Machine Shop Engineering

There are numerous p-books on engineering practice. Many can be found for very little money in Charity bookshops these days. Why not start a collection?

Another possibility is to borrow them from the local public reference library.

borrow them from where??????????

I'm an old fud, but I learned most of what I know by working in machine shops and tool rooms. While there are probably a lot of good books out there covering the economics and best practices in machine shop operation, I don't believe that this is something that can be picked up from a web site. Even the best books are of little value unless you are in the a shop, working with the machine tools on a day to day basis.

In spite of all the technological advances in the past generation. machining ( and tool making) is still, and always will be, a skilled trade that can only be learned and mastered by practice, and experience. Theory only holds untill you chuck that piece of metal in a machine tool, and the tool bit hits it.

So my advice, if you want to learn machine shop engineering, put on your apron and go to work in a machine shop.

I agree with you.

Tell us why you want this information. You may only need a subset of the information. These subsets will vary a lot depending on the role or roles you expect to play: skilled machinist, toolmaker, machine operator, lead, foreman, manager, programmer, rpoduction planner, design engineer, production engineer, quality control, designer, draftsman, cost estimator, salesman for machine shop services, maintenance tech, assembly worker, safety engineer, accountant?????

Ed Weldon

Hello,

I agree with a lot of other posts, apron and all, being a tool and die maker by trade myself, I know my way around a lot of different machines, lathes, grinders, milling machines, presses etc. Most of this knowledge came from the bench, not a web site or some books. The theory is important also, but without knowing the physical aspects from the shop floor it is pretty useless.

The biggest problem is that books and school theory generally covers a specific type of machining, and when you generalize from that you can get yourself in a load of trouble.

Sit down and look for key-words from what manufacturing direction you are expecting answers from your search engine, and set the sail in the direction of the knowledge you specifically need.

It would be much different if you for example intend to make specific dies for the stamping industry, rather than molds for plastic, or if you intend to manufacture miniature screw threads. Machine shop engineering and planning needs to be tailored to the products you intend to govern. "You Tube" offers some insight on specific manufacturing processes, showing some material flow, for planning purposes.

Basically, material flow: (Minimize storage and material movements in the shop, as part of lean manufacturing and 5S)

Material in

(storage)

Manufacturing

(storage)

(assembly)

(other secondary processes. ie plating, shot blast or painting)

Quality control

Shipping

There is a good book by Jensen I believe for the engineering aspect.

"Engineering Drawing and Design" is the title I do believe by Cecil Jensen.

It should be a great overview BUT it does unfortunately no come with an apron...

I hope this allows you to set sail - the right Keywords should assist in finding electronic teaching media - don`t forget to buy some soap, and I don`t mean for the Keyboard.

Mirco Graenert,

Guys -- With all due respect to you professional machinists and tool and die makers I don't think this fellow is looking to spend the next few years of his life learning the basics of the trade. While actual hands on experience in the trade gives you a tremendous advantage in any of the jobs I listed in my reply#4 it is not a prerequisite to get started. In a 42 year engineering career I have known many people, my self included, who have successfully worked in fabrication shop support roles and who had no significant salary producing "hands on" fabrication experience.

This fellow is looking for a book or books he can learn from. Obviously a book alone will not make him a manufacturing engineer or whatever other goal he is seeking. But the right book or books will help. The problem is that he is approaching a very broad subject. Thousands of books have been written on one or another related topic.

A Visit to the SME website will show a staggering selection of costly literature on almost any manufacturing topic. I know of no easy tutorial for such a broad subject. But I'd recommend one book as a reference and a decent base for intensive self study by one who is truly dedicated and interested.

"TMEH Desk Edition", Author(s)/Editor(s)William Cubberly & Ramon Bakerjian
Published By Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Price: $ 109.00 (book form); fully searchable CD-ROM price $125.00

http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/get-item.pl?BK88PUB4&2&SME

The entire handbook series, a substantial investment for sure:

http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/getgmnpage.pl?/html/tmeh.htm&&SME&

Student SME membership:

http://www.sme.org/cgi-bin/eduhtml.pl?/html/studentzone.htm&&&SME&

Hope this is helpful....... Ed Weldon

Machine Shop Safety
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a64y3Ih_s74

Machine Shop Measuring Tools
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2qv3b1Ca68

Listen to Ed Weldon et al.

Chris

Hello everyone!

Thanks for the all information from everyone on here. I am a student, and I need to write a scientific work about founfry and machine shop planning and engineering. I was trying to find any useful information about that at Google, but there is no information at all. Thanks for the references, unfortunately I can't buy this books, because it's expensive for me, so i'm trying to find something in e-format. Unfortunately, without success.

I would be very mach obliged for any information.

Thanks and good luck!

How about that revolutionary way out idea of PWSlack's of looking in a library? Still the best source of quality reference material in most cases.

Ed Weldon, thanks!!! It's really useful links! Excellent information!

The Prof: It's my homework, and I'm not in university now. I was going to the library of the city, but I didn't find any useful information.

Thanks to all of you for your attention to my problem! I appreciate greatly!

Don't worry too much about me, just a grumpy old man. I really do believe that many of us have lost the ability to do proper research because of the ease and convenience of the internet. Good luck with your tasks.