Joshua D. Roden, EIT

Over the last few months, I’ve had multiple CNC shop owners tell me the same thing: “My trained operator left. Now we are back to square one.” App-based gig work is changing the workforce landscape. Manufacturing is feeling the pressure. You cannot control when an operator resigns. But you can control how prepared your shop is to absorb the shock and integrate fresh trainees without disrupting production. I’ve written a detailed blog on how structured CNC training systems can reduce machine risk, shorten onboarding time, and stabilize workforce transitions. If you are running a CNC shop or managing workforce planning, I believe this will resonate with you. Read here: https://lnkd.in/g-UYm6VK Would love to hear your thoughts. #CNC #CNCOperator #ManufacturingLeadership #CNCTraining #SkillDevelopment

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Why Are There So Many Carbide Bur Shapes? (Hint: It's Not Just to Confuse You) 🧐 I often get asked by new machinists and fabricators: "Why do I need so many different shapes? Can't one bur do it all?" The short answer is: Technically, yes. But efficiently? Absolutely not. In the world of metal removal, the shape of your bur is the difference between a 2-minute job and a 20-minute job. It is the difference between a smooth finish and a torn-up surface. Here is why your die grinder collection needs variety: 1. Geometry Dictates Access • Cylindrical (Shape A/SHAPE B): Perfect for straight walls and flat surfaces. They are the "workhorses." • Tree & Cone Shapes (Shape D/G/H): Designed to reach into undercuts, acute angles, and tapered cavities. If you try to use a straight bur in a V-shaped groove, you will either gouge the material or miss the spot entirely. 2. Radius vs. Sharp Corner • Radius End (Shape L/G): Essential for creating fillets and blending radii without leaving a step mark. This is critical for die-making to reduce stress risers. • End Cut/Sharp Corner (Shape B/A): Necessary for creating square shoulders and flat-bottomed holes. 3. Material Removal Rate vs. Finish The shape isn't just about the profile; it affects how the bur interacts with the material. A ball bur (Shape L) is great for smooth contouring but removes material slowly. A cylindrical bur with a coarser cut removes material fast but leaves a rougher finish. The Analogy: Think of carbide burs like paintbrushes. You could paint an entire house with just a 4-inch brush, but you wouldn't use it to cut in the edges of a window frame. You need a smaller, angled brush for detail. Carbide burs are the same—each shape is a specialized tool for a specific "painting" task in metal. The Verdict: Having the right shape on hand means less manual filing, less rework, and faster project completion. It’s an investment in your own efficiency. 👇 What is the one bur shape you use most often? And which shape do you wish you had more of? Let me know in the comments! 🔧 Need help selecting the right bur for your specific application? We have the shapes and cuts you need. 📧 Email: sales9@zzbetter.com 📞 Phone/WhatsApp: +86 18173362360 🌐 Website: www.zzbetter.com

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Outdated CAM software rarely causes a sudden breakdown. That’s why it’s easy to ignore. But day by day, toolpaths take longer to create. Small errors become normal. Machines and operators spend more time waiting than cutting. The real cost isn’t visible on a bill. It shows up in lost time, slower jobs, and tighter deadlines. Outdated software doesn’t stop production — it quietly makes every shift less efficient. #cadcam #cncproduction #manufacturingworkflow #operationalefficiency #shopfloorreality #smartmanufacturing

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What's the biggest drawback of wire EDM? Speed! Wire is an extremely accurate, cost effective means to process parts, but it is slow. However, we can work around this problem and open up capacity at the same time. For example: I have a repeat job where our design team has placed 2 details in a block for processing, pretty simple. However, this time around the project required 6 pieces. Rather than re-engineering and having to reprogram, we made the blocks the same as before. At roughly 6 hours per block, it could take an operator 2 or even 3 days to run each block separately. The solution......setup all 3 blocks with separate work offsets, load a spool of wire and hit GO. "Lights Out" machining is no longer a buzz word, it required to meet deadlines and to be competitive on pricing!

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Material Stress Fights Back! Watch as the metal sheet's internal stress release causes it to lift, triggering a collision error on the plasma torch. A costly reminder that material science is just as critical as machine settings in CNC fabrication.

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The fastest solution in the shop can sometimes be the oldest machine. Happens all the time...someone spends two hours programming a CNC for a simple part. Nothing really complicated, just a few holes in a plate. The Bridgeport in the corner could've done it in fifteen minutes with a basic setup. When you have a $400K 5-axis, every job starts to look like it needs five axes. But....small batch work and one-offs are where manual machines still win. A skilled operator can walk up to a Bridgeport Machine Tools, LLC, set up in ten minutes, and start cutting. He can be finished with the job, before the CNC guy even finishes his program. The setup time on CNC can eat you ALIVE on small quantities. By the time you've got the program written and the first part verified, the manual guy is done and onto the next job. We keep our old equipment running for exactly this reason. You've got quick turns, test cuts, prototypes, and the random stuff that shows up needing to ship tomorrow. Knowing which machine fits which job is half the battle. What's the oldest machine still earning its keep in your shop?

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Another win for the Machine Shops One of the shops I work with regularly sees a project that requires parting-off Inconel 625, with orders typically hitting 150+ parts. They were using a competitor’s insert and only getting 1 part per edge, running slow feeds and speeds, and tying up a valuable machine—causing a serious backlog. That’s when I introduced Tungaloy’s AddForceCut system, paired with our AH7025 grade and QGM chip breaker. The results? Night and day: ✅ Tool life jumped to 6 parts per insert ✅ Cutting speed increased from 85 SFM to 160 SFM ✅ Feed rate jumped from .004 to .006 inches per rev ✅ MRR exploded from .051 to 1.25 in³/min ✅ Cycle time dropped by 10 seconds ✅ Massive cost-per-part savings and freed-up machine time Tungaloy not only won on price, but also won on speed, tool life, and cost per part. It’s always rewarding to help local shops solve problems and keep American manufacturing running strong. If you’re dealing with tough materials and want to get more out of your tooling—let’s talk. (And hey, there might even be donuts involved 🍩) #CustomerSuccess #Machining #Inconel625 #Metalworking #CuttingTools #Tungaloy #SalesEngineering #ManufacturingWins #ToolingMatters #AmericanManufacturing Alfredo Haun

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