A milling machine is a machine tool used for the shaping of metal and other solid materials. Milling machines exist in two basic forms: horizontal and vertical, which terms refer to the orientation of the cutting tool spindle. Unlike a drill press, in which the workpiece is held stationary and the drill is moved vertically to penetrate the material, milling also involves movement of the workpiece against the rotating cutter, the latter which is able to cut on its flanks as well as its tip. Workpiece and cutter movement are precisely controlled to less than 0.001 inches (.025 millimeters), usually by means of precision ground slides and leadscrews or analogous technology. Milling machines may be manually operated, mechanically automated, or digitally automated via computer numerical control (CNC).

Milling machines can perform a vast number of operations, some very complex, such as slot and keyway cutting, planing, drilling, diesinking, rebating, routing, etc. Cutting fluid is often pumped to the cutting site to cool and lubricate the cut, and to sluice away the resulting swarf.

You can start by thinking about what you want the machine to do. As an example, you can build a small or large machine, it can do milling, routing, cutting or lathing, you can build it for a variety of different materials and you can use it for developing just about anything.

Every CNC machine will have the following components: Control Panel - It is that part, which has the small, or large computer keyboard. This is where the G-Codes are programmed into the machine. Coolant supply tubes - These are pipes through which coolant is pumped. It keeps the metal cool and lubricates the cutting tool. Table is the surface on which the work piece is kept or attached with the help of a clamp. The work piece sits here while it is milled. Axis Every machine has one and the size and function are determined by the number of axis which can vary from one to six Column - It is the name of the part that runs along the axis and it holds the milling or cutting part. Cutting Tool - This is attached the column and it is what makes the actual cut on the surface according to the way it is operated. Spindle - It is what holds the cutting tool in place There is a large variety of milling machines to be found. Here are a few examples: - The vertical CNC mills are equipped with vertical spindle axis. A vertical spindle axis means that the cutting tool that does the milling is held vertically in the spindle and it spins on the spindle’s axis. This allows you to drill or make plunge cuts while extending the table. Bed mills and Turret mills are part of this type of mills. The horizontal CNC mills are equipped with the same kind of table as the vertical variant. But in this case the cutters are attached to a spindle that runs horizontally across the table. Those who use these machines for a hobby will find the box mill the most useful. This is simply mounted on a bench and goes up and down. There is also the Knee mill that has an x-y table and moves up and down the column. Something called the vertically adjustable knee is used is used to adjust these mills. The larger industries mostly use the C-Frame mill because it is the best one for large-scale works. It only moves up and down and has a fixed spindle head for allowing it to move like that.

The prices of these machines depend on their size and complexity. Large establishments will needs large and expensive machines, but you can also make do with small ones if your needs are small and occasional. Some people go for CNC milling machine financing when buying large machines.

You can decide whether you will purchase a brand new machine or a used one. Most people do not suggest buying a used one because you aren’t sure what you are getting but buying other types of machines like CNC routers seem to be a good idea because of the cost.

Depending on the type of machine you need the price can be steep but there are many small machines that can do the same job if you are looking at this as part of a small business or a hobby. Also, you can buy a machine to cut metal or wood, to do fancy scroll work or to do engraving on metals and other applications.

In order to build your own CNC you will need to acquire the components that are right for your machine. As an example, the parts you need to build a milling machine will be different than those to build a foam cutter. So, you will want to know which type of machine you want to build before you begin.

Most computer Numerical Controlled milling machinery is vertical mills, these are very advanced machines that allow the spindle to move along the Z axis vertically, this equipment can be combined (work in conjunction) with Ball Nose Cutters and Conical Tools, this equipment helps to improve precision of the milling without sacrificing any of the speed.

The type of CNC machine you can build is only limited by your imagination. Most people concentrate on milling machines and router tables but you can also find plans for plasma cutters, foam cutters and lathes all with CNC adaptations. If you are a hobbyist you may consider the mini CNC machine because it is small enough to fit on a workbench or table top and runs through the use of your PC.

