A good quality CNC cutting machine has a cutting table that covers the area bounded by a length of four feet and a width of eight feet. A quality table can handle satisfactorily a standard 4 x 8 plate of metal, wood, plastic, glass, or stone. A table that lacks a sufficient length or width will make it necessary for the operator to repeatedly reposition the plate. Operators of the CNC cutting machine refer to such repositioning as indexing.

A good basic CNC cutting machine does both plasma and oxyfuel cutting. Refinements on a basic cutting machine might provide it with the ability to perform other functions, functions such as:

-spotting holes for drilling

-drilling aluminum

-cutting a shape in the sides or end of tubing

-routing wooden shapes

Other modifications on a CNC cutting machine might be directed at installation of the equipment for laser or water jet cutting.

The selection of a CNC cutting machine will be primarily determined by the nature of cutting that will be performed by the machine operator. For some operations, it will be necessary to do only straight cutting. For other operations, the cutting machine must perform bevel cutting. Bevel cutting allows the operator to trim, reduce, shave, and pare the material in the plate.

Both types of cutting will subject the CNC cutting machine to a fair amount of wear and tear. The manufacturer therefore needs to purchase a machine with adequate customer support. Such support should include the availability of spare parts. An absence of spare parts could require that the electronics of the CNC cutting machine undergo a retrofitting.

A need for retrofitting would deprive the operator of important production time. The need for retrofitting would diminish the quantity of goods that could be sold to the consumer. The need for retrofitting leads to a decrease in the amount of time that the operator will be spending at the CNC cutting machine. That is why the availability of spare parts for a malfunctioning CNC cutting machine remains one of the two chief concerns of the manufacturer. A second prime concern is the size of the cutting table.

The operator of a CNC cutting machine that needs to spend a large percent of time indexing will not have much time to spend on the actual cutting. Hence, the manufacturer will have much less product. Fewer products from the manufacturing facility translate into fewer products on the shelf. Consequently, the need for operators to spend time indexing can prove a detriment to the company’s bottom line. A good sales volume reflects the well-planned purchase of a CNC cutting machine.

Peter Vermeeren is the owner and webmaster of: Machines and Tools and Airsoft GOT | Tactical Gear | Military Supplies

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Vermeeren

Since we are dealing with machines that do work for us, we need to control those machines somehow. We need to control them for safety reasons as well. If you give a machine improper commands it can easily get out of control and cause harm to you or the part you are machining. We want to give appropriate commands to our machines, at appropriate times so they are not "out of control".

The language that these machines use is called G-code. G-code has been around since the early 60's. There are a number of variations of G-code, but most are very similar to one another. See the previous section for a sample of G-Code. We will need to use a computer to talk with our CNC machine. Our computer will send signals to our CNC machine. In-between our computer and our CNC machine sits a controller. A controller converts commands into signals that are used to control the motion of our machine.

As these signals are sent out of the controller, they go to either stepper or servo motors. This is how we create motion. These motors drive our various axis on our CNC machine. While we are moving our axis, there is generally a cutting tool of some sort removing material. This is the machining process coupled with CNC.

Here is a brief description of the two types of motors generally used in CNC:

Stepper motors:

Simple design

Easy to use

Generate torque at low rpm

Do not know their position in relation to the program

Servo Motors:

Generate torque at high RPMs

Generally need gearing of some sort to be effective

More sophisticated

Can maintain their relative position, thus, they can be more accurate

Machine Controllers

Controllers generally stand alone near the CNC machine. They act as a translator between your control computer and your CNC machine. Generally, they add quite a bit of cost to a CNC machine as well. Controllers can cost anywhere from $1000-$20,000 or more depending on their sophistication.

Don is active in G Code and CNC Milling.

CNC Machine is part of his expertise.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Don_Edge

The mini CNC machine gives the manufacturer a way to reduce cycle time. The mini CNC machine helps the manufacturer to avoid a long void between the end of one operation and the start of the next operation. The manufacturer who decides to purchase a mini CNC machine has chosen to apply the principles of cycle time to the area of production machinery.

The nature of the mini CNC machine creates three ways by which miniaturization can pave the way for cycle time reduction. This article will list three ways by which a manufacturer can reduce cycle time. It will also provide details concerning how the mini CNC machine permits the manufacturer to apply the principles of cycle time reduction to the operation of the mini CNC machine, and ultimately to the process of machine production.

