American Machinist articles from August 2005

American Machinist archives from August 2005

Free loaders let shop do more with less.(case books)
August 1, 2005... Operators easily handle running two grinders each at Rocket Supply. But when the Cincinnati shop added more grinders to keep pace with its increasing cutting-tool manufacturing and regrinding operations, these same operators fell behind. ...

Castings help shop weather prototype project.(case books)
August 1, 2005... Honeywell Aerospace Electronic Systems (AES) needed aluminum pedestals for its RDR 4000 antenna weather-radar system in eight weeks. To meet this demanding schedule, the first prototype pedestal was machined from a 450-lb aluminum block....

Web-based archive ends shop's search.(case books)
August 1, 2005... The Brose Group, headquartered in Coburg, Germany, and partner to the international automotive industry, employs 8,000 people working at 30 locations in 20 countries. It supplies products for more than 40 vehicle brands and to automotive seat...

GM relies on software for the perfect fit.(case books)
August 1, 2005... When engineers at General Motors want to ensure various car-body panels fit together properly or find out why not, they often consult the Design Check and Vehicle Assessment team at the Warren Vehicle Engineering Center in Michigan. That's...

Milling-tool catalog.(Company news)
August 1, 2005... Cat05 from Lovejoy Tool Co., Springfield, Vt., guides the selection of milling tools, as well as machining parameters. Products covered include inserts, end mills, face mills, slab mills, PCD/CBN diamond tooling, slotting cutters, and holders....

Tooling website.(Company news)
August 1, 2005... Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corp., Mountain Home, N.C., has updated its website with information on the company's insert grades and its turning, grooving, milling, and toolholder products. Information on speeds, feeds, and applications is also...

Toolholder catalog.(Company news)
August 1, 2005... A toolholder catalog from T.M. Smith International Corp., Mt. Clemens, Mich., includes the company's Shrinker, HSK, and special toolholders, along with its line of quick-change drilling and tapping systems. The catalog has eight sections...

Cutting-tool business combo.(Company news)
August 1, 2005... Titex and Prototyp cutting-tool product areas within Sandvik Tooling, Sandviken, Sweden, are combined into one organization. Each brand exists within the new product area headed by Mats Christenson, current president of Prototyp. The new...

Machine tool sales consolidation.(Company news)
August 1, 2005... The sales activities of Bourn & Koch Inc., Rockford, Ill., have been consolidated with those of Star SU LLC, Hoffman Estates, Ill. With all sales activities under Star SU, the merger complements Star SU's gear-machine product line with one that...

Milling inserts tackle array of applications.(Cutting products)
August 1, 2005... Fifty-nine new insert styles in grade T350M from Seco-Carboloy, Warren, Mich., are for operations in soft to medium high-alloy steels and free-cutting difficult-to-machine stainless steels. The inserts join the company's range of face,...

Insert geometry for difficult materials.(Cutting products)
August 1, 2005... A new cutting-edge geometry (F27) for the indexable insert portfolio for F4033 Xtra.tec face-milling cutters from Walter AG, Tubingen, Germany, machines difficult workpieces such as cast iron with inclusions and hard steel materials. ...

Indexable milling cutters for aluminum.(cutting tool digest)
August 1, 2005... Aluminator indexable milling cutters from Ingersoll Cutting Tools, Rockford, Ill., are for heavy roughing and fine finishing aluminum at both low and high-speeds. Aluminator end and face mills come in multiple densities. Double-positive,...

Tool graphics and master-data software.(Cutting products)
August 1, 2005... The TDM Data and Graphic Generator from TDM Systems GmbH, Chula Vista, Calif., creates master data and 2D/3D images of turning tools with ISO and CAPTO specifications. The system incorporates a database of tool graphics with detailed drilling...

Drill-bit holder.(Accessories)
August 1, 2005... The Bit Buddy, from Huot Manufacturing, St. Paul, is a clip-on drill index holding 29 drills. Shaped like a cup with a screw-on domed cover, the drill-bit holder holds fractional drills from 1/16 through 1/2 in. in diameter in mechanics and...

How well do you fit into the extended enterprise?(from the publisher)
August 1, 2005... In retrospect, Materials Resource Planning (MRP) software may not have been the best thing that ever happened to manufacturing. It was just too good at bringing science to the art of managing all the parts, people, time, and equipment for...

