American Machinist articles from February 2002

American Machinist archives from February 2002

Some raises cost us money. (Editorial).
February 1, 2002... Even in these turbulent times, there are individuals oblivious to what is happening in the world around them. Maybe they've heard the country is in the midst of a recession, but it doesn't matter to them. They have more important things to do,...

Need for U.S. steel. (letters).
February 1, 2002... Your perspective regarding the disassociation of GM and LTV steel is correct ("Action speaks louder than words," August, p. 12). My father, who was instrumental in the manufacture and quality assurance of sophisticated components for the war...

Cool it with nanofluids. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... Scientists Steve Choi and Jeff Eastman at Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Ill., have created a next-generation fluid that dramatically improves fluid heat transfer by manipulating atoms on the nanoscale. By adding tiny, spherical...

Small marking of small parts. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... A small 2D symbol is helping NASA keep track of an enormous number and range of parts, including tiny electronic components no larger than a dime. Although a barcode system has traditionally been used throughout the agency, barcode labels don't...

Deburring small parts. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... Rather than resorting to hand deburring procedures, manufacturers of tiny and intricate workpieces can turn to a new automatic burring device. Reportedly, the sPINner magnetic deburring and polishing system, developed by Techniks Inc.,...

Handheld CNC data storage. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... RBR Associates Inc. and CNCini, both of Darien, Ill., have developed a software program that runs on the Palm OS platform and turns a PDA into a data-storage device for CNC machine tools. The CncGcoder system backs up and edits CNC machine...

Intelligent fixturing reduces costs. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... Fixturing is an expensive yet critical step in high-volume, close-tolerance production of parts, especially in the automotive industry. When holding a part in place, a fixture must be custom fitted to each part, making changeovers slow and...

Trailing shields for reactive-metal welding. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... Welding titanium, stainless steel, and other reactive metals releases gases that cause oxidation, coking, and hydrogen embrittlement. Welding in an argon-filled enclosure is one solution to the problem, but with large components and structures,...

Staying shiny and new. (technology trends).
February 1, 2002... In the past, companies wanting to hardcoat products before putting them on the market had to buy expensive startup equipment and absorb high application costs. Now, the California Hardcoating Company, Chula Vista, Calif., has released a clear,...

Shop accessories catalog. (Company news).
February 1, 2002... New spring-type live centers, heavy-duty 5C collet closers, and quickchange power chucks are featured in an expanded, 175-page, 2002 catalog of machine tool and shop accessories issued by Royal Products, Hauppauge, N.Y. The publication...

Cutting tool handbook. (Company news).
February 1, 2002... Designed to streamline the process of product selection, a 500-page cutting tool handbook from OSG Tap & Die Inc., Glendale Heights, Ill., features a section on the company's complete line of premium solid micro-grain cutting tools. A...

Shop accessories catalog. (Company news).
February 1, 2002... Indexa-V drill products has released a 14-page brochure featuring the company's self-locking / self-centering drills designed with a "V" pocket that guides axial thrust through the center of the toolholder. Drill products come in diameter...

Expanded catalog. (Company news).
February 1, 2002... Kyocera Ceratip, maker of Ceratip cutting tools, has expanded its catalog, with an addition of more than 4,000 items. Included are new coated carbides, CBN, and PCD grades, as well as a whole grooving line. Also featured in the publication is...

Tackling heavy cuts. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... Precision Components, Troy, Mich., has released a new series of Hurricane cutters that use a high-positive-helix carbide insert to tackle heavy cuts on low-horsepower machines. The cutters machine aluminum, cast iron, hot and cold-rolled steel,...

Combining old boring to make new. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... A new Graflex modular boring system from Carboloy Inc., Warren, Mich., combines the company's A700 multifunction and A770 independent-setting-type systems into one A750 universal-style system. Carboloy improved on the previous models with the...

Drills for high-tech machining. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... Made for powerful CNC machines, the GU 500 and GT 500 high-speed steel drills from Germany-based Guhring are for reliable and accurate performance on high-tech machining centers. The GU 500 drills aluminum, cast iron, and structural steels,...

Deep hole drill. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... Sandvik Coromant, Sandviken, Sweden, has introduced a deep-hole drill with indexable inserts. The CoroDrill 800 works in applications where indexable and brazed drills are typically used. The drill is available in the diameter range from 30...