The effort to reduce the manufacturers cycle time begins with an attempt to minimize the amount of time that operators spend loading and unloading various materials. The operator of a CNC machine will work more efficiently if he or she is able to minimize the workplace loading and unloading. This minimization is achieved through use of the mini CNC machine.

The operator of the mini CNC machine can save time by using large bed sizes and a small footprint. The operator of a mini CNC machine will save money by loading into the machine a wide piece of material and then limiting each process (cutting, engraving, routing, and drilling) to a small footprint.

The operator of a CNC-based piece of equipment can reduce cycle time by reducing the tool maintenance time. Such a reduction is made possible by the mini CNC machine. The small size of the miniaturized machines facilitates the creation of multiple design options. The large number of options leads to creation of a generous number of spare parts. Meanwhile the surplus of spare parts guarantees the ready replacement of any malfunctioning parts.

The operator of a mini CNC machine also reduces cycle time by decreasing the program execution time. The clamping of small elements to the mini CNC machine and the automation of the tiny machine parts leads to a lowering of operator intervention. Whenever operators can afford to devote less time to matching the quality of a previous result, then the manufacturer saves money.

It thus becomes obvious that the characteristics of the mini CNC machine guarantee the application by the operator of the principles of cycle time. Three aspects of any CNC program fall under the control of the product manufacturer.

1) The time required for workplace equipment to accomplish the loading and unloading of the material that requires a transformation (a cutting, drilling, routing or engraving),

2) The length of the program execution time,

3) The length of the tool maintenance time.

The ability of a mini CNC machine to substantially alter any of the above three aspects could lead to a reduction in cycle time. A reduction in cycle time could improve performance of the process machinery.

Peter Vermeeren is the owner and webmaster of: Machines and Tools - Airsoft GOT | Tactical Gear - Kamikaze Martial Arts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Peter_Vermeeren

CARMEL, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 30, 1997--Conseco, Inc. (NYSE:CNC) today completed its merger with Pioneer Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS). As a result of the merger, PFS is now a wholly owned subsidiary of Conseco.

In the merger, each outstanding share of PFS common stock was converted into the right to receive 0.7077 of a share of Conseco common stock. First Union National Bank of North Carolina will act as agent for the conversion. Appropriate forms for presenting PFS stock certificates will be mailed shortly to all PFS stockholders of record. For further information, holders may contact First Union at (800) 829-8432. Each $1,000 of PFS's 6- 1/2% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2003 will be convertible into 35.385 shares of Conseco common stock. Conseco also announced that its chief executive officer and executive vice presidents exercised outstanding vested stock options to purchase approximately 8.6 million shares of the company's common stock. The options exercised would otherwise have remained exercisable for approximately seven years. As a result of the exercise, the company will be able to realize a tax deduction of approximately $225 million, equal to the aggregate tax gain recognized by the executives as a result of the exercise. No cash was either received or paid by the participants in the program; participants paid for the exercised options by tendering approximately 2.9 million previously owned shares and Conseco withheld approximately 2.6 million shares from the exercise proceeds to cover federal and state taxes owed by the executives as a result of the exercise transaction.
As part of the inducement to exercise the options, the Compensation Committee, composed entirely of nonmanagement directors, also granted new options at the current market price to the executive officers equal to the number of shares surrendered and withheld for the exercise price and taxes.

Net of withheld shares, the participants received a total of 3.1 million shares of common stock in the program. As a result of the program, the number of shares owned by executives increased and the dilution attributable to stock options decreased, Conseco said. The program also made it possible for the executives to avoid having to sell a large number of shares in the open market to pay the tax obligations generated by the option exercise, thereby eliminating a potentially adverse effect on the market price of Conseco stock.

Conseco is a financial services organization headquartered in Carmel, Ind. Through its subsidiaries, Conseco is one of the nation's leading providers of supplemental health insurance, retirement annuities and universal life insurance.

NOTE TO EDITORS: There is an "at" symbol between "ir" and "conseco.com" below. That symbol may not appear properly in some systems.

