American Machinist articles from April 2005

American Machinist archives from April 2005

Let's get happy.(FROM THE EDITOR)
April 1, 2005... I recently read that Prime Minister Tony Blair announced plans to create a "well-being index" for Great Britain. Slated to go into effect around the end of next year, its purpose is to try to quantify and index the degree of happiness the...

NAC is iN-STEP.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
April 1, 2005... The National Automotive Center (NAC), Detroit, an Army agency linking industry, academia, and the government in developing ground-vehicle technologies, is introducing N-STEP to the industrial commercial marketplace. N-STEP comprises a...

Demo to focus on lean machining.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
April 1, 2005... Interested Eastec 2005 attendees can check out a special demonstration that pits conventional machining techniques against "optimized" lean practices. The demo, according to Kevin Bevan, president of Cincinnati-based machine tool distributor...

Workholding brochure.(COMPANY NEWS)
April 1, 2005... A brochure from Hardinge covers the company's range of spindle tooling such as collets, feed fingers, and pads for all machine brands. The brochure describes the company's collet-concentricity-inspection procedures, provides design and...

Workholding/ barfeed literature.(COMPANY NEWS)
April 1, 2005... A pocket-sized brochure--"Innovative Solutions for Your Workholding and Barfeed Applications"--describes Lexair's small-part, Collet-workholding applications, collet chucks, and Mini Rhinobar barfeed equipment. U.S. CUTTING TOOL INSTITUTE...

Solid-carbide thread mills.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2005... Shur-Thread series solid-carbide thread mills consist of 20 tool sizes in two styles: type EZFI for thread sizes #4, #6, and #8 and type GFI for thread sizes #10 through 1.0 in. The cutters are for soft and prehardened steels to 58 Rc,...

Boeing sells Wichita/Tulsa division.(BUSINESS TRENDS)
April 1, 2005... After announcing a year ago it was studying the possible sale of its commercial aircraft plants in Wichita, Tulsa, and McAlester, Okla., The Boeing Co. has a deal with Onex Corp., a Canadian conglomerate, for $900 million cash, assumption of...

Machine tool consumption for 2005 off to good start.(BUSINESS TRENDS)
April 1, 2005... Figures from The American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and AMT--The Association For Manufacturing Technology indicate 2005 machine tool consumption is up against 2004 figures. January consumption totaled $217.03 million, 20.8%...

Fixing the business-visa process.(GOVERNMENT MATTERS)
April 1, 2005... After two and one-half years of almost constant complaints about the business-visa system, particularly in China, the State Department's Consular Service may have realized it needed to show some progress if Secretary-designate Condoleezza Rice...

Surfcam/SolidWorks interoperability.(BITS & BYTES)
April 1, 2005... As the result of a licensing agreement between Surfware and SolidWorks, SolidWorks' Parts Design Only (PDO) software is available at no additional cost to all eligible Surfcam users. The offering involves the full-working SolidWorks product,...

Software goes hyper.(BITS & BYTES)
April 1, 2005... An extended partnership between Open Mind Technologies and TTF, a CAD-data exchange company based in Lyon, France, provides users with a direct import interface for Open Mind's hyperMill software with SolidWorks native data, including that...

In-depth conversational capabilities.(BITS & BYTES)
April 1, 2005... Mori Seiki's Vega expands conversational-software capabilities for its machining centers. It reduces programming time and data-entry errors by importing IGES and Parasolid CAD models created by in-house designers or customers. Vega...

Shop gets solid CAM results.(USER REVIEW)
April 1, 2005... 3-D CNC Inc., Hutchinson, Maine, a shop specializing in EDM-intensive tooling, component parts, and assemblies, was experiencing compatibility problems for newer file formats with its existing CAM system. To remedy the situation, the shop...

Lack of intent means employer not liable for accident.(LAW & LIABILITY)
April 1, 2005... While working for Delta Container in Louisiana, on Sept. 13, 2001, James Burrow and another employee set up a Revicart folder-gluer machine to run a small specialty box. On the initial run, a flap was not folding right so the plant supervisor,...

Fixture gaging quality: go/no-go hard gaging gets the power and flexibility of microprocessing.(TESTING & INSPECTION)
April 1, 2005... Unlike complex measuring methods, fixture gaging is less labor intensive, requires minimal training to operate, and offers an inexpensive alternative for measuring relatively simple parts. Such plain go/no-go hard-gaging technology may seem...

A toolpath like no other: unconventional paths take cutters to machine speed limits and beyond.(CAM SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2005... Thanks to a CAM software engine that generates special toolpaths, operators may never again have to adjust a machine's feed override. That's because these toolpaths let shops machine any part-feature geometry as if every cut made is along a...

Technology makes shop money.(CASE-BOOKS)
April 1, 2005... The key to making money on the shop floor is keeping spindles turning, says Paul Hartz, vice president of engineering and finance at Mack Tool & Engineering in South Bend, Ind. But to live by this philosophy often means sidelining entry-level...