Two styles in reamers. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... Multi-flute Scami Alvan reamers from Madison Cutting Tools Inc. come in integral and replaceable-cutting-ring styles and are made from either carbide or cermet. Integral reamers are available in diameters 0.228 through 1.264 in., and...

Disc-reinforced cermented carbide. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... The TD900 grade series cutting tool from Toshiba Tungaloy America Inc., Itasca, Ill., features disc-reinforced cermented carbide (DRCC) -- a technology that concentrates on the microstructure of the tungsten-carbide crystal to produce hardness,...

Double-tip grooving inserts. (Cutting products).
February 1, 2002... The 55 [degrees] grooving inserts from Shouse Tool Company, Fenton, Mich., convert into a double-tipped design for extended application. The groovers solidly lock in place in the toolholder to assure long-lasting performance. Circle 16 ...

November machine tool consumption down. (business trends).
February 1, 2002... November U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $156.17 million according to AMT -- The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This total was down 16.6% from October and down...

EMO commissioner. (International news).
February 1, 2002... Pier Luigi Streparava, owner of an Adro, Italy, company, has been selected the commissioner for EMO. As commissioner, Streparava coordinates all event activities and represents the exhibition. The show takes place October 21-28, 2003, in Milan,...

Distributor sales up. (International news).
February 1, 2002... The Australian distributor of Harrison and Colchester lathes reports its sales figures are up thanks to an initiative that focuses exclusively on machine tool distribution. The distributor, 600 Machine Tools of Sydney, also built a new sales...

New distributors. (business trends).
February 1, 2002... YCI Supermax, Santa Fe Springs, Calif., has added two U.S. distributors -- Ellison Machinery Co. of Southern California and Maruka U.S.A., Rockaway, N.J. Maruka will sell YCI Supermax machines in New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern...

Job networking on-line. (business trends).
February 1, 2002... ManufacturingQuote Inc., Smyrna, Ga., debuts a web-based recruiting and placement network for manufacturing professionals in March at the National Design Engineering Show in Chicago. Described as easy-to-navigate, www.mfgjobs.com has advanced...

Accurate, integrated machining. (machine of the month).
February 1, 2002... Accommodating part diameters up to 27 in. and weights up to 1,430 lb, Mitsui Seiki's HU50-5AX tilting-trunnion-table machine is the smallest in a line of new ultra-precise, 5-axis horizontal machining centers. According to the company, the...

Instant cycle time reduction. (bits & bytes).
February 1, 2002... Esprit 2002 CAM software tackles high-volume turning, milling, and wire EDM applications and provides complete support for multifunction mill/turn machines and Swiss-style lathes. Users can minimize cycle times by using the program's Sync List...

Software seamlessly links digital designs to manufacturing. (bits & bytes).
February 1, 2002... Shops use 3D CAD part models to measure and inspect parts, verify dimensions, and align complex assemblies with Metrix Build!IT 2.1. Using the program in place of 2D prints lets users seamlessly link digital designs to manufacturing. The...

Everything needed to complete a design. (bits & bytes).
February 1, 2002... VectorWorks Mechanical, with its integrated database and spreadsheet functions, makes tracking a project's costs and materials simple. Part lists and bills-of-material are dynamically linked to the drawing so when one item changes, it is...

Designed with productivity in mind. (bits & bytes).
February 1, 2002... With the release of Mastercam Version 9, feeds, speeds, and host of other settings are changed without toolpath regeneration. New features include simplified controls for compensation and clearance heights, automatic slot milling and drilling,...

Manufacturer loses dispute with insurer. (law & liability).
February 1, 2002... Lyon Metal Products L.L.C. manufactures various workplace products at its principal facility in Aurora, Ill. Lyon was insured by Protection Mutual Insurance Co. under an all-risk policy. Protection Mutual also provided Lyon with additional...

Sand supplier not liable for foundry worker's silicosis. (law & liability).
February 1, 2002... J.P. Cowart Jr. worked for Avondale Industries Inc. as a chipper and grinder in its foundry from 1978 to 1995. He sued his former employer, asserting that he contracted silicosis from being exposed to silica-containing products used at the...

