The 2021-2022 Austin D. Lucas Scholarship Fund Application is now available here.
Completed applications must be received by May 15, 2021, at the MDNA headquarters for consideration for the 2021 Fall Semester.

The MDNA Austin D. Lucas Scholarship Fund awards grants for college tuition to children whose parents are employed by MDNA member firms.
The Fund is a non-profit tax-exempt corporation recognized as a charity by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. Contributions to the Fund are fully tax-deductible to the full amount allowed by law.

Article provided by MDNA Member Firm, Tramar Industries 
Do you work with CNC machines? With CNC machining, planning is important. The high level of automation can lead to people new to the process assuming it will result in cheap, quick, and easily producible parts. However, the cost of running a CNC machine can be high if one is not careful. Here are a few tips on how you can cut CNC machining costs.

• Avoid deep pockets – A part that has deep internal cavities are expensive and time-consuming to manufacture.
• Provide relief to corner pockets – Relief each corner of the pockets to remove the pesky radius leaving a C or U shaped clearance.
• Deburr edges yourself – Edge work calls for an additional tool. To try and break corners and remove burrs, designers smooth external part intersections with corner radii or chamfers which can be expensive. You can opt to save by deburring the edged with an abrasive paper, file or a buffing towel.
• Avoid text until molding – Text engraving is a time-intensive operation. If possible, best avoid it.
• Be cautious of thin walls – Thin walls require extra attention. Thick solid sections are less costly to the machine and more stable.
• Design holes with standard size – Standard holes can be CNC machined accurately using standard drill bits. Non-standard sizes need to be machined by an end mill tool. This increases cost.
• Use the right material – Consider the machinability of the material. Materials with high machinability can be CNC machined fast thus lowering cost. Ductile and softer materials are easier to machine.
• Limit length of threads – Longer thread lengths than necessary increase the cost of CNC parts.

Your design will affect the cost of CNC machining. Remembering all tips for cutting CNC machining costs can be difficult. However, the three overarching cost drivers are material costs, fixturing setups in number and complexity and machining time. If you consider these factors, you will cut your CNC machining costs.
Article provided by MDNA Member Firm, Tramar Industries if you are interested in a CNC Machine you can contact them here.
For more information on equipment or to buy, sell or trade you can also contact any of MDNA’s machinery dealers, located around the world, by using the Find Members>Search tool on mdna.org Or you can Find MDNA Members by region here.

MDNA
Many thanks to all the members that participated in the B.O.S.S. Seminars held recently. And it is due to the sharing of ideas and strategies from fellow members that we are able to share some of the valuable information and tools brought to the table during this event. In discussions about the Remote Sellers Sales and Use Tax Law, first brought to the membership's attention in 2018 (click here to review) the participants shared two valuable pieces of information that we are passing on. Click here to download a copy of the Uniform Sales and Use Certificate. This is a multi-state certificate that currently covers 37 states. Several members on the zoom call make obtaining a completed copy of this form a normal part of their transaction. Another participant shared that they found the website taxjar.com very beneficial to their company dealing with this issue.

These are just two examples of the discussions that took place during this two-day event. All members that participated got something out of it. And the biggest takeaway from the B.O.S.S. Seminar is that all members should plan to attend these when possible.