Stef's now offers a remote oil filter adapter machined out of 6061 T6 aluminum billet that bolts to the stock filter mount and can be used for a remote oil filter or oil cooler. It is a high-flow compact design that eliminates chassis clearance problems common to other remote adapters. Stef's remote filter adapters are black anodized to prevent corrosion especially in marine applications.They come as a complete kit with grade 8 Allen-head bolts, Buna-N-- Silicone O-rings and your choice of -10 or -12 hose fittings. Installation takes just a few minutes and Stef's quality CNC-machine finish ensures a leak-free installation. Stef's offers remote oil filter adapters for most popular big- and small-block Chevy applications. For information, write to Stef's Fabrication Specialties, 693 Cross St.,Lakewood, N.J. 08701, or call (732) 364-6700; website, www.stefs.com.

Dynatech's new SuperMAXX exhaust systems for Chevy/GMC trucks and SUVs are engineered for a direct bolt-on fit, are fully OBD-II compatible, and retain all emission connections. These precision-- crafted, complete header exhaust systems feature CNC mandrel bent long tube headers, dual stainless-steel hi-flow cats, and NASCAR-style 2-1 racing merge Ys. All SuperMAXX systems use stainless steel materials throughout and aerospace T-304 polished stainless header tubing. Recent dyno testing showed improved stump pulling torque and 17 more rear-wheel horsepower on 5.3L engines. One system fits '00-'03, 4.6L and 5.3L, two- and four-- wheel drive, Chevy Silverado/GMC Sierra 1500 pick-ups, Avalanche, Suburban, and Tahoe/Yukon. For information, callDynatech, (800) 848-5850, or log on to www.dynatechheaders.com.

The company's SVC 2000L vertical machining center is driven by a linear motor, with acceleration and axis positioning from 4,724 ipm in the X axis to 1,969 ipm in Y and Z axes.

The table size is 133.86" x 20.08". A 30-hp integral spindle can achieve a top speed of 12,000 rpm in 0.8 seconds. Other features include a 40-taper tool shank and standard 30-tool magazine. Chip-to-chip tool change time is 4 seconds. The company says that the top area of the door opening is completely open, which enables the user to load and unload workpieces with an overhead crane.

The unit comes equipped with the Mazatrol fusion 640M CNC. Programming is conversational, and existing programs can be modified with editing, which makes for reduced programming time and length.For more information from Mazak Corp., call (859) 342-1700 or enter MMS Direct code 278VB at www.mmsonllne.com

Advertising to seniors about groceries. - Do you eat food? So do seniors? Do you buy products? So do seniors. In fact, as a group, seniors are tremendous consumers of grocery-related consumables. Seniors—and advertisers know this—are tremendously interested in health-care related products such as vitamins, dietary supplements, and nutritional aids. Alongside of advertisements, Today’s Senior Magazine includes information about the type of news and information seniors want.

Advertising to seniors about health products - Seniors are concerned about their health. That’s why marketing to baby boomers for prescription medication and other health-related products makes complete sense. Seniors are looking for advertisements that will lead them to quality health products. Amidst advertisements for health-related issues, Today’s Senior Magazine also provides informative articles on health issues.

Advertising to seniors about travel – Seniors typically have the discretionary income and leisure time to travel more than other age groups. Focusing advertising efforts on traveling seniors makes complete sense. Today’s Senior Magazine provides advertisements on senior travel coupled with informative articles on popular travel destinations and pastimes. Advertisers offering air, RV, or cruise information will find Today’s Senior Magazine a great resource.

Advertising to seniors about leisure – Seniors have leisure time, so here’s an advertiser’s dream opportunity. Those that are 50+ spend time with pets, grandchildren, preparing scrapbooks, and photo albums. If you’re an advertiser attempting to sell any products or services, marketing to seniors should be considered. Advertising to the baby boomers isn’t just about the things they must buy, but also the things they want to buy.

Today’s Senior Magazine is an advertiser’s answer to how to reach baby boomers and those 50+. Whether you are promoting an online business or a brick-and-mortar store, seniors will be seeing your advertisements both online and in print.

It’s excitingly easy to spend your free time doing online surveys…and it may pay quite well, too. Paid survey companies are competing for your attention and are ready to pay from a couple of dollars to $75 to grab and file your opinion. Online surveys have also become a legitimate source of income for hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. Getting paid to complete online surveys is simple and rewarding.

