Magazine Articles

When a TURN-MILL Doesn’t Turn

AMoManTech, a precision machine shop in Big Sky Country, uses a B-axis multitasking machine to produce complex, prismatic medical parts that require no turning complete from barstock.

Publication: Production Machining Magazine
Published: July 1, 2020

Advancing Metalcutting Technology

As car manufacturing consolidates with fewer models built on common platforms, and assertive startups address lower-volume, but growing, niches, machine tools have stepped up to address the agility demands of automotive firms seeking the goal of mass customization.

Publication: Autobeat
Published: February 6, 2020

One Spindle, Two Spindles, Three Spindles, More?

There are seemingly endless variations in how milling and turning machines are equipped, including mill-turn and turn-mill combos. But one of the basic ways to differentiate between machine tools is by counting spindles.

Publication: AdvancedManufacturing.org
Published: October 4, 2019

Dual-Spindle Technology a Boon to Automakers

As a key part of auto manufacturing technology, builders are improving machine tools to maximize flexibility and productivity. For example, CNC horizontal machining centers (HMCs) permit multi-sided machining, maximize chip evacuation, and facilitate pallet-based automation systems.

Publication: Manufacturing Engineering Magazine
Published: September 1, 2019

Shop Evolves with CNC Turning

Debbie Sommers answered a newspaper ad for a receptionist job at a South Elgin, Illinois, screw machine shop in 1980. Today, she owns the shop, an 18,000-square-foot facility with 20 employees and sales growth of 25 percent in 2017.

Publication: Production Machining Magazine
Published: November 1, 2018

PMPA Technical Member Absolute Machine Tools Finds Success in its Flexible and Innovative Product Line

Publication: Production Machining Magazine
Published: October 1, 2018

EDMs Take a Big Step Up To Unattended Eroding

“For the most part, EDMing is an unattended, or at least lightly-attended process. Unlike CNC lathes and machining centers, where a broken cutter during the night can make for a truly bad morning, sinking a mold cavity or cutting a trim die requires little in the way of babysitting—why wouldn’t you let the machine run on its own after everyone’s gone home for the day? If the wire breaks, the EDM will simply thread a new one. If the ‘trode shorts out, the control will do its best to recover or just shut everything down until its human master comes to the rescue. No big deal. Making EDM truly lights-out, however, requires much more than auto-threaders and smart circuitry.”

Publication: Manufacturing Magazine
Published: September 27, 2018

2018 Emerging Leaders

Phillip Judt, an applications engineer at Absolute Machine Tools (Mason, Ohio) has been nominated and named an emerging leader in the manufacturing industry,  according to Production Machining magazine.

Publication: Production Machining Magazine
Published: July 1, 2018

Turning 30 Offers Perspective

In a column for Production Machining Magazine, Absolute Machine Tools president Steve Ortner offers perspective on the company turning 30 year and changes in the machine tool industry in the past three decades.

Publication: Production Machining Magazine
Published: May 20, 2018

The Future Looks Bright for Lights-Out Moldmaking

Steve Ortner, president of Absolute Machine Tools Inc., was recently featured in an article on AdvancedManufacturing.org that gives a fascinating look at the future of untended, or lights-out, machining in mold shops. 

Publication: Advanced Manufacturing
Published: May 1, 2018