August 2007 Edition

EDITOR'S CORNER

 

 

Free Advice, and Worth Every Penny

Drop us a line and let us know what you need

 

 

 

How many times have you clicked on the “Help” button in an application and not gotten the help you need? If my experience is like yours, it will have been plenty of times, I bet. Hit the “Help” button and a list of solutions comes up that may be as long as your arm. Topics that look promising disappoint in a number of ways.

Most commonly, the topic heading that looks like a solution turns out to be a trip down a path that has nothing to do with solving your dilemma. Almost as common are “solutions” that seem to be missing a key step or definition that leave you scratching your head.

That’s what we want to avoid with Modern Applications News.

No, we can’t promise to solve a specific problem you might have, but we aim at providing ideas that can show you, by specific examples used by others, what can assist you in solving a challenge. That’s usually the thrust of the articles we present: how a shop that may be similar to yours increases efficiency, or saves time, money, or effort. And, by example, how you might be able to adopt those solutions to your workplace.

When We Say “Help,” We Really Mean It

But, sometimes providing examples may not be enough. At MAN, we don’t want to be like the unhelpful “Help” button. We want to help you succeed. That’s why we’ve added a number of columnists recently.

Dave Sterling was the first addition with his “From the Shop Floor” column. He’s the kind of person who sees, first-hand, the problems facing people in job shops. He writes about them from the point of view of a guy who works in a shop and knows the value of getting the most out of the machines.

We’ve also added Norman Bleier’s “Controlling Interest” column, where an industry expert in CNC offers advice. Norman has a depth of experience and an understanding of the CNC issues that comes from years of pioneering work in the field. He can offer advice as specific as tool placement or as general as the history of CNC development.

In this issue, we are debuting “Machining Rxs From Dr. J.” Think of Jairam Manjunathaiah, Ph.D., as the “Dear Abby” of machining. If you have a question or problem, you can e-mail him in care of me at pnofel@nelsonpub.com and he’ll do his best to provide an answer. His debut column provides information about speed and acceleration.

The Top 10

Also in this issue is MAN’s first “Readers’ Choice Awards.” We’ve listened to you and selected the companies you’ve told us, through your responses to readers’ service numbers, in which you were most interested.

We selected 10 categories that seemed to draw the most interest from you, our readership: Abrasives, CAD/CAM, Cutting Tools, Holemaking/Drilling/Boring/Tapping, Lathes, Machine Controls, Machining Centers, Measurement/Inspection, Toolholding, and Workholding. Within those categories, we found the top two manufacturers you were most interested in when you requested more information through the reader service response feedback methods.

The list isn’t meant to be all-inclusive of every category facing the shop, but it covers a lot of ground. It also provides you with a place from which you can offer your suggestions about other areas you might like to see in the next awards.

Don’t be shy, tell us what you like and where we could improve. We’re not ivory tower eggheads who know – or at least pretend to know – everything. The best advice we can get is from you. You’re the guys running the machines, getting your hands dirty. It’s your experience that has value. If you have suggestions or an interesting story, we want to hear about it. We’re just an e-mail away, and it doesn’t even cost 41¢.

What do you think?
Will the information in this article increase efficiency or save time, money, or effort? Let us know by e-mail from our website at www.ModernApplicationsNews.com or e-mail the editor at pnofel@nelsonpub.com.