eBulletin, September 2006

September 21, 2006 In This Issue • Commentary
• 10 Best Machine Shops
• Upcoming Free Webcast
• Archived Webcasts
• Free Software Demo
• Online Product Demo
• Practical Machinist
• Fluid Power Expo
• Events
• Quick Manufacturing News

Makino — a leading manufacturer of horizontal and vertical machining centers and EDM machines — has announced a new series of online Webinars. Designed for shops of all types and sizes, the seminars are free to anyone who registers. The planned seminars are intended for shops in the automotive, aerospace, medical product and die and mold industries. In addition to metal cutting and die/mold, the seminars will cover new technologies, such as micromachining. Mark Rentschler, marketing manager, says, "Online seminars allow anyone with an Internet connection to attend without losing a day of work." The seminars concentrate on shop efficiency, lean manufacturing, asset utilization, machine tool integration and automation, machine tool technologies, and metal cutting processes. Makino's application engineers, product managers and guest speakers will give presentations. Click here for more info on upcoming seminars and registration information. Commentary The American Machinist 10 Best Machine Shops American Machinist presents its first class of the 10 Best Machine Shops in the United States. We provide a brief profile on each of the 10 shops whose results prove they are working more successfully and more capably than other machine shops. Read more10 Best Machine Shops THE AMERICAN MACHINIST 2006 benchmark survey of the U.S. machine shop industry helped to uncover and determine shops that are using the ideas of systematic measurement and business improvement methods based on carefully measuring the factors that lead to success.Read moreProfilesDownturn Transforms Shop MKT Innovations was nearly broke and out of business in 2003. Its customers were fleeing offshore and, for the few customers the shop had left, it was not the first-choice supplier. Today, it's one of the best.Read moreEmpowering People Key To Success "In the last seven years we have invested a lot of money in new machines," says Craig Lewandowski, vice president of manufacturing for E.H. Wachs Company. "But, it has been our employees that have made us so successful."Read moreHome Grown Success When you operate a manufacturing-business more than 100 miles from the nearest large urban center, finding qualified and experienced employees can be next to impossible. Read moreMiniature Manufacturing On A Worldwide Basis Jim Whipple has three manual machines - a 12 in. by 26 in. manual lathe, a jeweler′s lathe and a manual Bridgeport mill - three CNC milling machines, and customers around the world. Read moreShaving Set-Up Time Goal For PNM Dave Counts considers it great progress when he or one of his company′s 52 employees can shave five or 10 seconds from their set-up time. Read moreSuccess By Design When you enter the production area of Command Tooling Systems in Ramsey, Minn. you are immediately struck by how clean and orderly it is. The floor is so clean it shines, the aisles are unobstructed and everything seems to be exactly where it is supposed to be even though it′s in the middle of a shift. Read moreThe Little Things Count Three years ago, SPM Corp.′s business changed dramatically, going from long production runs to doing several different jobs on a daily basis. To adapt and survive in what became a hectic manufacturing environment, the shop initiated lean manufacturing principles and techniques. In doing so, it realized that getting lean did not involve spending large amounts of cash, but hinged on the simple things. Read moreUpgrading For Success Four years ago, SOR Inc. decided to upgrade its equipment to reduce outside machining costs. Today they produce twice as many parts with less than half the labor cost per part and no increase in facility size or the number of its employees. Read moreWorkcells And White Boards No one at Advance Turning & Manufacturing Inc. knew for sure if re-arranging the shop′s machine tools into workcells would actually improve production. But the shop prides itself on having the courage to try new things, and in this instance, it paid off. Read moreZero Defects And On-Time Deliveries Turning Inc. has not had a customer return a defective part in more than ten years, and it has not missed a job delivery date since the company opened its doors 22 years ago. "Jobs are done right and on time," says Toby Miller, president. "If a customer receives a bad part, that gives the shop′s image a black-eye, and we can′t have that because the bulk of our jobs come from word-of-mouth." Read moreUpcoming Free American Machinist Webcast

CNC Best Kept Secrets That Can Change the Game Sponsored by GE Fanuc Wednesday, October 25 at 2pm EST - Click here to register.Archived Webcasts

Increase Efficiency - Moving Machine Setup to the Office Sponsored by United Grinding Click here to register.

Online Product Demonstration

If you are considering a shop management and control solution, take a close look at the industry leader: JobBOSS.
Click here to view a FREE 10-minute audio overview or interactive demo.

If you have any questions, you can speak with a JobBOSS representative at 800-777-4334.

Here is a quick taste of what you will find... From CNC Machining -- Simultaneous 5-axis machining "What is the definition of true simultaneous 5-axis machining? Just how many different types of 5-axis machining are there?" Join the discussion and read the answers... Click here. From CAD/CAM -- Need G-Code simulator. "I am making a logo/design on a piece of metal. I was wondering if anyone knew a good G-Code simulator that I could use to test out the program before running it in class?" Join the discussion and read the answers... Click here. From General -- Dust collection system recommendations "I′m considering a possible dust collection system in my small machine shop, wondering what people′s luck has been with basic systems." Join the discussion and read the answers... Click here. Fluid Power Expo to be held Oct. 3 and 4 Hydraulics & Pneumatics will sponsor its second annual Fluid Power Expo October 3 and 4 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Cleveland. Conference sessions include: Hose & Tubing Assemblies, Water Hydraulics, Quieter Fluid Power Systems, Environmentally Friendly Hydraulics, Keep Contamination Under Control, Mobile Electrohydraulic Design, Industrial Hydraulic System Design, Hydraulic Integrated Circuits, and more. All conference sessions are included with a paid admission to the Expo, and attendees can join as many sessions as they want to and enjoy free lunch both days. What better place is there to exchange ideas with the best in the business than at THE industry event for fluid power engineers and designers? To register, click here.
Events

Canadian Manufacturing Week
September 26-28, 2006
Mississauga, ON Canada
Click here for more information.

National Robot Safety Conference XVIII
October 2-5, 2006
Fort Mitchell, KY
Click here for more information.

Fluid Power Expo
October 3-4, 2006
Cleveland, OH
Click here for more information.

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