What should you expect once you register with a paid survey database? First, you will receive email invitations to complete upcoming surveys. You should be careful to check the survey availability as soon as you can, because very often survey companies gather the required number of survey responses very quickly and close the particular survey. If you can’t complete the survey short from receiving the invitation email, you stand a chance that the number of consumer responses needed has been reached before you get to complete the survey. Even though completing paid online surveys is easy and simple, lazing about may help you miss a lot of profitable and exciting opportunities. Second, do you need to worry about the questions survey companies ask at registration? Many beginner survey takers have worried that they should answer specific questions about their household, income and interests. This is standard procedure, no need to worry. Even though not every survey company will require these answers, they help build your user profile and boost your relevancy to a larger number of future surveys. Some survey companies have optional categories – you may complete the “Interests” section only, and skip the “Financial” information. However, this may limit the diversity and hence the number of surveys you receive. You may get the surveys about golf and CD players, but not the surveys about mortgage plans, car lease or loan repayment schemes. While general surveys are definitely fun, the more particular and complex surveys are normally the highest paid ones.

Keeping in mind these two pieces of advice, you are ready to maximize your return on time investment in paid online surveys. To access a database of reliable paid surveys options, visit http://www.surveysponsors.com.

If you are planning to attend nursing school, one of the biggest factors you have to consider is the cost of tuition. The obvious question is, will you be able to afford it? If you lack the resources, do not lose hope. Like millions of others who are in a similar situation, you can get financial assistance through nursing school grants.

Nursing school grants are like gifts, which means they are free, given by various organizations to help those interested in a nursing career to get the necessary education. Majority of nursing school grants are needs based, which means eligibility depends on your financial need. Other eligibility requirements such as good scholastic record depend on the agency.

The US Government provides an excellent program known as Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. Through FAFSA, you can start your application for nursing school grants and other forms of financial aid. Most organizations that provide financial assistance to students use the information in this application form to determine if a student is qualified to receive a grant.

Some of the information and documents you will need to complete your FAFSA are your Social Security Number, driver's license, income tax return, recent bank statements, and if you are not a US national, a permanent residence card. You will be more efficient in your application, if you secure all the documents you need first before filling out an application.

It is very important that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. If the school or the government verifies that you have provided misleading information, your application will be denied or you will be obligated to pay not only the amount of the grant but other fines as well.

FAFSA forms are available in high schools and colleges, the education department offices in your state, many community libraries and on the FAFSA website. You can send your filled-out and signed FAFSA form to a processing unit or, alternatively, submit an application online.

Time is of the essence when applying for nursing school grants. It is critical that you complete and send your application on or before the deadline. Deadlines vary for each state, school, or agency so be sure to find out the exact deadlines. Many financial aid counselors recommend that you send your applications a year early. Do not wait to apply after you have already started school, as processing takes time and funding for grants do have a limit.

Have you compared prices on your Washington D.C. car insurance lately? If you haven’t, you're probably not getting the best rate you can. With a little fast and easy research, you can get the best rates and save hundreds of dollars on your auto insurance.

Visit an Insurance Comparison Website

To find the best rates on your Washington D.C. auto insurance, begin by visiting an insurance comparison website on the Internet. An insurance comparison website lets you quickly and easily compare auto insurance quotes so you know you're getting the best rate.

If you have any questions about your auto insurance, the best insurance comparison websites have an online chat feature so you can get your questions answered by insurance professionals.

Complete your Insurance Information

At the insurance comparison website you'll complete a form with information about your:

* Driving habits, such as the number of miles you drive each year and any tickets or accidents you've had.

* Vehicles, such as the year, make, model, and safety features.

* Personal information, such as your name, address, and age.

* Coverage amounts you want. The higher you set your coverage limits, the higher your rate will be.

* Deductibles for comprehensive and collision coverage. The higher you set your deductibles, the lower your rate will be. If your auto is more than five years old, you may want to drop comprehensive and collision coverage altogether.

Compare Your Quotes and Choose the Best Rate

Once you've completed your form, you'll soon have multiple auto insurance quotes from A-rated companies to choose from. You can then compare the quotes and choose the company with the best one.