Manufacturing Design Engineers often design parts out of stock material, metal parts that in practicality would be more efficiently and cost effectively produced as an Investment Casting. This happens because of the familiarity and abundance of machining facilities compared to the relatively small quantity and less understood advantages of Investment Casting operations. Similarly, the conversion of fabrications to castings is often a logical transition for many complex fabrications. In that never-ending quest to increase efficiencies and lower costs, companies are discovering the value Investment Castings can bring to their product lines.

SPOKANE INDUSTRIES specializes in bringing near net shape casting production to the marketplace through our Precision Investment Castings Division. SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS can minimize dimensional tolerances without machining or other subcontracting methods so that you may have a finished product ready for rapid assembly. Were able to produce parts that weigh from 80 pounds to as little as a few grams. In many cases, injecting multiple pieces or several different parts in a single die saves additional operations and reduces costs.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS offers an almost endless array of alloys. Precipitation Hardening Alloys, Carbon Steels, Low Alloy, 17-4, Tool Steels, Silicon Brass, 300 and 400 Series Stainless Steels, and most other air melts are common. We offer an endless number of commercial applications from the dental, military, food, automotive, and oil industries, to name a few. Our real forte is to get involved at the engineering genesis by taking multiple metal components that may currently be machined or fabricated and design them together. We can then create a single near net shape casting. This eliminates multiple operations, saves money, time and energy - to bring savings to the bottom line for our customers.

Converting fabrications to castings brings a multitude of benefits to a manufacturer. Investment Castings can oftentimes be designed with less material, much stronger, creating less weight and at the same time lower failure rates. In addition, a single casting can often times be designed to do the entire job where there are multiple parts creating a fabrication. This results in assembly lower overhead, time savings, simplified workflow and improves uniformity and aesthetics.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS cross-trains its workforce to a high degree. Employees are encouraged to move from department to department throughout our production areas where strong visual and written controls facilitate process standardization. SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS has implemented many Lean Manufacturing processes where continuous improvement is ongoing and reducing variables ultimately drives lower costs.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS is augmented by in-house capabilities including full dimensional layout, machining, x-ray, spectrometer and Non-Destructive Testing of mechanical properties. We also perform Magnetic Particle Inspection, liquid penetrant and utilize heat-treat facilities both contractually and internally.

SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS has been part of the Spokane Industries family for 18 years. SPOKANE INDUSTRIES, its parent company, has been in the foundry industry since the 1952. This offers full access to a large and diversified engineering department with the latest in CAD/CAM and Flow Test Analysis. We accept a large array of electonic files as well as your CAD/CAM files so that we can rapidly prototype and meet your specifications and schedules.

Jeff Kuntz, Spokane Precision Castings Production Manager states, SPOKANE PRECISION CASTINGS has been working with industries from military grade castings ” like Class II Armor Certified, to dental equipment castings with high esthetic appeal. Were accustomed to producing quantities that range from low volume/high variety to commodity products that range up to 80 thousand Investment Castings every month. Our goal is to exceed the customers expectations at every opportunity.

The combination of all of our in-house capabilities along with some local strategic partners help us stand alone in the marketplace and adds to our ability to help our customers meet their ever changing needs. Starting with our customers drawings and vision, we strive to meet all of your Investment Casting needs.

Bottom line ” faster R & D, first articles get to you faster and ultimately saves you time and money. Isnt that what its really all about?

A CNC lathe is a machine that can spins material to do a variety of operations like sanding, drilling, cutting or sanding. Usually a lathe is used for more intricate cuts and Today, they replace the older multispindle lathes because they are easier to set up and operate.

Each CNC lathe has a computer control that allows the machine to be controlled electronically, and this program can be modified to do a variety of things. When an operator runs a CNC lathe they have to have a lot of skill to understand the programs and how the programs to do the work.