Software fits company's design philosophy.(CASE-BOOKS)
April 1, 2005... As part of its precision-engineering philosophy, Anderson Power Products (APP), Sterling, Mass., works with KeyCreator geometry-based design and modeling technology. According to the manufacturer of high-power interconnects and accessories, the...

Grinders fulfill shop's business strategy.(CASE-BOOKS)
April 1, 2005... In the midst of failing job shops, Venture Grinding Inc. survives by concentrating on small, complicated jobs and giving customers a good price and quick deliveries. Such a business strategy requires flexible and reliable machines, which is why...

Tooling heals cut-off problems.(CASE-BOOKS)
April 1, 2005... Bayside Motion Group of Port Washington, N.Y., uses over 50 machines to produce precision gears, servo motors, and linear actuators. As a lean manufacturer, the shop expects both its machines and tooling to perform reliably and predictably...

Toolholding eases dental-chair production pains.(CASE-BOOKS)
April 1, 2005... A-dec is a North American dental supplier focusing primarily on ergonomics. Its latest product is the A-dec 500 dental chair that maximizes patient comfort and eliminates factors often leading to spinal and vascular problems in dentists. ...

Robots put production in motion.(CASE-BOOKS)
April 1, 2005... One of Epson's customers wanted to increase production from two to six parts/min, reduce changeover times, and handle a growing product mix by incorporating robots. It also desired one, programmable human-machine interface (HMI) that worked on...

Wire comes in recyclable containers.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Marathon Pac bulk welding wire ships in recyclable and environmentally friendly corrugated board coated with a thin moisture barrier. Sporting a special octagon shape, the P wire is spun into the carton through a technique that eliminates cast...

Silicon reducing wire.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Tri-Mark Metalloy Vantage and Vantage Ni 1 gas-shielded metal-corded wires reduce silicon island formation and produce weld bead toe lines practically free of silicon deposits. Any remaining silicon islands are almost self-peeling. With low...

Welding system ensures ignition.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The manufacturer of Synergic.Pro MIG/MAG welding systems claims its electronic, continuously-adjustable choke provides better ignition qualities and stable arcs. The choke is characteristic controlled, so optimum process data comes...

Repairs at laser-welding workstation.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... PowerWeld enclosed laser-welding workstations handle repairs of worn tools and molds, design adjustments, and produce complex workpiece contours. An air-cushioned work surface ensures precise part positioning and welding and uses 20 to 200-W...

Tackle tool/die and electrodes.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Applications for the HSM 300 high-speed machining system include tool and moldmaking; machining graphite and copper electrodes; manufacturing punch and stamping dies, and micromachining small, precise parts. The machine mills dust-producing...

Multifunction machines.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... SpeedCenter high-speed machining centers feature moving columns to tackle milling, boring, drilling, and turning in one setup. The machines' turning tables have pallet diameters to 62.99 in. (1,600 mm) and double kinematic chains permit two...

Large-capacity lathe.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The HK-25 Durga CNC lathe handles up to 23.62-in.-long material and diameters measuring 0.0625 to 9.84 in. It comes with a special 23-station servo turret for quick setups and fast chip-to-chip tool changes. Femco.Kafo Garden Grove,...

No secondary operations.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Nakamura-Tome Super NTJ turning centers perform multiface angular machining and contour milling in single setups to eliminate refixturing on other machines for secondary operations. With Luck-Bei II software, these B-axis machines do nine-axis...

Compact turning center with large capacity.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The E 280 turning center combines turning and large-machining capacity in a compact 104.33 x 70.87-in. footprint. The machine features a 25.6-in. swing, 15.75-in. cutting length, 11.02-in. cutting diameter, and 30.71-in. distance between...

Wire EDM tackles intricate machining.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... UP32i wire EDMs machine tackles items that require extensive and intricate machining such as high-accuracy precision parts, progressive dies, and engineered plastic molds. Makino's Crystal Machining Circuit provides high-definition surface...

Mitsubishi display.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Mitsubishi EDM is showcasing the FA10S wire EDM with PM4 control; EA12V sinker EDM with E.S.P.E.R. II software equipped with multiple programs for measuring, power settings for burning, and orbital data for finishing; and the Roku-Roku HC-658...

Strong and light tooling system.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Poz-E-Lok tooling systems combine modularity with durable, lightweight steel constructions. Their polar design and modular steel components reportedly eliminate additional transition components, while providing flexibility for point-to-point...

Vegetable-oil-based metalworking fluid.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Vasco, a vegetable-oil-based metalworking fluid, reportedly surpasses other water-miscible cutting fluids. It is well-suited for difficult machining and grinding applications and surface tolerance requirements. Blaser Swisslube also produces...

Fine finishes.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Superfine lathe attachments quickly and easily install on most lathes to provide high finishes. Used with one or two stones, these attachments work in finishing operations where improved geometry, roundness, cyclindricity, and bearing ratios...

