A Blog for the Industrial Cutting Tool Professional

In this episode of the Critical Mass Business Talk Show, host Ric Franzi sits down with two key leaders from S&D Industrial Tool Supply-Chandan Shiroy, Vice President of Sales and Operations, and Darren Dives, Vice President of Sales. With decades of combined experience in manufacturing, engineering, and sales, Chandan and Darren share valuable insights into…

Over my 48 years in the machining industry, I’ve witnessed incredible advancements that have redefined how we manufacture products, from everyday items to cutting-edge technologies. It’s easy to overlook the impact of innovations that have become standard practice. Here are a few key products introduced during my career that truly changed the game: Indexable Carbide…

Finding skilled professionals in the tooling industry is becoming increasingly challenging-whether in machine shops, factory representatives, or as in our case, distributor sales teams. To some extent, we have ourselves to blame. The number of programs in schools and companies that promote careers in manufacturing has dwindled, which is unfortunate because manufacturing plays a vital…

As one year comes to a close and another begins, it’s a time to reflect, set new expectations, and embrace fresh opportunities-and this year is no exception. 2024 was a whirlwind, both personally and professionally. We sold our home of 30 years and relocated across the country, making several trips to California to support our…

When operating CNC Swiss machines, every second counts. Producing small parts quickly and minimizing machine downtime is essential for profitability. For example, one of our local CNC Swiss shops recently faced a challenging project involving a large order in Kovar, a notoriously difficult material. The job required drilling very small holes-1.09mm (0.043″) in diameter-adding to…

Innovative Solutions for Aluminum ExtrusionsIn the competitive aluminum extrusion manufacturing industry, S&D’s customer faced challenges with poor tool life and frequent breakage, leading to high tooling costs. To address this, S&D introduced a solution from LMT ONSRUD, a leader in cutting-edge solutions for aluminum extrusions. The success stories of LMT ONSRUD highlight the effectiveness of…

Significant Growth led to overspending and stock outs A cutting-Edge Space Company experienced significant growth in recent years. However, this growth also posed some challenges for the company’s tooling management system. Challenge Tooling items, such as cutting tools, inserts, and holders, are essential for the Space company’s machine shop to produce quality parts that meet…

Recently, a client took on a job as a favor to assist one of their regular customers. However, they discovered that the D2 Steel material, originally specified at 40 HRC hardness, was received at 60 HRC hardness due to an error in the customer’s order. With the longer lead time for the material, the client…

In the manufacturing industry, the costs associated with scrap are widely recognized. This is especially true when dealing with investment casting parts that have undergone extensive machining. A single mishap during this process can result in significant waste of both time and money. Recently, one of our clients encountered a similar scenario. During the final…

Occasionally, a fresh perspective is needed to identify solutions to challenges. Scenario: Take, for instance, a situation encountered by one of our clients, a substantial job shop located in Orange County. They were facing difficulties in machining the internal diameter (ID) of a large part with a 2.48″ ID, boring to a depth of 5.0″…