Some CNC lathes are portable and others are stationary. In many shops for people who do woodwork for a hobby you would find a lathe because it is capable of making a lot of different designs and intricate cuts for things like stair railings, trellis’ or table legs.

Any material can be used as long as it will hold up during the turning process while the software program is continuing its revolutions. CNC lathes are best used when you want to turn out several pieces of the same size and shape and where you don’t want a lot of decoration. They do have their limitations but for the most part you can create nice pieces with this type of machine. CNC Information is a new Community website all about CNC Lathe. Stop by today to get your free ebook just for signing up to be a member of our free site. Get all of the information you need on CNC Lathe and a free CNC Ebook on the basics of CNC. Stop by CNCInformation today.

Mini lathes usually come in three sizes: 7×10, 7×12 and 7×14. Each one is measured by the length that length of the swing as it goes over the bed of the lathe. Today you can also find 9x models. The conversion of a general mini-lathe to include CNC has many benefits.

Many plans that you can find on the Internet will allow both manual and CNC abilities in the conversion because there are times when an individual is working with the machine that they may elect to do some processes by hand. At other times they may want to use CNC capabilities to produce repetitive pieces or ones that require a lot of time manually.

There are different types of CNC machines depending on the job that needs to be accomplished. The better CNC machines can operate in multiple modes from fully manual to completely CNC so you can tailor the machine to the project and task.

There is also CNC engraving equipment which is used for engraving a variety of materials and are more accurate that any manual engraving could be. They are widely used for signage lettering for both large and small projects.

Not as inexpensive, but still a savings and more reliable is a refurbished CNC machine. The machine is reconstructed by the manufacturer and worn parts are replaced. They often come with a warranty so it offers some consumer safety.

For many manufacturing workshops, choosing a well designed, cost effective material handling solution is critical to streamlining workflow and maximizing productivity. In today’s marketplace, there are multiple options, but ceiling mounted workstation cranes are a very common and popular solution. These inexpensive ceiling mounted cranes, generically called “overhead bridge cranes,” are efficiently moved by the worker’s own power and have proven to be the ideal material handling solutions for many companies because they can streamline and maximize productivity, while adding little to the cost of the process.

Limited work space is a problem on many manufacturing floors. Overhead crane systems are a perfect solution - they provide necessary coverage without the use of support columns. Ceiling mounted systems can also be linked to a monorail or crane that uses interlock sections, making them a welcome addition to existing efficient processes.

Overhead crane systems are supported by the existing building structure instead of requiring support columns. Consult with a qualified architect or engineer for the first step in deciding if an overhead crane system is the right solution for your company. These professionals are the right people to determine if your building structure is able to support the crane system.

When choosing an overhead crane for your workshop, there are several factors to consider. Crane capacity is the first point to consider. Buying higher capacities than required creates extra load weight and leads to dead weight on the bridge. This requires more weight for the operator to move a load, though typically only one percent of the actual force weight is required for movement.

Height, width, and length are also three major points of consideration for companies considering an overhead crane solution. Height is measured from the floor to the point from which a hoist is suspended, while the length of a crane runway is determined by the specific area requiring coverage. Width of an overhead crane is determined by the length of the bridge between the centers of two runways.

In addition to size factors, there are many different types of overhead cranes to fit the custom challenges of most manufacturing workshops. If your company needs a crane solution for load transportation, overhead cranes create easy, ergonomic movement for most operators. Companies that have a fast paced working environment could find manual overhead cranes to be a better solution than motorized cranes because they tend to operate more quickly.

That said, motorized systems are better for moving heavier loads. Transporting 1000, 2000, or 4000 pound objects? Motorized systems are perfect for these jobs. Bridge travel typically leads to the need for a motorized system, especially when it travels across an inaccessible area.

Overhead cranes are the best solution for workshops that require cost effective solutions for handling materials. Proper consultation should be done before shopping for a solution as there are many overhead crane options. Make sure the solution you select is the best for your manufacturing jobs.