48 hours: software system speeds moldmaking right from the start. (special report: moldmaking) (Cover Story).
February 1, 2002... What would have taken most mold-making shops weeks, &B Precision Tool did in hours -- 48 be exact. Within that timeframe, the shop received an order for a mold, developed preliminary 3D designs, generated 2D drawings along with...

Cutting fiction from fact: are old wives' tales holding back a productive tool? (cutting tools).
February 1, 2002... When making decisions concerning micrograin tungsten-carbide tooling, many shops are still relying on 10-year-old information. And what's worse is that this outdated information is based on several misconceptions: That these tools can't cut...

Signature sensing: new sensor puts its John Hancock on real-time torque measurement. (spindles).
February 1, 2002... Engineers and operators get an instant overview of a machine's performance by knowing how much torque is produced at the spindle. The problem is finding an easy and efficient way to measure torque, especially in hostile shop-floor environments....

A matter of control: universal controller expands research capabilities at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. (controls).
February 1, 2002... Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn., is known for cranking out new manufacturing technologies that help industry leap forward in its journey toward cost-effective and scientifically advanced production. But to effectively discover...

Keeping it clean. (ask roy).
February 1, 2002... Q How can you avoid long-life fatigue failures caused by dirty steel? A Shops can use any standard puke-echo ultrasonic equipment to test for dirty steel, if they do the following: * Ensure the instrument produces a full-screen echo...

Idea rounds corners. (practical ideas).
February 1, 2002... My idea is using a standard corner-rounding end mill as a form tool to radius cut part I.D.s and O.D.s. on a lathe or milling machine. After selecting the proper size of radius cutter, I mount it in either a boring-bar holder for lathe work or...

Transfer punch transcends time. (practical ideas).
February 1, 2002... My custom transfer punch, which I made over 40 years ago, transfers any hole from 1/44 to 3/4 in. in diameter. Punch components include a drill-rod punch, a spring, a roll pin, a plug, and a bushing. The plug and bushing are both made of steel...

Spindles are key to custom machines. (casebooks).
February 1, 2002... Quality Mold Inc. creates precision molds for automobile, light-truck, off-road, motorcycle, agriculture, and aircraft tires. Key to the molds is the engraving that adds tire names, identification numbers, designs, and other information to the...

Machining center's versatility boosts plant production. (casebooks).
February 1, 2002... When Caterpillar's Engine Plant in Lafayette, Ind., needed to increase production of crankshafts for its 3500 Series 8, 12, and 16-cylinder diesel and gas engines, it looked for new milling/turning centers. Caterpillar's machine shop,...

Software package meets tough prototype challenge. (casebooks).
February 1, 2002... Prisma Design International Inc., based in Tustin, Calif., provides design renderings, ergonomic studies, complete engineering, digital surfacing, digital modeling, milling and stereolithography, functional mock-ups, and running prototypes as...

Heavy lifting. (casebooks).
February 1, 2002... One could say Industrial Erecting Co., Milwaukee, had a lot riding on an installation job. The company won a conditional contract to install one of four large hydroforming presses from Siempelkamp Pressen Systems, Germany at Tower Automotive's...

Workpieces don't slow or stop. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The Citizen C16 VII Swiss-turning center combines split-second chip-to-chip times with a 10,000-rpm spindle. Citizen's synchronous-superimposed operation lets workpieces move from main to subspindle without slowing or stopping their rotation....

All-purpose lathe. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... Quest 6/42 CNC lathes do basic and multitasking operations with a single setup and a range of features. They accept 6-in. jaw chucks or collets with a 1 5/8-in, bar capacity. Lathe features include high-speed main and subspindles, a C axis on...

Cylindrical workpieces from barstock. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The TRO-06DN 10 105/145 Flexible Manufacturing Unit is a multispindle machine that manufactures cylindrical workpieces from barstock. It has an indexing table with six workstations and part loading from both sides. The unit's functions are...

More spindle and axis motor power. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... According to its manufacturer, the MultiDeco 32/6i multispindle automatic has 22% more main-spindle power and 20% more axis-motor power than the company's 26/6 machine. The company also reports that with its curvic spindle-locking couplings,...

Three spindles; no tool changes. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The FDB-1500/3 CNC plate-processing system incorporates three spindles that drill three different hole sizes without a tool change. Each spindle has a different drill range that achieves optimum torque to handle a range of diameters and tooling...

