separately). Mastercam X2 software efficiently generates multiaxis toolpaths for this machine and does so with several features we find particularly useful.

Manufacturing Engineering Mastercam Software Supports a Comfortable Ride February 2007 Getting the perfect ride in a car has always been a compromise. If the suspension is stiff for responsive handling, it jars your teeth. But when the suspension is soft for comfort, it takes curves and turns like a boat wallowing in the surf. Is there a better way to eliminate this handling compromise?		Modern Machine Shop Cycle Shop Streamlines Startup With CAD/CAM March 2007 It’s a show bike with a twist,” is how Brownsburg, Indiana-based Lucas Cycles describes one of its custom production motorcycles.
Manufacturing Engineering TV American Chopper Shop Ramps Up September 2006 American Chopper is a unique slice of Americana that lets cable TV viewers look over the shoulders of the designers and machinists at Orange County Choppers (OCC) as they conceive and build one-of-a-kind chopperstyle motorcycles and accessories.		Desktop Engineering Tooling and Assembly Solutions August 2006 The little 5-axis part from hell . . . read how complex surface machining drove a high-tech shop to new levels of CAM productivity.

Manufacturing Engineering Medical Devices Depend on Software July 2006 With micromotors spinning at speeds from 5000 to 200,000 rpm, and part tolerances that would make most machinists sweat, Pro-Dex Inc. (Santa Ana, CA) is producing medical instruments that help doctors relieve patient pain and suffering.		Modern Application News CAM Adds 5-Axis Option for High-Precision Shop July 2006 A short-run job shop specializing in exotic materials and tight tolerances – the parts that no one else wants – ran into a problem translating complex designs into toolpaths on its 5-axis machine.

Medical Product Manufacturing News Software and Machine Tools Fill a Need for Better Cycle Times and Quality June 2006 Pro-Dex Inc. specializes in quickly developing and manufacturing technology-based products that incorporate embedded motion control and miniature rotary-drive systems.		Today's Medical Developments Medical Machining Rings True June 2006 An Israeli CNC shop owner uses state-of-art technology to save a little girl's life.

Modern Application News Prototype Shop Matches CAD With CAM for Profits June 2006 Designing products and producing prototypes are demanding tasks driven by the clock. Software and equipment that speed this work are essential to have a chance at profits. Using this mix, a Connecticut-based shop has found the key to success.		Tooling & Production Machining the Toughest Jobs is a Matter of Absolute Precision June 2006 From making mandolin tops to parts for nuclear reactors, along with cutting ceramic and titanium parts, Absolute Precision is the metalcutter other metalcutters go to when they can’t cut it.

CNC West Man and Mastercam April/May 2006 How a successful military aerospace job shop solved its programming problems.		Food Manufacturing Mastercam Helps Produce Tasty Treats March 2006 Unusual cutters that produce shapes from dough like Christmas trees, bells, animals, or just about any type of figure is just one of the product lines that Moline Machinery is noted for, but one that has changed significantly with the use of advanced manufacturing methods.

Moldmaking Technology CAD/CAM Does Double Duty March 2006 Tough-to-produce plastic parts used to be something extremely difficult for programmer David Eno at Auburn Vacuum Forming Co. (Auburn, NY); however, he found a way to make them more easily, while giving them a comfort zone for any part that comes through their doors.		American Machinist Software Simplifies Blisk Machining March 2006 When Mears Machine Corp. in Avon, Ind., started manufacturing jet-engine blisks, the parts each took about a week to cut. Now, the shop completes one in about 12 to 16 hours. How did Mears produce such a dramatic change in its manufacturing time?

Manufacturing Engineering CAM Software Speeds Formula One Racers January 2006 If a precision chassis part isn't made correctly for a Formula One race car, the vehicle could be "stuffed right into a wall," says Phil Kightley . . .		MAN CAD/CAM Provided Cookie-Cutter Solution January 2006 Most companies don't go looking for "cookie-cutter" CAD/CAM solutions to their technology or machining challenges - but if you make cookie-cutters, that's exactly what you need.

Wood & Wood Products How Today's Guitar Legends Are Made January 2006 Over the years, Gibson Guitars has developed a legendary status. Its long roster of great guitar players includes Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Chet Atkins, Chuck Berry and Les Paul.		FDM Making Tomorrow's Antiques November 2005 The right mix of CNC equipment, software and hard carving spells success for 18th century reproduction furniture manufacturer.

Tooling & Production CAD/CAM Software Report 2005 November 2005 As manufacturing technology continues to move forward exponentially, the dependence on CAD/CAM software becomes ever more critical.		Tooling & Production Have You Hugged Your Employees Lately? October 2005 Mark and Brian Summers are two employers who don’t have to make any special concerted effort to keep their employees coming to work charged up every day. From the company’s beginning, the brothers have built the welfare of the employees into the culture of the organization.