American Machinist articles from February 2004

American Machinist archives from February 2004

Manufacturing is not dying; it's changing.(From The Editor)
February 1, 2004... In a recent speech prepared for an economic conference in London, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan tried to squelch the fears that many of the 2.8 million U.S. manufacturing jobs lost in the past few years could never be replaced....

Anderson Ashburn, "friend of the industry".(In Memoriam)
February 1, 2004... Editor Emeritus Anderson Ashburn, one of AMERICAN MACHINIST's most influential and respected editors, died on December 20, 2003, of complications following surgery for an injury. A resident of Tarrytown, N.Y., Ashburn was 84. In a 45-year...

Fasteners hold tight 750 million miles away from home.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... A special internal thread form combats vehicle vibration, shock, and temperature extremes found on Earth as well as on the frigid surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Introduced by Madison Heights, Mich.-based Spiralock Corp., this...

Totally tubular welds.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... Shops can easily weld metal tubes to solids, sheetmetal, and other tubes thanks to a new resistance-welding method developed at Delphi Corp., Troy, Mich. Annular-deformation-resistance welding (ADRW) creates leak-tight joints with uniform...

Bearings give boost to aircraft engines.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... Aircraft engines could soon run more efficiently with new high-temperature magnetic bearings that support rotating shafts via a magnetic force and a feedback-control system. This allows for noncontact support of the rotating shaft and...

A head for high-speed work.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... Shops can quickly modify large gantries, boring machines, and mills for high-speed, 5-axis work with a new milling head from French company CMW. The Hexapode CMW 380 features a 40-kW, 24,000-rpm spindle as standard and delivers a maximum speed...

Finishing to the micro level.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... A new technology is competing against superfinishing when smoothing the surfaces of gears, bearings, and other load-bearing metal components that require precision wear surfaces. Developed by the Surface Finishing Division of Houghton...

Shaping beams of light for high-powered lasers.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... Until recently, laser-diode arrays (LDAs) have been limited in power output and brightness because of optical design and focusing issues. But Apollo Instruments Inc., Irvine, Calif.--with the help of Missile Defense Agency SBIR funding--has...

Diagnose linear guides and ballscrews.(Technology Trends)
February 1, 2004... New acoustic sensors from THK GmbH, Ratingen, Germany, promise to diagnose damage to linear guides and ballscrews without having to dismantle machine tools. In addition, the Acoustic Emission (AE) sensors are unaffected by mechanical vibration....

Tough grade for interrupted cuts.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... Sumitomo's AC3000 grade has the toughness and wear resistance needed for severe interruptions in turning alloy steels, low-carbon steels, stainless steels, and die steels. Sumitomo Electric Mount Prospect, Ill. sumicarbide.com ...

Versatile face mill.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... A 3[degrees] lead-angle face mill allows use of all eight corners of carbide inserts in a single cutter. The V-Max features inserts with a double-positive-rake-face geometry and a tangential mount. Standard cutter bodies range from 2 1/2 to...

Integrated threading solution.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... Kennametal IPG includes die heads, chasers, and thread rolls in its Greenfield tap-and-die threading line. A quick-ship program makes a large selection of Geometric and H&G chasers available with 48-hr standard delivery. Special features...

Diamond-coated inserts.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... CVD-coated grade F5020 inserts from Mitsubishi Carbide are for milling cast iron, including ductile cast iron. Microstructure-controlling technology enhances wear and fracture resistance for long tool life. Surface coating is a lamination...

U.S. Cutting Tool Institute billings index.(Cutting Tool Digest)
February 1, 2004... U.S. CUTTING TOOE INSTITUTE BILLINGS INDEX Index for November 02-October 03 November $121,934,677 109.8% December $113,137,752 101.7% January $133,883,278 120.6% February $125,288,689 112.9% March ...

Coolant-driven cutter.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... Available for blind and through-bore applications, Eltool's Titespot keyseat-cutting head eliminates secondary broaching or milling on gears, sheaves, hubs, and pulleys. Applications include slotting and oil grooving. Heads for machining...