Entry-level EDMs. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... ActSpark is a line of entry-level EDMs for the North American market. It includes the SE series of full-CNC die-sinking machines, the SP series of basic die-sinking machines with X/Y positioning, Xenon low-cost wire machines, and the SD1...

Two-speed bandsaw. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The WE-270DSA metalcutting bandsaw comes with a 2-speed motor, 4-pole speed, or 8-pole speed. With the push of a button, its hydraulic vise automatically clamps workpieces. Positioning the vise to the right produces miter cuts up to 60...

Retrofit lathe barfeeders. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The PRA series of automatic barfeeders retrofits to any type of lathe with 5, 6, or 8 spindles. They load and feed round, square, or hex bars up to 5-m long and 5 to 100 mm in diameter. A magazine of four superimposed movable racks, handling 70...

Worklights. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The Jarrer series of quartz lamps provide crisp yet soft illumination. They are also dustproof and waterproof. A set of circular fluorescent worklights have magnifying lenses that present a daylight effect, making them useful in assembly jobs...

Bar pullers adjust to fit workpieces. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The self-adjusting feature of SBM coolant or air-actuated bar pullers let them pull or push and position different diameters or shapes. A four-finger design makes this possible. Optional fingers made from soft steel, aluminum, brass, or delrin...

VMCs with boxways or linear motion systems. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... A WEA Mechantronic and Billionway Developing Co. have teamed up to produce Billionway CNC VMCs. There are seven models, five with boxway construction and two with high-speed linear motion systems. For added performance, the BM series of...

Flexible machining systems. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The Flexible System Transferline uses predesigned flexible units mounted on bases with independently-controlled stations. Three basic sizes cover component dimension, power, and technology application. Users can specify components for a system...

Secondary-machining option. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... Suitable for offloading larger, slower machines and performing secondary operations, the RoboDrill B Space Saver machining center offers CNC milling, drilling, boring, deep-hole deburring, and chamfering of tough metals. It does rigid tapping...

Z-axis positioning. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... Designed for production grinding and universal toolroom applications, the IG 280 SD industrial rotary surface grinder has a precision Z-axis servo drive for closed-loop servo-motor positioning. Users can program spindle and chuck speeds, motor...

Fluid dialysis. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The new ISOPurTM 50 purifier supports transformers, hydraulic systems, turbine control systems, cutting oil, air compressors, tap changers, and any low-viscosity light-oil applications. It offers Electronic Fluid Dialysis (EFD) with a...

Air-blast products. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... Empire designs and manufactures air-blast products. Its full line of portable blasters range from do-it-yourself suction blasters to the SuperBlast pressure machines for stripping large workpieces and structures at high removal rates. ...

System makes for cool grinding. (new equipment spotlight: multispindle machining).
February 1, 2002... The Kool-Grind system maintains workpiece temperatures during dry grinding. An internally cooled plate and/or chuck paired with a self-contained chiller keeps workpieces cool to prevent warping. Heat generated during the machining process is...

70 years ago in American Machinist: relieved trees. (retrospective).
February 1, 2002... The March 17, 1932, issue of AMERICAN MACHINIST reported on the "virtual if not complete elimination of wood in the future of the automobile." At the time, the wood frame, metal-covered body was still very popular, but editors noted that...

20 years ago in American Machinist: before the term "politically correct". (retrospective).
February 1, 2002... AMERICAN MACHINIST had a not-so-PC moment back in its November 1982 issue when it retold a once-popular, but slightly insensitive joke in print. The blurb was from the Talking Shop section and was titled "The Future." Editors were...

75 years ago in American Machinist: cars sport "fancy" colors. (retrospective).
February 1, 2002... In the "News of the Week section," AMERICAN MACHINIST reported on the 1927 Automobile Show. There were four main trends editors reported on in the January 13 issue --colorful car bodies, small-car production, fuel-efficient engines, and the...

50 years ago in American Machinist. (retrospective).
February 1, 2002... The crying, bickering workforce Women were starting to enter the workforce in 1952, and AMERICAN MACHINIST editors reported on what they believed to be corresponding management issues in the January 21,1952, magazine. One item talked...