We Want to Help

DAMN! I don’t even know where to begin. These are some crazy times and the first thing I hope for is that our readers are all physically OK.

My guess is that when you are reading this, your business is down a tad. Or maybe a lot. Or probably somewhere in between. This is unlike anything I have seen in this business which I have been a part of since 1979. Metalworking manufacturing is in my blood and I want to help. There is honestly not much I can do but with a great idea from editor Sean Buur CNC WEST has come up with something that might help.

For all you machine shops out there that might need a little publicity or perhaps even a boost of morale hopefully we have something for you. Send us a little about your shop such as when you started, what industries you serve, what machines you have and include up to 5 photos and we will make something up and either put in a print edition of CNC WEST or on our website. The cost you might ask? FREE!

Your shop and what they do will be seen by our 18,000 print readers or on our webpage that is frequented by thousands each month from all over the country. Or both. All you have to do is send it to sarnold@cnc-west.com and if it is a little rough around the edges, don’t worry we can smooth it out for you. It will be our pleasure to try and give back a little to the community and industry that has supported us so strongly over the years.

This issue has some bite to it starting with the cover story. Rottweiler Precision makes custom parts for motorcycles and they revved up their business with the addition of a couple of machines from Southwestern Industries. They got a CNC lathe and a CNC mill with Trak controls and are leaving their competitors in the dust.

There are a couple of Covid19 articles in this issue. One is from Master Fluid Solutions with tips on keeping your machines and machine fluids clean. As we all know by now cleanliness is a major factor of fighting the virus. The other is from Michael Larsen of Hainbuch Corporation who believes that the current disruption in manufacturing will re¬quire companies to undergo a major adjustment of their views on all aspects of the process. The result in the long run will be a more effective and efficient system.

There is an article about an Oregon shop that realized that implementing 5-Axis machining can be an excellent strategy for efficiently producing accurate, complex parts. In addition to the right machine, tooling and fixture options, CAM software should be carefully selected and the article is about the software they chose.

A Brief Introduction to Live Tooling is actually a little more than brief. It is a nice read about live tooling that I think you will enjoy and learn from. We also have an article about an Arizona company that utilizes products from Methods Machine Tools to increase production. There are more articles along with our normal industry news and new product sections. Also there are plenty of advertisements from companies that want to help your shop in the west. I hope you recognize that these companies are the ones that insure you get a free issue of CNC WEST every other month.

Thanks for reading and be safe out there,

Sincerely,
Shawn Arnold

Publisher