VMC handles heavy cuts.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... The DMV 3016L VMC from Doosan Infracore Co. Ltd. packs the power for heavy cutting in tough materials. Its 20-hp motor delivers 12,000 rpm to a 40-taper, cartridge-type spindle. Power transfers through a cogged drive belt, which eliminates...

Open automation.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Siemens AG describes the Sinumerik Solution line as a scalable, networked, and open automation solution for most CNC applications. The line includes the drive-based Sinumerik 840D sl and 802D sl and the PC-based Sinumerik 840Di sl CNCs. For the...

Measuring with synchronized motion.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... In addition to its Renscan5 technology, Renishaw's Revo measuring head and probe system also uses synchronized motion during scanning and quickly follows changes in part geometry without introducing its own dynamic errors. According to the...

Precision boring tools.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Graflex NanoBore fine-bore tooling by Seco Tools AB includes solid-carbide and indexable-carbide tools for internal machining of 0.012 to 0.315-in. diameters. Graflex's connection technology imparts low runout and high finish quality, while...

Milling machines for fast travels.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Germany-based Deckel Maho's DMU monoBlock Series universal milling machines reportedly deliver quick rapid-traverse speeds, fast rotary axes, and large work areas on small footprints. These 3-axis machines feature fixed tables that handle heavy...

VMC control options.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Fadal Machining Centers offers Fanuc 18i-MB5 or Siemens 840D controls on its VMC 6535 machines for customers outside the U.S. in addition to its MP CNCs. VMC 6535s have large C-frame constructions with rigid boxways and four-box beds for...

HMCS pack features.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... EC-500 HMCs from Haas Automation feature 813x508x711-mm work areas, dual pallet changers with 500-mm pallets, and built-in, high-precision pallet indexers for 1[degrees] indexing. Standard are a 40-taper, 8,000-rpm spindles powered by 14.9-kW...

Machine makes precise parts.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Makino's Hyper2J micromachining center meets the needs of prototyping shops and research institutes manufacturing precise and detailed parts such as medical instruments, semi-conductor devices, and fiber-optic communications products. Each axis...

Machines are driven.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Mori Seiki's NV1500 DCG VMC and NH8000 DCG HMC use the company's Driven at the Center of Gravity (DCG) technology, which reportedly reduces vibration, increases acceleration, and enhances surface qualities and concentricities. ...

Milling/turning center.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Described as a one-hit milling/turning center, Hardinge Inc.'s Quest LMC42 features three spindles, two turrets, and a 24-tool magazine. It has 42-mm bar capacity and 100-mm chucking diameter. In addition to the Quest LMC42, three VMCs from the...

Modular boring machines.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Giddings & Lewis plain-table (PT) Series, RT Series with built-in rotary tables, and MC Series with automation horizontal boring machines replace its G, H, and PC series machines. They are customizable with table styles and sizes, three...

Space-saving grinders.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Blohm Maschinebau GmbH Profimat MCs are universal profile grinders for creepfeed applications with 78.74-in. (2,000-mm) wide footprints. There are two models with grinding ranges/table clamping areas of 27.559x15.748 in. (700x400 mm) or...

Controls for 5-axis machining.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Added functions to GE Fanuc's Series 30i and 31i controllers provide precision and improved productivity for 5-axis machining. At EMO, the company will demonstrate its Turn Mate i for 0i-TC/0i Mate-TC Series CNCs for entry-level turning. The...

Software supports 4-axis programming.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... GibbsCAM ProAXYZ 4as modules from Gibbs and Assoc. support programming of 4-axis simultaneous machine tools. It handles wire-frame, surface, or solid geometries and provides programmers a way to control cutting tools' orientations relative to...

End mills provide balanced cuts.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Iscar Metals Ltd. Finishred end mills offer variable power-consumption tooth geometries with special chip-evacuation capabilities. The roughing teeth take 30% less power consumption, and the finishing teeth take 30% more power consumption,...

Tools rotate and index.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Sandvik Coromant CoroPlex MT tooling combines two concepts--CoroMill 390 and CoroTurn 107. The system rotates for milling-tool applications and indexes at optional positions for stationary turning. They are multifunctional tools for finishing...