By taking a few minutes to shop around and compare quotes, you'll be able to find the best Washington D.C. car insurance rate.

Ultimate Wealth Package is a complete internet marketing course by Guru Mark Warren. There are hundreds if not thousands of internet marketing courses on the internet, most of which are useless. But is Ultimate Wealth Package different? I set out to find out.

The first thing I noticed when opening Ultimate Wealth Package was the table of contents. The chapters looked like they covered everything. But a lot of courses I had read looked complete and were really full of air. So I continued.

I found that the course is well written, full of information and easy to follow. And definitely has something in there for veteran internet markers as well as beginners. For the beginners, it has everything you need to know to start working from home.

Mark literally takes you by the hand and walks you through the world of internet marketing. Every step of the way he shows you exactly what to do – leaving nothing to the imagination. It really is a complete guide.

Ultimate Wealth Package also has an 8 week risk free money back guarantee so you don’t have to worry about wasting your money. Mark also offers an amazing 108 bonus items with the course as well as a ready made marketing website, ready to use so you can start earning straight away.

So, does Ultimate Wealth Package do what it says on the tin and really bring you ultimate wealth? Well as with anything you need to put some hard work into it but if you do it delivers. Ultimate Wealth Package is definitely one of the most comprehensive and complete internet marketing guides on the internet and as well worth your time.

State criminal records include abbreviated conviction and arrest information from most county and state government agencies. County criminal records are not always reported at the state level. Some state courts make their records available on the Internet, but some states exclude the sensitive personal information online in their criminal records. State courts have to ensure a balance between privacy and accountability while providing criminal data online.

While some state courts offer comprehensive access of their records free of charge, some state courts charge a prescribed fee for online accessibility. The accessibility of the court records online to the public users allows them to monitor the fairness and the equality of operations in the judicial system. The criminal records that are provided by state courts online are in different forms ranging from state services to single jurisdictions. Moreover, if the state courts provide the cost-free, uniform, consistent, and user-friendly information via Internet, it will be useful to the public. They should consider these facts while granting electronic access of their records. So providing online accessibility of criminal records is a great challenge to the state courts.

Statewide searches of criminal records require 3 to 5 days in most states. Strictly speaking, a county level criminal record check is a better option when compared to a state check from a practical perspective because receiving information from a state court takes much more time to have a complete history of felonies and misdemeanors. Indeed all the state criminal indexes receive their date from the counties only. If any error is there in a county criminal record, then obviously state records may not be genuine and complete. Therefore the best option is searching both statewide and countywide indexes.

When you're looking for a complete body sculpting routine for men, you have a number of routes to take. You might hire on a personal trainer to help you formulate a plan. Or you might look to books or websites for your information. While all of these methods can give you a sense of what to include in a complete body sculpting routine for men, you need the exercises that will really work to improve your fitness levels. Here in this article is a no-nonsense body sculpting workout plan that will help you achieve your goals.

The first portion of a complete body sculpting routine for men is the upper body routine. Because many men are already comfortable with exercise for this area of the body, it's generally the part of the body that's well-defined and toned. Here are some simple exercises that can be used for the upper body:

* Pushups – targets the entire upper body and upper back

* Military presses – take a barbell or dumbbells in each hand to lift the hands above the shoulders, pressing towards the ceiling. You can also alternate one arm at a time to help protect your low back.

* Bench presses – lying on a weight bench, you will push the weights up from the shoulders

* Bicep curls – take a weight in one hand and lift into a curl position to the shoulder

* Tricep dips – on a weight bench, place your palms behind your body, slowly lower the upper body down

But many men forget that a complete body sculpting routine for men should include lower body exercises as well. This will help the body be balanced in its tone and symmetry – no sense in having great arms if your legs are skinny and underdeveloped. Here are some exercises that will work well for a complete body sculpting routine for men:

* Squats – either with weights in the hand or with squat machine

* Calf raises – standing up on your toes as far as you can, hold and slowly lower again

* Quad extensions – on a weight machine, sit and then extend your leg until straight

* Hamstring curls – using a machine or simply standing, bend your leg towards your buttocks

A complete body sculpting routine for men is a great way to define your whole body in a short amount of time – without needing a lot of equipment or background. And don't forget to add some abdominal work to your complete body sculpting routine for men too.