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Precision Ground Barstock: How It Is Manufactured, Benefits to Your Shop

Understanding the benefits provided by precision centerless ground barstock can help you avoid false economy and optimize the work you quote by maximizing benefits to your manufacturing process and customer.

Miles Free
Director of Industry Research and Technology, PMPA

Manufacturing Management: Laura Carter and Britany Dittmer

Roles of Women in Manufacturing Series: Laura and Britany share their manufacturing journeys to management and give advice to anyone seeking a career in manufacturing.

What Is the True Value of Your Finished Goods Inventory?

Keeping a large finished stock inventory is the surest way to turn a large fortune into a small one.

Welcome to John Habe IV, PMPA’s New Board President

At the PMPA Annual Meeting held at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort in Tucson, Arizona, in October 2022, John Habe IV was welcomed as the Board of Directors President.

Emerging Leaders

Manufacturing Skills Training: Virginia Martinez and Laiken Carrillo

Roles of Women in Manufacturing Series: A precision machining career starts with skills. Virginia and Laiken share their journey and how they help prepare the next generation.

Emerging Leaders

Training Is More Than a Skills Upgrade

Training is more than a skills upgrade. Training is a process that creates a virtuous cycle for your performers, culture and shop. Why do we train? Why do we need to train?

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 113: PMPA Speaking of Precision Podcasts — Leadership

PMPA’s Speaking of Precision podcasts can be found on major platforms or on PMPA.org.

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 114: Factors Influencing Machined Surface Finish in Our Shops

Surface finish is the result of our machining process on raw materials.

Miles Free
Director of Industry Research and Technology, PMPA

Choosing Work Perks

Workforce is tight and there are a lot of ideas to retain your skilled workers. How do you choose?

Manufacturing in the US Economy — and Our Place in It

Manufacturing is essential to our economy and Precision Machining is just as essential to manufacturing.

Emerging Leaders

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 112: PMPA Speaking of Precision Podcasts — Business/Continuous Improvement/Workforce

PMPA’s Speaking of Precision podcasts can be found on major platforms or on PMPA.org.

You Didn’t Read My Email?

Communication between customers, co-workers and vendors needs to be clear and concise.

Overall Organizational Effectiveness: How Do You Know?

Sales are great! I think. How do you know unless you can compare to your peers? PMPA’s Business Trends Report can help.

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 111: PMPA Speaking of Precision Podcasts — Quality and Shopfloor Operations

PMPA offers daily access to a full range of programs and services — including podcasts covering a wide range of safety and regulatory issues — all designed to help members meet operational challenges and focus on new business opportunities.

Roles of Women in Manufacturing Series: Machinists Julia Dister and Sarah Grieve

Julia and Sarah share their journeys to becoming machinists and give advice to anyone seeking a career in manufacturing.

Carli Kistler-Miller
Director of Programs and Marketing, Precision Machined Products Association

Don’t Mistake Movement for Advancement

Advancement is essential for a sustainable and viable shop. Make sure your shop is advancing and not just moving.

Maximizing Output: 3 Ratios to Maximize Production Revenue

Revenue is generated by machines that are running. Use these three ratios to ensure your machines are running at an optimal level.

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 110: PMPA Speaking of Precision Podcasts — Safety and Regulatory

Strategy and Teamwork: Better Together

A company can have a strategy. A company culture can promote teamwork. Put those two together and you get results.

Unavailability of Bessemer Steels

Bessemer Steel is no longer produced. So why isn’t it produced and what do you do when the print says “Bessemer steel”?

Craftsman Cribsheet No. 109: PMPA Speaking of Precision Podcasts — Engineering and Material Resources

The Precision Machined Products Association offers a variety of resources to its members.

The Precision Machined Products Industry: 2022 Was a Very Good Year

The data supports continued optimism for the precision machining industry.

Miles Free
Director of Industry Research and Technology, PMPA

Useful Emotionally Intelligent Phrases

It is not always easy to communicate your message in a way that your employee is willing to hear it. Emotionally Intelligent (EI) managers have to be able to translate.

Take Your “Economist,” Not Your Engineer, to IMTS This Year

Heresy! Of course, you should take your engineers. And your leads, and your setup and operators. Why the heck should you take your economist? Does your shop even have one?

Craftsman Cribsheet #108: OSHA Citations in FY 2021 for NAICS 332721 — Precision Turned Product Manufacturing

Watch out for the common OSHA citations listed below. Manufacturers should aim to find and fix any shortcomings in these areas to eliminate recognized hazards and reduce the risk of violations in your shop.

Thriving With You in 2022: Sharing Solutions

PMPA’s National Technical Conference 2022 (held at The Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 1-3, 2022) had packed sessions, excited attendees and a lot of learning, sharing and networking.

Economics of Production Machining: Are You in the Speed or Feed Tribe?

Optimizing for multiple factors, not just minimizing cost for a single factor, will lead to profitable production machining.

Craftsman Cribsheet #107: Quick Cross-Reference for Foreign Designations for Stainless Steels

This table provides a quick reference for some of the most common stainless steel grades — showing Chinese, Japanese and European/German Werkstoffe numbers and grade designations.

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