This manual is about proven principles of success in metal fabrication. The material presented is practical and in-use, as the examples will show. While the primary focus of this book is on machining titanium, many of the items discussed could apply to any machining or manufacturing enterprise.The look and feel of a world-class shop is described with many examples. If you own, manage, or work at a general or titanium machine shop, or at virtually any metal fabrication shop, you will find yourself referring to this manual over and over again!

• Discusses selection, education and training of manufacturing people.
• Covers the features of shop equipment including machines and fixturing.
• Provides the latest information available on the efficient machining of titanium.
• Explains machining of difficult features along with recommended courses of action to minimize warpage and part distortion.
• Includes discussions on benching and sanding of parts.
• Covers cutters and cutter coatings.
• Describes efficient and lean practices, along with some frugal metrics for measuring progress.
• Features the author’s thoughts on inter-company sharing of machining technology.
• Offers tidbits of useful information from the author’s toolbox and memorable experiences from his world of machining.

Introduction
Group I: Defining a World-Class Machine Shop

• Traits of a World-Class Machine Shop
• A 30-Minute Shop Assessment
• Selection and Training of Employees

Group II: Equipment

• Work Holding and Fixturing (Killer Fixturing for Milling Large Parts)
• Machines

Group III: Machining of Titanium

• Rough Milling of Titanium
• Finish Milling of Titanium
• Maintaining Large Part Accuracy
• Machining Difficult Features
• Warpage

Group IV: Sanding and Vibratory Finishing

• Sanding and Benching
• Vibratory Finishing
• Group V: Cutters – Sources of Cutters
• Cutter Checking
• Cutter Life

Group VI: Efficiency & Lean Practices

• Inter-Company Sharing
• Continuous Improvement Is Not Enough
• Lean Studies and Communication
• Measuring Shop Performance
• Work Cells

Group VII: Ed’s Tool Kit - Tid-bits and Rules of Thumb

My Tales – Memorable Happenings

Appendix

Index