Shaft grinder.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The Mikrosa Kronos S centerless grinder for small shaft-type parts combines two processes--straight and 15[degrees]-angle plunge grinding--in one unit by changing out the grinding-spindle unit. The double-end supported grinding-wheel spindle...

Control gives access to Windows.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... When combined with Windows 2000, Heidenhain's iTNC 530 contouring control is a second operating system and gives users direct access to Windows applications while machining. The iTNC 530 also has a new editor that handles long programs, and the...

Customizable control.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The Advantage 900 CNC includes customizable controls for easy-to-integrate and cost-effective open architectures for OEM and retrofit applications. This control supports high-speed machining, dynamic multiblock, segmented lookahead for path...

Digital indicators.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Two measuring ranges, with or without output options, are available for Maxum III digital indicators. With the user-configurable setup feature, operators select switchable in./mm, selectable digital resolution, analog display range,...

Compact CMM.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... With a unified, one-piece configuration and compact footprint, the Legex 322 CMM measures and inspects components sized up to 11.81x7.87x7.87 in. (300x200x200 mm). Production applications include precision metal-mold measurements and EDM parts...

Lower consumable costs.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Spectrum 625 portable air-plasma-arc cutters' electronic pilot-arc controllers boost pilot current only when needed for strong arc transfers, extending tip lives, and lowering consumable costs. They work well with engine drives with a least 8...

Two ranges for height gages.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... No. 3752 electronic height gages come in two sizes and ranges of either 0 to 12 in./ 300 mm or 0 to 24 in./600 mm with clear bar graduations in 0.100-in. increments. The gages also include in.-mm conversion, a hold control that retains readings...

Wire EDM sports low head.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... A replacement for the Robofil 240 wire EDM, the Robofil 240SL features a low head. When paired with symmetrical XY and UV tables, this machine handles maximum taper angles up to 30[degrees] to the full part height. A 3D part-alignment system...

System takes standard parts.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The gantry of the Vicon Elite multifunctional plasma and oxy-fuel cutting system uses various standard and/or plasma-power supplies as well as oxy-fuel cutting heads, scribing tools, and drill heads. High-speed, dual drives let the system...

EDM fluid for quality finishes.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Rustlick EDM-500 synthetic EDM dielectric oil reportedly provides fast cutting, high-quality finishes, shorter delivery times, and extended fluid life. It is a cosmetic-grade formula that contains highly refined and purified nonhazardous...

Remove submicron particles from fluids.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Series 6000 magnetic filter rods for fluid reservoirs of lathes and threading and milling machines remove ferrous contaminants down to the sub 1-[micro] level. Reportedly, this results in less wear on pumps, dies, and other critical moving...

Low cost I/O alternative.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... Beckhoff KL2531 and KL2541 stepper motor terminals are compact and cost-effective I/O alternatives to traditional stepper controls. They integrate a compact motion control for small stepper motors up to 200 W and eliminate remote amplifiers....

Stepper-motor control.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The Five-Axis Integrated Stepper Module (FAISM) controls up to five stepper motors and includes a stepper translator so output connects directly to the motor. Five channels of SSI encoder feedback are available on the FAISM for position...

Heat treat copper.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING)
April 1, 2005... The No. 938 1,250[degrees]F electronically heated, inert-atmosphere oven is heat treating copper parts at one facility. Workspace dimensions for the oven are 36x120x36 in., and 80 kW in Incoloy-sheathed tubular heating elements deliver power. A...

Custom calipers.(PRACTICAL IDEAS)
April 1, 2005... I needed to gage wall-bridge thicknesses on odd-shaped castings. Using standard outside calipers proved time consuming and produced inaccurate readings. I remedied the problem by modifying an old set of calipers (as shown) that easily and...

Lathe work on a mill.(PRACTICAL IDEAS)
April 1, 2005... Several spherical-shaped mold inserts with varying radii around 1 in. in 0.010-in. increments presented us with a machining challenge. A lathe wouldn't work, so we did the job on a CNC milling machine equipped with an old lathe headstock. ...

Manufacturers' directory.(Directory)
April 1, 2005... To help you contact key material handling manufacturers quickly, the following Manufacturers' Directory also contains complete telephone numbers of the main offices. Listings with # indicate the advertisers in this edittion. A A&A...

Protecting workers didn't pay.(100 years ago in AMERICAN MACHINIST)
April 1, 2005... The April 20, 1905, issue bemoaned the "cheapness of human life" at certain Pittsburgh steel mills. According to the report, the means for protecting workers were "shamefully inadequate" and laws relating to such matters were practically...

Costly cleanliness.(50 years ago in AMERICAN MACHINIST)
April 1, 2005... The April 11, 1955, issue described how the president of a large aircraft company, after a plant tour, noted that the stockroom was a mess. "So he chided the vice president in charge of production, who lectured the material supervisor, who...