Saving on your electricity bill and protecting the environment are more important than ever, especially in these more competitive markets. Even when the economical crisis are coming to an end, investors will be more sensitive in spending money. Even in countries that did not buy too many products from China, the reputation of industrial products is strongly increasing.[youtube:jIVcAtFzJnw;Ningbo, Xinda, Screw Air Compressor, VSD;http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIVcAtFzJnw&feature=related]

AUGUST brand screw compressors are such winners in the competition game. Since the beginning of the global downturn, AUGUST was able to establish dealerships in Israel, Spain, Malaysia, UAE and developing the markets in Italy, Russia and Latin America. To meet the different requirements of such regions, the company can provide CE and ASME certification.

In over 36 years of production experience in combination with in-house research and development, high tech machinery equipment and the sense for doing the right thing at the right time have put the AUGUST brand into a strong position.

Pricing benefits of the AUGUST Variable Speed Drive compressors VSD e-saver, are enabling the distributors to offer a VSD e-saver compressor at a price which is highly competitive to other brands “regular” screw compressors. Furthermore the compressors are coming with a 5 year warranty on the screw.

VSD e-saver are designed to save up to 33% of energy and extending the overall lifetime of the compressor by about 20%. Considering the efficiency and pricing, the payback period for this VSD e-saver Screw Compressor is estimated by 2-3 years. In fact an investment that gives you the money back right away.[I:http://semcor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/FrankBerger0.jpg]

Different countries have different frequencies. VSD compressor technology can be used in 50Hz and 60 Hz. This is giving more opportunity to the distributors to expand the business.

AUGUST brand is currently wiling to negotiate distributorships for a number of selected countries. Besides an existing sales force, the applicant should also be in a position to provide professional and reliable after sales service.

Interested companies should get in touch with the German Marketing manager at fax 86-574-88336161 phone 86-574-88336868 or at - export@xindaworld.com - for more information about the company and the benefits of VSD. http://xinda-lg.en.made-in-china.com

Since people have to eat, the food business (unlike the snack food production industry) is recession-proof. Since snack food manufacturers know that consumers can choose not to purchase their products; they have employed a large amount of capital, technology, and branding expenditures and resources. These investments when combined with high customer loyalty have resulted in sales growth and high profit margins.

During the current crisis, customers are more likely to reduce snack spending, make purchases on promotion, and/or switch to private labels due to an increase in price sensitivity. Another challenge for snack food manufacturers is fluctuating commodity prices. Nevertheless, strong brand loyalty when combined with new product innovations and aggressive marketing tactics should help counter the unfavorable effects of the current recession.

Competition in the US snack food production industry is intense since the market is mature and saturated. Correspondingly, below are the key drivers manufacturers can utilize to either grow or maintain share.

Ability to secure key input supply contracts - to aid production planning and reduce procurement costs, manufacturers need reliable contracts with suppliers of key raw inputs including guaranteed supplies at fixed prices.

Ability to pass on price increases - for supplies without fixed prices, manufacturers need to continue to pass on unexpected cost increases to maintain profitability. The major players have been passing on cost increases to offset high energy and commodity prices due to the high brand value of their products. However, supermarkets and grocery stores (due to their increasing power from consolidation) could resist price increases and stock more of their own private labels to enhance profitability.

Ability to reserve desirable shelf space - to maximize retail sales, manufacturers must continue to seek coveted shelf space for their products. They should also expand (or continue expanding) into other distribution outlets which include discount and drug stores, convenience stores, and other locations with high foot traffic.

Ability to change via differentiation and innovation - manufacturers must anticipate, differentiate, and respond to changes in both consumer dietary trends and preferences to preserve or grow share. Demographic and population ethnicity shifts have resulted in new tastes and preferences, requiring manufacturers to change their product lines to meet these new requirements; by using healthier ingredients, product, labeling, packaging, marketing, and other innovations.

