CNC Machining Blog - Tips and Tricks for Machinists

Welcome to the Hurco CNC machine tool blog. Subscribe for weekly posts on high-speed and 5-axis machining, workholding, the latest control technologies, plus Hurco tips-and-tricks…just to name a few.

Happy Birthday Hurco - 45 years

Maggie Smith Thu, Oct 31, 2013
Happy Birthday Hurco - 45 years

I couldn't let the month of October end without acknowledging our 45th birthday...it was October of 1968 when Mr. Roch asked Mr. Humston if he wanted to start a shop. Hurco co-founder, Gerald V. Roch, inventor of CNC and conversational progamming, sat down with me so I could document our company's founding…and he didn't "sugarcoat" it. He talked about failed product launches, financial challenges, and the times he feared the company would fold. During the coming weeks, we will post different parts of the interview with Mr. Roch. To skip the blog article and go straight to the video, scroll to the bottom!

Part & Tool Probing for High-Mix, Low Volume CNC Machining Environment

Mike Cope Fri, Oct 25, 2013
Part & Tool Probing for High-Mix, Low Volume CNC Machining Environment

In today’s CNC machining industry, it’s all about quick setup and changeover between parts, especially in an environment where you run a high mix of low volumes. In this article, I want to discuss how part and tool probing can offer a real advantage for the shops that find themselves in this type of environment.

Uncle Sam's Section 179 Tax Deduction for 2013

Maggie Smith Thu, Oct 24, 2013
Uncle Sam's Section 179 Tax Deduction for 2013

It's that time of year again...figuring out how to keep more of your money for your business. Our friends at Tech Financial sent us the latest information on this year's Section 179 Federal Income Tax Deduction...it's not as great as the 2011 Section 179, but it's still money in your pocket. REMEMBER, we are not accountants so please check with your accountant to confirm eligibility for tax benefits.

Top Shops 2013: What's Their Secret?

Maggie Smith Wed, Oct 02, 2013
Top Shops 2013: What's Their Secret?

Earlier this year, I reviewed the results from the Benchmarking Report by Modern Machine Shop called TOP SHOPS and promised to give you an update when the 2013 results were published. This blog post only touches on a fraction of the information contained in this incredibly extensive report—the Executive Summary alone is 22 pages—so I encourage you to explore Modern Machine Shop’s TOP SHOPS ZONE

3D Printing: will it replace traditional manufacturing?

Mike Cope Fri, Sep 20, 2013
3D Printing: will it replace traditional manufacturing?

For the past ten years or so, we have seen 3D printing technology – also called Additive Manufacturing – really gain momentum in the industry. In fact, it has become so common-place that there has been speculation by some that it might actually replace traditional manufacturing in the not so distant future. Although I can see many benefits of this amazing new technology, and although I do agree that it will someday impact our lives – such as how we, as consumers, acquire many common household items - I have my reservations about how much it will ultimately change the need for traditional manufacturing processes as we know them. Because of the limitations on mixing printing materials, and the fact that the materials available for use in printing are not always the best for a particular application - not everything that can be printed, should be printed.

CNC turret drive tool mounting configurations: BMT vs VDI

Mike Cope Tue, Sep 03, 2013
CNC turret drive tool mounting configurations: BMT vs VDI

Previously, I published a two-part series on the basics of mill-turn technology, where I cover topics such as: axis configurations, the orientation of live tooling holders, mill-turn terminology, instances when a Y-axis might be necessary, etc. In this article, I discuss the differences between the driven tool mounting configurations and offer my opinion on the benefits and challenges associated with each.

5-Axis CNC Machine Configurations: Design Pros and Cons

Mike Cope Mon, Aug 19, 2013
5-Axis CNC Machine Configurations: Design Pros and Cons

Regardless of a particular original equipment manufacturer machine tool builder, there are several common configurations for 5-axis CNC machines that are available. Each one has its own set of strengths that make it stand out among the choices. The most common types are table-table, head-table, and head-head configurations.

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