American Machinist articles from April 2007

American Machinist archives from April 2007

Titanium cutting capacity at a plateau.(LEADING INDICATORS)
April 1, 2007... The accompanying chart illustrates the progress of cutting tool technologies, beginning with the development of high-speed steel cutting tools in the early part of the last century, through the use of computer software to optimize cutting...

Gibbs And CGTech enhancing simulation capabilities.(LEADING INDICATORS)
April 1, 2007... Gibbs and Associates (www.GibbsCAM.com), the developer of GibbsCAM software for programming CNC machines, and CGTech (www.CGTech.com), the developer of VERICUT software for simulating CNC machine tools, announced a collaborative agreement that...

Chips-n-burrs.(Comic)
April 1, 2007... Caption: "Remember when sweeping meant we WEREN'T making any money?" [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Turning center targets what's lacking.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
April 1, 2007... Hardinge Inc. has zeroed in on turning machines with chucks in the 6-in. to 10-in. range with the introduction of its SR and RS series of turning centers. According to the company, both machine types address common shortcomings, such as low...

Machines turn in optimized processing time.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
April 1, 2007... Two new machine models optimize part-processing times, says manufacturer Index Traub (www.index-usa.com). According to Index, the MS22C is a low-cost viable alternative to using 6-axis or 8-axis cam-controlled multispindle automatics, or...

Stop idea turns into profit.(PRACTICAL IDEAS)
April 1, 2007... An idea from Preferred Technologies Inc. has turned into a patented product. The company created a stop that fits into standard CNC lathe turrets or bushings to absorb the impact created by a barfeeder when advancing barstock. An internal...

Washers keep buffing drums in line.(PRACTICAL IDEAS)
April 1, 2007... Ever have an abrasive band on a rubber buffing drum walk off center while running it at high speeds? An easy-to-make set of washers can solve the problem. These washers are machined on one side with a 60-degree, 0.031-in.-high lip around the...

Keeping inserts cool.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2007... High temperatures at an insert's cutting edge shorten its life and contribute to reduced quality. Manufacturers have devised innovative techniques for delivering coolant just where it's needed--at the insert cutting edge. A new upgrade to...

The Short-Cut-SIS internal grooving insert holders from H.B. Rouse & Co. (www.rouse-arno.com) are designed to maximize tool life by providing through-the-clamp coolant directed at the insert.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2007... The Short-Cut-SIS internal grooving insert holders from H.B. Rouse & Co. (www.rouse-arno.com) are designed to maximize tool life by providing through-theclamp coolant directed at the insert. The company said cutting performance is increased due...

Small boring bars.(CUTTING TOOL DIGEST)
April 1, 2007... Mini Shaft small boring bars from Seco Tools Inc. (www.secotools.com) have replaceable cutting heads with a serrated link between insert and tool holder to achieve the high stability and reliability required for high precision, small component...

Inserts for alloy and steel machining.(CUTTING TOOL DIGEST)
April 1, 2007... Sandvik Coromant Co. (www.coromant.sandvik.com/us) said the newest members of its family of heat resistant super alloy (HRSA) cutting tools--CC6060 and CC6065 ceramic grades of round inserts--are capable of running at four to six times the...

The company said its GC4235 inserts are the toughest.(CUTTING TOOL DIGEST)
April 1, 2007... The company said its GC4235 inserts are the toughest, most versatile grade in its family of steel turning inserts and can handle difficult situations like intermittent cuts and profiling operations, while also improving reliability. The GC4235...

The economic consequences of export controls.(GOVERNMENT MATTERS)
April 1, 2007... Export controls make sense to those who are concerned about the United States losing its technological edge over potential adversaries because America depends upon its technological edge to protect its national security. Yet it has become...

Measuring new equipment return on investment (ROI).(BENCHMARKING)
April 1, 2007... TRADITIONAL METHODS OF MEASURING the return on investment for a new piece of equipment are being replaced. Rather than measuring returns solely on capacity and cost effectiveness, factors such as competitiveness also are being used to determine...

3D CAD has become a "must have": migrating from 2D to 3D CAD takes time but the payback is worth it.(SOFTWARE)
April 1, 2007... THE TRANSITION FROM 2D CAD TO 3D CAD is not just another software upgrade. It requires the user to move from the world of 2D drafting to the world of 3D modeling. More than making 3D drawings, 3D CAD is about making models from which a...

