Henry J asked:


Trying to start a machine shop looking for tips on
buying equipment

CNCman asked:


I am thinking about starting my own machine shop business. I was just curious about how you find customers to get work for the machines. Also, if you have any advice in starting a business let me know.

webmaster asked:


 

CNC Machines, Water jet Cutting machines and Granite Bridge Saw are getting very popular machineries in today’s industrial world. These are most effective, cost effective and fastest growing method to cut materials.

CNC Machines technology is one of the new emerging technologies used in metal industry. The introduction of CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines has made a great impact on the manufacturing industry. These are very useful as can help to cut curves as a straight line; Complex 3-D structure can be produce and thus reduced the human actions. This is one of the reasons so that CNC Shop are getting so popular and helpful. It gives more flexibility in holding the parts in manufacturing and to change the machine to produce different components.

CNC machine has the functions of milling, grinding, polishing and sculpting.

It is especially suitable for producing high grade basin board and other abnormal products

Made of stone, ceramic, glass and micro-crystal stone. The machine will automatically

finish the processing of any required profile by simple setting.  The products are of high precision and good glossiness rate.

 

One more example of same type of tool is Water jet cutting Machines, which are capable of slicing into metal or materials with high velocity and pressure. It is often used for both fabrication and manufacture of parts for machinery and some other devices.

Water jets can be used to cut materials as diverse as fish sticks, ‘gas station’ sandwiches, and titanium. But still there are some materials that cannot be effectively cut with a water jet cutter like, tempered glass, which shatters when cut, regardless of the cutting technology used.

 

Water jet cutting technology is the most efficient, cost effective and fastest growing method to cut materials. Due to its versatility and ease of operation, fabricators are quickly realizing the vast potential of these machines. Water jets (or abrasivejets) can cut virtually any material in any shape with no heat distortion or mechanical stress usually caused by other methods.

 

Granite Bridge Saw are also getting very useful for industrial uses. Bridge Saws also include different varieties for the different purposes in Small laboratories or industries as Marble and granite bridge cutter, diamond saw machine into rails, electronic bridge shape sawing machine, Compactness and sturdiness etc.

 

Marble Services Co. has contracted with many corporations, businesses and residents to perform hundreds of restoration and refinishing projects, both large and small. Following the Northridge Earthquake we restored many damaged marble statues and stonework, in many cases masking any evidence of damage.

 

 

For more details please visit http://www.marbleservices.com/

Hugh Watson asked:


Computer Numerical Control (CNC) of manufacturing machines such as lathes and mills was the next stage of development from Numerical Control (NC). NC control had allowed the machines to be run automatically using a fixed program for the first time. This increased automation of the manufacturing processes led to considerable improvements in the consistency and quality of components. The program was, however, long winded to create and difficult to alter.

The addition of a computer within the machine allowed the program to be viewed and edited making it easy for alterations to be made to what had previously been a fixed program. This allowed operators to write programs directly into the machine and update and optimise them as they went. This required a new breed of machine operators who had the skill and training required to program the machine from engineering drawings in addition to their traditional skills.

The next stage of development was Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM), this allowed the program to be created offline from the machine, not by typing in dimensions from a paper drawing, but by taking the geometry directly from Computer Aid Design (CAD) files. A software package would be used to create the program from 2 Dimensional CAD data of the geometry and then add tool and speed/feed information. This program could then be post processed into a language appropriate to the machine being used. This development further increased the required computer skills of the machinists but made programming of complex shapes just as simple as creating simple shapes. It also reduced the chances of errors within the program as more of the programming was automated.

The current state of the art is 3D CAD/CAM, which allows programs to be created directly from the 3D solid models created by the design engineers. This technology allows parts to be machined without any from of paper drawing, as all the tool paths are derived from the 3D model. The advantages of this process are most obvious when creating development or prototype parts as not only is the programming time considerably reduced but also programs can be simulated and verified offline. Therefore no time consuming line-by-line proving of the program is necessary at the machine. A further advantage to this system is that more complex three-dimensional forms can be easily programed allowing more flexibility to the designers, and where necessary making the creation of more stylish shapes, cost effective even for very low production.

All these developments have completely revolutionised workshop practices within a generation, as machinists have evolved from skilled operators running manual machines, to computer literate programers able to drive complex 3D CAD packages that had previously been the domain of the designers.