Page 37 - EDM Today Spring 2025

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YEAH, WHY SHOULD I DO THIS?
or by supporting a
local community col-
You should do this because many of you are both
lege or trade school.
creative and experienced and this is exactly what is
Help cultivate your
needed throughout EDM, and I don’t think anyone reading
own interests by
offering them shop
this would disagree. I personally urge you to please
share your EDM knowledge, wisdom and experience with
anyone receptive as it is sorely needed. Almost every
technology, capability
“shop guy” has broad knowledge, experience and several
and job security.
EDM “Tips & Tricks” of their own to share. Please do so. tours, revealing your
Sponsor appren-
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I encourage everyone reading this to examine how
tices to attend a
machine-tool trade
sharing your well-earned attributes can strengthen your
credibility, visibility and status within your own company,
show where they
can be fascinated
your industry, your personal following and your online,
business network (which you should already have in
with new machine
place. More on this subject later).
technologies. There
will always be
“hangers-on,” asking
questions when others have left – your next hires.
HOW TO DO THIS
By “This,” I mean, writing and speaking about EDM. This
is easier than you might think. I’ll observe; if you are In my long experience, I have encountered very few
YOU CAN DO THIS
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intelligent enough to be gainfully employed in an EDM
shop – anywhere within the chain of part design to part
execution – you can easily and perhaps proudly write
Marketing Departments or ad agencies who could write
a better EDM testimonial than one written at a shop-
a testimonial about how you or your company solved
fl oor level by someone who has personally “dunnit”
a customer’s problem that led to better processing,
reduced costs, less waste and perhaps something so
themselves. Their editors can certainly “clean them up”
unique, how it resulted in larger business.
after submission, but very few of them have the ability
or knowledge to create a “nuts and bolts” EDM editorial
With no pressure from a live audience, this edited version
on their own like an actual user can. (With no offense
of your testimonial can be placed on your company’s
website, revealing its capability and achievements. This
Again, you can do this.
will attract more web traffi c and increase the interest of
customers and fellow employees alike – especially those to Marketing or ad agencies as they have their place.)
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in management.
I KNOW YOU CAN, BECAUSE WE DID
If anyone needs any further convincing, check the list of
EDM technical writers on our masthead. Every single one
of us came out of a shop with no plans or intentions of
speaking or writing. I can offer no better argument.
In my personal opinion, skilled sales or applications
some of the best and compelling success stories that
they have encountered, if they would only dare.
Simple testimonials (which are easily written), could
possibly expand into sustained “How To” and “Advice engineers, “shop guys” and owners are capable of telling
Unfortunately, I didn’t, but fortunately sometimes...
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Columns” on the same website to provide pertinent in-
formation about your company’s abilities, specialties and
preferences. Here, prospective customers can learn of
ACCIDENTS HAPPEN
your EDM capabilities, electrode preferences, workpiece
preparation, tooling type and capacity before submitting
I am personally absolute proof of this. In my case, I was
an offer for EDM processing at your shop.
just an experienced shop guy who accidentally learned
how to tie a tie because my job description changed
from a shop owner to an OEM Applications Engineer.
WE NEED SHOP SUPPORT
became an educator, author, writer and speaker, although
When I say “We,” I am referring to everyone engaged in
none of these roles did I seek or strive for and not that I
EDM especially and manufacturing in general. If you are Through learning how to tie a tie, I also accidentally
was lazy or uninspired. I just didn’t know they existed or
a shop owner, support apprenticeship programs whenev-
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realized their powerful potential.
er you can, whether it’s an internal program of your own,
(Continued on next page)
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EDM Today, Spring 2025 Issue