Aerospace outsourcing can turn shops into high flyers: prime aerospace companies are looking for machine shop partners.(AEROSPACE)
April 1, 2007... THE AEROSPACE MARKET HAS TAKEN A major upturn and is expected to be strong for several years to come, and more than ever before, prime aerospace contractors are outsourcing almost all of their regular machining and are actively looking for...

The software side of probing: today's metrology software pushes the limits of on-machine part gaging.(METROLOGY)
April 1, 2007... LOCKHEED MARTIN'S Missiles and Fire Control facility in Orlando, Fla., does "true on-machine" part inspection. Special server-based metrology software lets the shop run complex 3D part-measurement programs on multiple machine tools, correlate...

Hobbing in high gear: premium shank-type hobs cut fast for high productivity.(TOOLING)
April 1, 2007... THE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE, GLOBAL market requires gear manufacturers to push the limits of productivity and shrink production costs. This means higher hobbing speeds and feedrates with hobs made of premium materials that are protected by...

Honing machine targets increased barrel production.(CASE BOOKS)
April 1, 2007... U.K. -- based Sabre Defense Industries initially launched its U.S. operations in Nashville, Tenn., to produce barrels for XR15/16 rifles, premium variants of the AR15 and M16 rifles. However, the start of the war in Iraq in 2003 changed that....

Makino introduces G5 grinder.(WESTECH '07)
April 1, 2007... Makino (www.makino.com) has just introduced the G5 Grinder horizontal machining center, capable of grinding, drilling, boring and milling, all on the same machine. "The biggest advantage of a machine like the G5 is the ability to eliminate...

Moore tool offers "plug and play" 5-axis machining startup.(WESTECH '07)
April 1, 2007... Moore Tool Company (www.mooretool.com) has a 5-axis machining center with integrated services that the company says provides "plug and play" ease in starting up a 5-axis machining operation.> The FSP 300X Plus contouring center uses a...

Mori Seiki's compact machining centers.(WESTECH '07)
April 1, 2007... Mori Seiki (www.moriseiki.com) has released the NXH3000 DCG horizontal machining center and NXV3000 DCG vertical machining center. The new machines have footprints of less than 30 sq. ft. and a height of 9.8 ft. Both of the new machines feature...

Flexible New Deburring Center.(WESTECH '07)
April 1, 2007... Abtex Corporation (www.abtex.com) has introduced a new deburring system that uses the company's own planetary deburring head. The Tri-Ten Series, named for its three 10-in. brushes per head, is capable of deburring both sides of a flat part in...

Single axis spindle motor controller with dual process architecture.(WESTECH '07)
April 1, 2007... Trust Automation (www.trustautomation.com) has introduced a new high performance single axis spindle motor controller featuring dual processor architecture that provides optimum control of high speed, high accuracy motors from 0 to 30,000 rpm...

Ford foundation awards grant to manufacturing institution.(LAST WORD)
April 1, 2007... The Ford Foundation awarded a grant of $200,000 to the Manufacturing Institute and Center for Workforce Success (the research and education arm of the National Association of Manufacturers) for Business Champions, a task force of business...

First robotics competition training students in basics of manufacturing.(LAST WORD)
April 1, 2007... Thousands of students worldwide are being groomed as the next generation of engineering/manufacturing professionals through the 2007 FIRST Robotics Competition currently underway across the country. This year more than 1,300 student teams...

Klein tools renews sponsorship for 2007 American Le Mans Series.(LAST WORD)
April 1, 2007... Klein Tools (www.kleintools.com) has returned as a sponsor and official hand tool for the 2007 American Le Mans Series. The sponsorship again includes the Klein Tools Pit Crew Challenge, which puts 20 crew teams and cars through a driver...

Chips-n-burrs.(LAST WORD)(Cartoon)
April 1, 2007... Caption: "Just guessing here, but maybe something was out of balance." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Taiwan is pushing the envelope on machine tool building.(FROM THE EDITOR)
April 1, 2007... IN MID-MARCH, I ATTENDED THE ANNUAL TAIWAN International Machine Tool Show in Taipei, and was honored to be asked to be a judge in a competition between machines that were made in Taiwan, the Third Taiwan Machine Tools Industry Award for...

Manufacturer's directory.(Directory)
April 1, 2007... This directory provides contact names, phone numbers, and addresses for a wide variety of manufacturers that provide machine tools and ancillary equipment, cutting tools, coolants and other chemicals, CAD/CAM and other manufacturing software,...