Webinars and DIY: industry websites serve up self-directed offerings.

When technology and innovation impact our lives, it's a safe bet that the metalworking industry played a role. Metalworking technologies have been essential to the development of thousands of world-changing inventions. From hardware to hard disks and from automotive to aerospace, metal cutting and forming innovations are the precursors to the next big leap in technology.

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Without super finishing, large memory hard disks would have never come to be. Performance breakthroughs in Indy Car and Formula One racing are often attributable to tighter machining tolerances. The once futuristic "bionic man" is today's reality, as replaceable knees and hips are readily "mass produced," one-at-a-time, to exacting personalized specifications on multifunction machine tools.

Cutting edge--yes, but when it comes to the Internet, many metalworking companies are still cutting with HSS. Frankly, we've been a little slow to figure out how to use it as creatively as we might. While so many other industries were tapping the vast potential of the Internet, metalworking is still just tapping.

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But recently, a few metalworking companies have introduced Internet tools that help clients and prospects learn, research, analyze, communicate, and execute better than ever before. Here are two:

Makino webinars

Mark Rentschler, marketing manager at machining center and EDM manufacturer Makino, reports that its online webinars (www.makino. com/about/webinars_ events/) have made it possible for all manufacturers to easily stay abreast of the latest machine technology and process solutions.

"Until now, only a few manufacturing and process engineers could afford the time and money to attend IMTS or other shows where new technology was typically rolled out," Rentschler says. "Now, hundreds of engineers regularly 'attend' our online webinars."

Makino product and process experts conduct three live online seminars each month that last from 30-40 minutes and are followed by question and answer sessions. Most of the webinars focus on machining techniques, new hardware and software technology, and process-related tips, while avoiding self-promotion of Makino's own products.

"If you miss the live presentation--no problem," says Rentschler. "Every webinar gets posted in our archives for 24/7 viewing."

If archive viewers have a question, an onscreen button enables comments to be submitted, which often get a response within minutes during normal business hours.

Some of Makino's most popular webinars feature advances, tips, and insight into aerospace machining, hard milling, micro milling, and die/mold applications. The over 70 (and growing) online seminar archives are organized around the topics of aerospace, automation, die/mold, EDM, micro machining, and production machining. Access is free to all, but registration is required.

"How else could a team of engineers share pizza at lunch while digesting the latest insights in large aluminum aircraft structural component machining processes?" Rentschler quips. "Some companies have even made Makino webinars a regular Thursday lunch and learning event ... and the boss buys!"

Design-your-own at Riten

If you've worked in manufacturing awhile, you've probably needed special tooling for a job or two. Before the Internet, specials meant calling suppliers, getting the right person on the phone, discussing the job, and dealing with a lot of annoying chatter before agreeing on a spec and an eventual price and delivery.

Now, Riten Industries Inc. a manufacturer of centers, drivers, mandrels, collets, and other workholding equipment (www.riten.com/products/ design_your_own/default.asp), streamlines the RFQ specials process by turning over redesign control to the customer.

At its website, Riten provides product drawing downloads of every standard part in its catalog in 15 different file formats, from a simple PDF to a complex DXF file. Better yet, Riten lets you design your own specials on its site, using online drawings and built-in CAD capability.

You'll quickly and accurately define the solution you need by editing any standard Riten part file to alter an existing design to meet your requirements, or by jumping right into a DXF file to design a solution from scratch.

When finished using the online redesign tools, visitors simply upload their modified drawing for an RFQ. This feature alone makes an engineer's life so much easier. But the Riten website has everything an engineer could want when dealing with hundreds of workholding applications, from full specs to drawings to configurators that will guide you to the ideal solution for your application.

Nick Bloom is president of Techspex, the machine tool database at www.tech spex.com. Contact him at nbloom@ Techspex.com