You can always tell when a company takes pride in its product, its services and its employees and I think Torchmate CNC Cutting Systems deserves a tip of the hat for hitting high marks on all three counts: pride of product, pride of service and pride of employees, and from what I can observe the faces of the employees would indicate that they feel good working for Torchmate.

But, I just gotta tell ya, although I know that receptionists are often a matter of a company “putting its best face forward” I was not expecting to see Monica, whose image in linked to, but not visible, on Torchmate’s “About Us” page. (To see Monica you gotta click the “Receptionist” link.)

Whatever she’s selling I think I’m buying . . by the container shipment.

Now, really, I know that a good receptionist needs all manner of skills – people skills, communication skills, anger management skills, etc. – but it doesn’t hurt to have an idea of the face behind the voice on the phone.

Since I’m a bit up there in years I gotta tell ya that “Rachel”, whose image is linked to under the “Marketing Department” link, is also easy on the eyes. Of course, we’re talking about my eyes.

I hereby award the Prettiest CNC Machining Systems Receptionist of the Month prize to Monica.

If you care to nominate the receptionist of your favorite machining related business for future consideration please post the relevant information below here in the comments section. Unfortunately, to deter spamming, we require registration to post.

Alrighty, mabye it’s just the time of day but do you ever get the feeling, when watching CNC machining in operation, that it’s a Matrix-like case of “machines building machines”?

Here’s a video of the CNC machining of a motor (engine) block. The machining of the engine block actually occurs in the second half of the video:

CNC Machining of Engine Block

GreenvilleOnline.com is reporting that the majority of job openings at a recent job fair were for CNC machinists.

Bosch-Rexroth’s Fountain Inn (South Carolina) facility primarily manufactures external gear pumps (hydraulic pumps) for earthmoving equipment.

Compensation for CNC machinists was running $18 to $19/hour, plus eligibility for benefits, including comprehensive medical, dental and vision care, 401-K, pension, life insurance, holidays, vacation, and education assistance.

Bosch, as many of you know, is a global brand with a reputation for quality. Bosch provides a job search on their website, but when I just checked it I couldn’t pull results for jobs in the USA.

Now if only precision machinists were better at building websites . .

Canyon Hydro has announced it completed a major expansion to its manufacturing facility, including a 7-axis CNC milling machine capable of maintaining extremely tight tolerances on Canyon’s hydroelectric turbines. Canyon Hydro is now the only turbine manufacturer in North America with the capability to deliver this level of accuracy on Pelton turbines.

Their new CNC fabrication center is located in Washington State, a few miles from Canyon Hydro’s primary fabrication plant in Deming.

The new CNC center makes it possible for Canyon Hydro to machine all surfaces of its Pelton and Francis turbines with great precision. Canyon’s Pelton runners are typically milled from a single, stainless-steel casting. Canyon Hydro also rebuilds turbine systems for existing hydroelectric projects.

The 7-axis CNC machine can accommodate components up to 36 feet long, 16 feet in diameter, and 25 tons.

“With this investment, Canyon Hydro has set the highest standard for turbine quality,”

said Richard New, vice president of manufacturing for Canyon Hydro. “Tighter tolerances translate to better turbine efficiency, which goes right to the bottom line for our customers.”

CNC machining eliminates the minor imperfections that result when turbines are hand-ground to match a series of templates. Each of those imperfections, however small, impacts the efficiency of the turbine. With CNC, every curve on the turbine precisely matches design specifications. Canyon Hydro’s new CNC fabrication center is the latest in a series of investments that has propelled the company to become a leading supplier of turbine systems under 25 megawatts.

In addition to the 7-axis machine, the new facility houses several smaller CNC machines for milling other turbine components, plus a fully-equipped computer lab for design and modeling.

Canyon’s CNC fabrication center began operating in March 2010 and is now fully integrated into the Canyon Hydro manufacturing process. It is currently undergoing certification to meet AS9100 quality management standards.

Perhaps another sign of an economy in recovery: A community college offering skilled-trade job training with a money back guarantee.

A local news station has reported that Lansing Community College (Michigan) was offering applicants to its skilled trade training program a money back guarantee, essentially guaranteeing that their students (in this case it appeared to be CNC machining trainees) the guarantee of a job . . or their money back.

Now I suspect that it’s a pretty safe bet that the school has done its research and may even have job offerings already lined up. Before the meltdown of the US automotive industry Michigan used to be synonymous with coal and steel and manufacturing, so maybe MI is ready – or readying – for a manufacturing renaissance.