Inserts tackle steel.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... With carbide substrates and multilayer coatings, Walter AG's Tiger*tec Steel indexable inserts for turning steel reportedly extend tool life, increase productivity, and improve process security. Unlike the black-gold-colored Tiger*tec inserts...

Vises provide accuracy.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Schunk GmbH & Co. PZS pneumatic and HZS hydraulic clamping vises sport mono-block designs with no interfaces between the covers and vise base bodies for increased accuracy and stiffness. Special mechanical seals reduce chip contamination of jaw...

Models added to turning line.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Emco Maier's Maxxturn 110 and Maxxturn65 large bore turning centers are additional models to the Maxxturn product line. The Maxxturn 110 sports the Siemens Solution Line of CNCs, while the big bore version of the Maxxturn 65 handles bars with...

Part handling increases machine production.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... The MultiDeco 20/6be Swiss-type turning machine by Tornos, incorporates basic MultiDeco machine elements along with easy part handling that increases production rates up to 40 parts/min. This makes the machine well-suited for the automotive...

Waterjet chiller controls heat expansion.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... An added chiller on Omax's 2626XP waterjet machine controls thermal expansion of both machine and workpiece material. The machine's positioning accuracy is 0.001 in. over travels of 26 in. Standard equipment includes Omax Intell-Max Technology...

Gear cutter sports special column.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Gleason Corp.'s Phoenix II 600HC bevel-gear-cutting machine sports a special monolithic column. The cutter and work spindles are attached directly to that column, with the cutter spindle pivoting to create a root angle, rather than the work...

Machine provides control and accuracy.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... The SV-1000 vertical honing system from Sunnen Products Co. sports a tool-stroking system that reportedly delivers more control and accuracy in geometry, size, and finish for 0.120 to 2.56-in.-bore applications. There is a 3-axis hand-wheel...

Crankshaft grinder uses two wheelheads.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Erwin Junker Maschinenfabrik's Jucrank 6000 pin-chasing, crankshaft grinder, which produces truck and heavy-duty cranks, accommodates two independent CBN wheelheads for grinding two main or pin bearings simultaneously. This machine has...

Graphite holds complex shapes.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Poco Graphite USA's Ultrafine graphite grades easily fabricate into complex mold shapes and hold cavity details. They are suitable for applications that require thin, deep-ribbed, and detailed electrodes. These grades have less than 5-[mu]...

Software interfaces with other CMMS.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Carl Zeiss Industrial Metrology has developed several interfaces so its Calypso CAD-based measuring software works with non-Ziess CMMs. In the future, 3D CMMs will function with Calypso I++DME client via the I++DME interface if they are...

Measuring machines sport interfaces.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... E. Zoller GmbH & Co.'s Genius 3 and Genius 3 Micro universal measuring machines come with automatic measuring and Numrotoplus interfaces. In addition, the Genius 3 has cutting edge preparation, a noncontact procedure that analyzes the cutting...

View multiple setups via software.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Enhancements to CG Tech's Vericut, Version 6 machine simulation and optimization software include a project tree that lets operators view and configure multiple setups. Each setup has its own machine, fixtures, tools, NC programs, and...

Program multitasking machines.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... The latest version of DP Technology's Esprit CAM software includes preconfigured and factory-tested functions for programming multitasking machines by Mori Seiki, Citizen, Emco Maier, Mazak, and others. In addition, the software's real-time...

Software tackles multiaxis machining.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Delcam's PowerMill 6 CAM software sports more functions for 2, 3, and 5-axis machining. This includes the 2D Machining Wizard that covers all stages for working with both 2D-wireframe geometries and imported 3D CAD models; a series of drilling...

Cutters flip open for spotfacing.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... FlipCut back-spotfacing and chamfering tools by Cogsdill Tool Products Inc. use over-center cam action to initiate positive mechanical closure of cutters, aided by centrifugal force. Cutters flip open for machining back spotfaces and back...

Interchangeable boring systems.(EMO Hannover)
August 1, 2005... Criterion Machine Works Cri-Tip modular boring systems work with other manufacturers' modular boring systems such as Komet and Big Kaiser. Cri-Tip systems have eight bodies that convert into 42 boring assemblies by changing inserts or bar...

U.S. shops discover oil: synthetics deliver the performance of nature's best-and then some.(fluids)(Cover Story)
August 1, 2005... Only a few years have passed since many U.S. cutting-tool shops converted from grinding with water-based emulsion fluids to running straight refined oils. However, switching from such refined mineral-based oil products, which typically start as...

