Inspection & Measuring Equipment

Inspection and Measuring Equipment includes all of the tools and devices that are used to verify that a part’s dimensions all conform to the tolerances required by the part’s design. Included are various hand-held gages such as calipers and micrometers, as well as more simple gage blocks or plug gages. However, inspection and measurement in most shops also goes beyond hand-held gages to include coordinate measuring machines (CMMs), the measurement machine tools able to execute programmed measurement routines. Also included in this category are devices such as profilometers that measure the finish of machined surfaces.

Metalworking Fluids

Metalworking fluids are the oil- and water-based liquids that facilitate turning, milling, drilling and grinding. These fluids are often lumped together under the general term "coolant," though many metalworking fluids do not primarily perform a cooling effect. Rather, the primary value of many metalworking fluids is to provide lubricity that extends cutting performance and tool life, and to assist in clearing chips out of the way of the cut. Metalworking fluid technology has advanced considerably in recent years, to the extent that finding just the right cutting fluid for a particular machining process can dramatically increase efficiency or productivity.

Deburring

Deburring is perhaps the most critical post-machining operation for ensuring the functionality of the machined part, as well as the safe handling of the part. Deburring has traditionally been a manual task, but various technologies exist for reliably automating deburring.

Parts Cleaning

There is no specific method of cleaning that works for every part. The variety of metalworking fluids employed in today’s manufacturing preclude a single solution for removing. Manual, mechanical, robot supported and automatic techniques are commonly used in parts cleaning Removing various undesirable materials from parts or components, parts cleaning equipment can be used for the processes of metal cleaning, metal surface cleaning, component cleaning and degreasing. The cleaning process is used as an important inspection step, as a way to prepare surfaces for further processes and as a final finish.

Training & Personnel

Training is one of the most difficult and important activities in any machining facility. In some parts of the country, as the number of skilled machinists dwindles, shops are increasingly facing the challenge of developed skilled employees themselves by training these employees internally.