For example, consumers are becoming more health conscious and pressed for time and are increasing their consumption of convenient, healthy, and/or tasty snacks. As a result, the fruit and nut snack bars segment combined with low-sodium, low-fat, and organic snack food represent a growth opportunity.

Ability to endure consumer price sensitivity - consumer price sensitivity varies between product segments. Brand loyal consumers are not as sensitive to price changes due to the associated high image, reputation, and product quality perceptions. Likewise, a premium price is charged for products such as Oreo and Doritos. Nevertheless, consumer shifts to cheaper alternatives including cheaper substitutes such as chocolate and muffins and/or private labels could take place; especially for product segments not perceived as high quality.

Ability to thrive internationally - since saturation in the US market could eventually result in undesirable profit margins; manufacturers should continue to seek expansion in Canada, Mexico, Korea, Taiwan, Philippines, Japan, and other countries.

The current crisis should not impact the snack food production industry too much. Nevertheless, manufacturers must continue to secure desirable distribution placement, receive attractive supplier contracts, differentiate, innovate, and seek international growth. Likewise, manufacturers will have a greater chance of growing or maintaining share, margin, and/or sales over the long term.

The event and meeting planning industry is worth a billion dollars and one of the most profitable businesses in the hospitality and management domain. Event planners have a wonderful time putting together meetings, parties and functions, and having fun while at work.

A career in meeting and event planning can be highly rewarding and the perks that come along with the job are awesome. However before plunging into the world of meeting and event planning, you need to understand the pros and cons of the industry. What is event planning and what really do these meeting and event planners do?

Event or meeting management is an important part of the service industry that caters to the need of different customers who wish to organize a special event. The clients could be corporations, non-profits, individuals, or even government organizations. It is rightly said that human beings are social animals who feel the need to get together and discuss business or celebrate an occasion.

Corporate events could range from training and development seminars, exhibitions, induction programs to incentive travel trips. Individual clients could have requests for organizing events such as weddings, family reunions, birthday parties or anniversaries. Government organizations could have an event to mark an important occasion or holiday.

There is no end to the number of events or meetings that could come up. The rich and diverse event planning industry offers multiple career opportunities for eager, enthusiastic, and responsible individuals.

Event planners often specialize in specific event management fields, such as weddings, corporate parties, conventions, business seminars, incentive travel programs, etc. However it is always better to have diverse knowledge of different kinds of events. This way the event planner acquires sufficient experience and is able to handle any given situation or type of event at any given point of time.

One of the top reasons for the success of the meeting and event planning industry is its increasing popularity with corporations. Most companies do not have the time or resources to plan a large event that involves entertaining hundreds or thousands of people. They will more often outsource the work to an event planning company or an independent event planner.

Since the fourth quarter of 2008, global demand in the dairy product production industry has declined due to the global economic crisis. Rising unemployment, declining wages, and supply increases (mainly from milk production in New Zealand) have resulted in less demand for world dairy products including milk and world dairy price declines.

Demand for dairy products in developing countries has significantly declined since dairy products are considered more of luxuries than necessities. In developed countries, consumers are projected to shift to cheaper dairy products including private labels and decrease consumption of discretionary dairy products.

For the past ten years, consumption of consumer fluid milk has decreased due to factors such as better convenience, advertising, and better packaging from substitute beverages, an increase in soy milk consumption, and a decrease in the children population.

So what can dairy product manufacturers do to profitably increase milk revenue over the long term? Industry consolidation, product development, marketing, and health campaigns are potential measures they could utilize.

1. Industry consolidation can yield access to milk supplies at good prices, inspire continuous investment in product technology and branding, and provide lower per unit costs and production efficiency - measures that are significant to preserve and/or acquire national retailer supply contracts.

2. Continued product development can result in increased milk sales. Flavored milk products with new flavors and energy boosters have been increasing.

3. Catering to the health consciousness of consumers via push and pull marketing strategies for healthier milk products such as value-added milk (milk with added vitamins, nutrients, or low carbs), organic milk, and reduced fat milk can also increase milk revenue.

