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Shop Class

Why Consider Adding Shop Classes Back into High Schools?

Lots of folks have different opinions about the nature of a quality education. For instance, some people narrowly define their expectations for high school students when they design academic standards and programs. Though new programs get justified by claiming they help make graduates employable, they may only concentrate on building a tight set of academic skills that are needed to get accepted to a four-year college.

While everybody values this sort of academic readiness, it’s also important to make certain that many students have skills and experiences that will help them find employment right after high school. Every student won’t choose college. Even many of those who do pursue higher education can benefit from more hands-on training and experiences during their high school years.

Why Reintroduce on Shop Classes in High School?

The American workplace needs skilled workers with vocational training as much as it needs students who are prepared for college or graduate school. In fact, it’s not impossible to argue that traditional classes like home economics and shop provide useful educational opportunities for all kinds of students. However, the sensible path to grooming the next generation of people who are competent inside and outside of their homes may not offer a strong enough defense when public school budgets are tight. Consider some ways that a shop class can and have been modernized to better suit today’s students.

Modernizing Shop Classes for the 21st Century

Do high school students need to learn traditional skills that shop class teaches? The argument could go either way. In any case, these classes could be modernized to also introduce students to modern manufacturing methods that can serve them well if they end up working in a shop floor or in the engineer’s office. A few years ago, Time Magazine reported that there were almost six million people between 16 and 24 who did not work or attend school. At the same time, companies were begging for skilled labor to employ and advance.

One large problem is the gap between the things that high school students learn and what these companies seek. Manufacturers, for instance, don’t necessarily need to recruit people with two- or four-year degrees. However, they do want to find recruits who have demonstrated some aptitude in their industry. At the very least, these companies need eager recruits that have had enough exposure to know that it’s the type of job they would like to do.

The Time Magazine article mentioned a school that transformed an almost totally unused old shop room into a modern vocational setting. High school students could still learn how to cut vinyl and saw wood, but they also got to experiment with robotics, CNC automation, 3D printers, and other electronics. Not only did a modernized shop class attract students who wanted vocational shop training, they also became popular with students who had seats in honors math and science classes. In this school, shop classes became popular and valuable places to learn again.

Tag Team Manufacturing is Here for Tomorrows’ Students

Tag Team Manufacturing specializes in CNC manufacturing and automation. As a growing company, they have room for tomorrows’ high school, vocational school, and college graduates. To learn more about how Tag Team Manufacturing values clients and employees, contact them today with your questions.

roboticsmanufacturing

The Wave of Robotics Manufacturing

It’ll be a long time before we see the rise of Skynet, the global artificial intelligence that controlled an army of robotic automation warriors as depicted in the movie Terminator, but robots are already very much a part of our lives and will be even more so in the very near future.

There are already almost a million robotic machines at work around the world in a variety of automation manufacturing roles, and with rapidly developing technologies, and falling costs, that number is expected to grow almost exponentially over the next two decades.

In the 1980s, almost all robots were used in the auto industry. Today they are used in many different industries for robotic automation including; manufacturing, as well as in warehouses, hospitals, laboratories, nuclear power plants, and more.

Some futurists are predicting that by the year 2055 at least 50% of the manufacturing jobs that are now performed by humans will be done by robots. Ready or not, robots are the future of manufacturing, and the future is here now.

Robots And CNC Manufacturing

Yes, robots can do many things well, and they are constantly improving their skills. One part of the manufacturing process that they have proved particularly effective at is CNC machining. When you need precision parts made to exacting tolerances, over and over again, no human can match the tireless performance of a robot.

Of course, robots could do nothing without humans to program them and tell them what to do. Artificial intelligence may get to the point some day that they’ll be able to do it themselves, but we’re not there yet. That’s why we employ professional machinists with years of experience, who also understand the technology behind the robots they direct. That’s a tall order, and you could say our staff is among the elite in their profession.

Robotics manufacturing not only increases productivity and produces and produces an exacting product every time, it also significantly lowers costs. That’s why we can deliver superior OEM parts at the lowest cost, every time.

Meet Sawyer, The Newest Member Of The Team

Sawyer is a robot, and he has amazing capabilities. Even though he only takes up about four square feet of space, he can accomplish many tasks. Sawyer is a collaborative robot, with a visual interface that allows his fellow workers to communicate with him, and to anticipate his actions. He has seven degrees of freedom, extremely advanced in robotic automation, and he has over a four-foot reach, can lift almost nine pounds, and can be controlled to the most exacting specifications required for high-tech CNC machining. Sawyer can work independently, and requires very little supervision. He is one of the most valuable members of our team, gets along great with his co-workers, and is our leading edge in providing you with the highest quality OEM parts.

To learn more about how Sawyer, robotic automation, and high-technology CNC machining can help your business, contact Tag Team Manufacturing today.

high speed machining

What Is High-Speed Machining?

When referring to CNC machine tools, the term high speed machining (HSM) usually means making products or prototypes rapidly by using milling machines at higher spindle rates with lighter, shallower cuts to achieve greater metal removal rates and lower operating costs.

How Did HSM Develop?