Are machine tools important to our national security?(government matters)
August 1, 2005... Apparently, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) is not concerned about the health of the manufacturing technology industry. In late May, the DOD issued regulations to initiate the machine tool purchase incentive program that Rep. Duncan Hunter...

Contract interference and stealing trade secrets rejected.(law & liability)
August 1, 2005... In 1996, Predrag Vukovich worked for International Magnaproducts Inc. (IMI), an Indiana company that sells industrial magnets and owned by Donald Coleman. Coleman mentored Vukovich, who became his right-hand man. In 1999, Vukovich signed a...

Carpal-tunnel syndrome not job related.(law & liability)
August 1, 2005... In 1992, Jeanette Bass worked for Morganite Inc. in North Carolina as a brush inspector. Her job required her to perform tests on carbon-brush samples using various machines in the lab. She was responsible for cutting and grinding parts and...

Manufacturing pays the bills, but shipping keeps the customers: that's why Vanamatic Co. switched to a new ERP system: to ensure customers would get what exactly what they ordered.(manufacturing software)
August 1, 2005... Many shops rely on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to help them run operations more efficiently and profitably. But sophisticated customers that practice supply-chain management are continually increasing their range of demands. And...

Do you know where your axis slide is? Accurate axis positioning depends on whether it's measured with rotary or linear encoders.(motion control)
August 1, 2005... Axis errors rob machine tools of the necessary accuracy for the jobs to be run. Luckily, though, two common position-measuring systems prevent this from happening. However, deciding which one should be on your machine tool takes a knowledge of...

Idea counters gaging predicament.(practical ideas)
August 1, 2005... I came up with my idea while trying to check counterbore depths from a cast part surface. I had to hold the depths to 0.500 in. from the part's machined bottom, but a rough cast finish at the top made using a depth mic unreliable. The solution...

Hob conversions.(practical ideas)
August 1, 2005... My idea is converting two-radius-arc, side-profile, teeth-roughing hobs to trapezoidal profilers which have the same pitch. Using a computer program, I calculate teeth-profile radii for roughing and finishing hobs for straight and side-spline...

Rethink building cars in China for U.S. market.(reader mail)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... I agree with your June editorial (Let's keep U.S. assembly lines moving, p. 8) that the U.S. auto industry needs to focus on improvements to remain competitive and keep assembly lines moving. But I do not agree with plans to build cars in China...

Plasma heat-treat process in further development.(technology trends)
August 1, 2005... Two heating-treating-system manufacturers will further develop a reported quick and efficient plasma heating technology by an automotive-component producer. ALD Vacuum Technologies AG, Hanau, Germany, will use Dana Corp.'s AtmoPlas...

Handheld insulation testing.(technology trends)
August 1, 2005... Fluke Corp., Everett, Wash., offers a multimeter that combines two frequently used, bulky testing tools into one compact tool. Fluke's 1587 and 1577 insulation multimeters include 1-kV digital insulation testers with true-rms digital...

CAD/CAM gets Ukraine plant ready for vehicle production.(technology trends)
August 1, 2005... Thanks to CAD/CAM software, a Ukrainian auto plant quickly got tooling for a vehicle waiting to go into mass production. The Lutsk Ukrainian Automotive Plant, about 292 miles from Kiev, needed a vehicle CAD model to generate the data for...

New president for Mori Seiki U.S.A.(technology trends)
August 1, 2005... Mori Seiki U.S.A. Inc., Dallas, has promoted Thomas R. Dillon to president. "Tom's experience and vision for our company make him uniquely suited to lead Mori Seiki U.S.A.," says Mori Seiki Co. President and CEO Dr. Masahiko Mori. Dillon...

Caution to rule future machine tool purchases.(technology trends)
August 1, 2005... The president of the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) warned in the U.S. Machine Tool Consumption report that energy costs, labor talks, and Congress will make manufacturers more cautious about capital-equipment purchases...

Excess burden of "overhead costs" on U.S. manufacturers.(technology trends)
August 1, 2005... According to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI, external overhead costs add at least 22% to the unit labor costs of U.S. manufacturers (nearly $5.00/hr worked) relative to their major foreign competitors. In this chart, these costs are almost as...