These strategies could also help counter consumer shifts from branded organic milk to either private label organic milk or conventional milk.

4. Educating consumers such as young people (main dairy product customers) and baby boomers via more health campaigns about the significance of milk and calcium could result in an increase of daily milk consumption.

By utilizing the measures above, dairy product manufacturers can also help cushion or augment the effects of oil, energy, and raw milk price fluctuations on margin. What other measures could these manufacturers employ to help generate revenue and profit growth?

The current economic crisis has resulted in a decrease in assets under management and a decline in revenue for financial planning and advice firms. The crisis has also resulted in a decline of new potential revenue inflows into funds under advice due to an estimated decrease in discretionary income.

Since industry profitability and financial advisor productivity (due to spending more time reassuring clients) are expected to decline, experienced financial advisors currently are in very high demand.

There is high demand for experience financial advisors since they have higher assets under management, higher productivity, and significantly lower training costs. They also are more likely to receive new business from new clients interested in better asset management and from baby boomers interested in estate planning and retirement services.

Most importantly, experienced financial advisors generate large amounts of revenue from well established client bases by providing complex services to both high net worth and corporate clients - market segments that generate over 57% of the US financial planning and advice revenue.

A shortage of seasoned financial advisors exists although financial planning and advice industry’s employment has been growing. Industry recruitment cut backs in early 2000 and retirement are factors that have contributed to the shortage.

Likewise, instead of hiring and training more inexperienced advisors with lower assets under management and fewer clients, firms within this industry decided that it was more attractive to acquire advisors through acquisitions; contributing to the consolidation that has been taking place in the financial planning and advice industry.

Recently the addition of online access to advisory services, call centers, and teams (groups of advisors serving clients) has also occurred to decrease costs via greater economies of scale as a result of consolidation.

Since the fortunes of this industry are tied to the wealth of the population (which is expected to take time to recover), what else can firms do to control costs and overcome a shortage of experienced financial advisors during this period of declining revenue?

One of the main goals of sales professionals is to demonstrate how their products or services will best meet prospects’ needs relative to the competitions’ offerings. Likewise, this will illustrate the value of the products and potentially reduce price objections.

Almost, if not, all potential customers will require the best products or services at the lowest possible rate. Thus, they may ask early in the selling process a similar version of the dreaded question: “How much will I have to pay?”

The dreaded inquiry makes several sales representatives uneasy since they know in most cases prospects will deem that the product’s rate is too high. Likewise, prospects will either terminate the sales process or begin to negotiate by asking for discounts.

Below are three probable questions and responses of how to opportunely tackle the dreaded question.

What should sales professionals do when they are asked the dreaded question early in the sales process? They should avoid answering the question!

To initially avoid answering the alarming question, a sales professional can mention something similar to this: “Well it depends. Until we talk about your interests and needs, I will have no way of knowing what to recommend or what investment is required.” Then the sales professional should seek to proceed in the sales process by setting an appointment to administer a presentation.

If the alarming question is asked before the presentation a sales representative should mention the same statement above. Next the sales representative should ask “What solutions, features, and/or benefits do you typically look for when you acquire products like these?” to begin the presentation.

What if the service or product has a set cost? A sales professional can certify that the product has a set cost. However, before furnishing the exact cost (if the prospect does not know), a sales professional can advance in the selling process by stating “Let’s discuss your interests and needs to verify if this product is ideal for you.”

What if a prospect persistently seeks an answer to the alarming question? A sales representative can supply a range and mention “After we discuss your needs and interests and find a suitable product offering, the required investment will be provided.” Then advance in the process by either conducting a presentation or scheduling an appointment to conduct one.

In conclusion, the dreaded question can have negative implications on new business growth if a sales professional answers it before demonstrating the value of a suitable product offering. Likewise, a sales professional should avoid answering the question until after a presentation has been conducted and an ideal product or service has been identified.