HSM grew out of CNC techniques developed in aerospace manufacturing at companies such as McDonnell Douglas (now part of Boeing). Originally, one of the reasons for using HSM was to machine at specific speeds that would avoid what’s known as “chatter” (machine vibration that can become noisy and/or violent) by taking advantage of milling at natural frequencies. By keeping high speeds stable, parts could be more milled more accurately and have less “ribs,” resulting in a lower weight. Lighter parts meant less heavy, more efficient aircraft. The goal for McDonnell Douglas became reducing the weight of many of its sheet metal parts and combining pieces together for even more efficiency. Eventually, so dramatic was the success of HSM that a jet that formerly was built with 14,000 parts now required only half that number. This greatly reduced costs and allowed speedier production of finished airplanes. As such, HSM became an assembly solution for McDonnell Douglas and eventually other aircraft manufacturers.

What Makes HSM Effective?

Although it may seem counter-intuitive, the way high speed machining works is that a higher machine “spindle rate” (measured in rotations per minute of the tool) combined with lighter cutting will actually remove more material faster than slower spindle rates and heavier cutting. Lighter cutting also means more efficiency from a power perspective — some CNC machines may be rated at a high horsepower but can become overloaded if their cuts are too deep.

With HSM, cutting temperatures are actually reduced; surface finish is also improved, and the machines’ spindle and cutter acquire less wear-and-tear over time. This is especially true with harder materials. Cutting becomes more consistent and more reproducible. Often, HSM combines the roughing and finishing passes that are normally separate at lower speeds. This means that throughput generally increases when HSM is applied to process workflows.

What Are the Benefits of HSM?

In mold making, HSM allows for intricate cavity and core geometries and can enable the quick machining of large, complex components out of solid blocks of material. Material walls can be made very thin, and edges can be very sharp. Accuracy and precision are improved, and time spent polishing surfaces can be reduced. Automation can be improved because errors and interruptions are fewer. Molds and dies have more durability because fatigue cracks are lessened, hence there’s less risk of breakage. Assembly of finished products often can go faster. In general, customers are very satisfied with the output of pieces produced with high speed machining.

How Has HSM Helped Tag Team Manufacturing?

At Tag Team Manufacturing, high speed machining has allowed us to boost our capacity and handle more orders in a shorter timeframe. This, combined with our sophisticated MasterCam CAD/CAM programming system, makes us the leading provider of machined components in the Denver, Colorado region.

Source:

https://www.makino.com/about/news/Ramping-Up-To-High-Speed-Machining/204/

http://www.mmsonline.com/zones/hsm

OEM manufacturing

What OEM’s should know about Quality CNC Machining

Quality Machining Denver

Your quality manufacturing customers depends on you for quality.  In today’s competitive OEM manufacturing environment, there is very little room for error.  You certainly have choices when choosing a CNC machining shop. Because your customers demand quality, precision and timely delivery, you need to select the best CNC manufacturing and CNC production OEM partner available in the Denver area.

OEM Manufacturing Support

That is exactly why we are in business; to help you meet your commitments to deliver on time, within budget and with absolute precision.  We take our role as your OEM partner very seriously. We’ve been in business for over 30 years and we understand the CNC manufacturing environment and quality machining Denver better than anyone else in the area.

As you well know, CNC Manufacturing, or Computer Numerical Control, Manufacturing involves operating lathes, mills, drills, and other devices from a computer. That is the world we live in, every day.  We are committed to your success.

OEM Partner

Here are some of the things you need to know when selecting your CNC quality machining Denver OEM partner:

  • Commitment to Excellence – How long has your potential OEM Partner been in business and what is their commitment to excellence? Do they have a proven track record when it comes to delivering high quality solutions on time and within budget?
  • Ability to Handle High Volume Production – Can your CNC manufacturing partner handle high volume production? Can they quickly ramp with you from prototype to production and are they available to quickly trouble shoot issues?
  • Staffing – Who are the people behind the solutions? Do they have proven expertise  and demonstrated experience in delivering quality machining Denver solutions. Do they have the depth to support your efforts when working with both small and large customers?
  • ISO 9001 Compliant – Tag Team Manufacturing’s Quality Management System follows ISO 9001 guidelines and is fully quality compliant. We deliver quality product every time, on time and within budget. We use electronic billboards to communicate with our staff to deliver consistent results with minimal scrap and on time delivery.
  • Quality Management Program – Tag Team’s quality management program helps meet Customer, Statutory and Regulatory requirements, ensures consistency of product and adheres to specifically designed processes and procedures that are well controlled and easily repeatable.
  • Continual Improvement – We work closely with our customers and often with their customers to gain efficiencies in operating cost with less scrap while avoiding non- conforming product and delivering ultimate customer satisfaction.
  • Customer Service – service in the manufacturing industry is vital to your success and ours. We continually train our staff to have a sense of urgency and to deal with potential issues quickly and efficiently.

Conclusion

Tag Team Manufacturing is your best choice for a Quality Oriented OEM Partner in Denver. We’ve been providing quality OEM manufacturing support for over 30 years. We built our reputation as an OEM partner, providing CNC production and CNC manufacturing solutions to CNC Machine shops. Contact us today to learn how we can help you meet the demands of your quality manufacturing customers.