Quick-change drill-and-tap combo.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... Hex-driven QC Cost Cutters drill and tap through-hole applications in one pass. The drill has a split point to eliminate center drilling or punching. Available in various boxed or pouch-set styles, sets are application customized with...

Coated turning-grade inserts.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... Aluminum-oxide-coated TP2000 turning-grade inserts reduce roughing and finishing time up to 40% when cutting steel, as compared with ISO P25 grades. The new Seco-Carboloy inserts combine the toughness of a P30 grade with the speed and wear...

Stable cutters.(Cutting Products)
February 1, 2004... Walter Waukesha's F2334 cutter is for die/mold applications and machining of power-station turbine components. Its round inserts have no top clamp in the chip flute and offer four cutting edges per insert. F2334 cutter features include a...

Training program initiated.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Mori Seiki USA, Dallas, has initiated the 5-5-5 Support Program to aid shops purchasing a new machine. With the purchase of an MT-Series or ZT-Series multi-axis turning center, Mori Seiki is providing five days of operator and maintenance...

Machine bulletin available.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Hardinge Inc., Elmira, N.Y., has released a technical-information bulletin about its Super-Precision CNC lathes. The bulletin details the lathes' manufacturing process, spindle accuracy, features that contribute to high-precision machining,...

Trade group hires manager.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Teeter Marketing Services (TMS), Sanborn, N.Y., now manages the Surface Engineering Coating Association (SECA). TMS President Fred Teeter is managing director. Comprised of vacuum thin-film-coating companies, SECA is now based at the University...

Drake Manufacturing.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Warren, Ohio... Grinding and gear-hobbing machine builder Drake Manufacturing has hired James L. Vosmik as president and CEO. Vosmik was president of Precision Threading Corp., Cheboygan, Mich.

DeVlieg Bullard II Inc.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Rockford, Ill.... DeVlieg Bullard II Inc. has launched a parts-outlet website, dbpartsoutlet.com, which offers name-brand machine tool parts at discounted prices. It features parts for DeVlieg Bullard II's Acme-Gridley and New Britain...

North Kingstown, R.I... Metrology provider Brown & Sharpe is relocating its facilities in 2005.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... North Kingstown, R.I.... Metrology provider Brown & Sharpe is relocating its facilities in 2005. The company has an agreement with the Rhode Island Economic Development Corp. for the construction of a new 100,000-[ft.sup.2] facility at the...

November tool consumption climbs.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... November, 2003, U.S. machine tool c0nsumotion surged for the month and against 2002 figures. The American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and AMT--The Association for Manufacturing Technology--report that machine tool consumption...

Lohr, Germany.... Bosch Rexroth AG President Winfried Witte is retiring at the end of April.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Lohr, Germany.... Bosch Rexroth AG President Winfried Witte is retiring at the end of April. His successor is Manfred Grundke, executive vice president for sales automation and president of the electric drives and controls business unit....

Norwalk, Conn. ... ABB Group Executive Dinesh C. Paliwal is now president of ABB Inc. U.S.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Norwalk, Conn.... ABB Group Executive Dinesh C. Paliwal is now president of ABB Inc. U.S. Paliwal succeeds the recently retired Donald Aiken and is head of ABB's automation technologies business worldwide and a member of the group executive...

Plano, Tex. ... Solid Edge CAD software from UGS PLM Solutions, the PLM subsidiary of EDS, has been selected by Victor Taichung Machinery Works Co. Ltd., one of Taiwan's largest machine tool builders.(Business Trends)
February 1, 2004... Plano, Tex.... Solid Edge CAD software from UGS PLM Solutions, the PLM subsidiary of EDS, has been selected by Victor Taichung Machinery Works Co. Ltd., one of Taiwan's largest machine tool builders. The software will replace Victor Taichung's...

TechSolve moves.(Talking Shop)
February 1, 2004... Machining and grinding consultant TechSolve Inc. has relocated to a 22,000-[ft.sup.2] building in the TechSolve Business Park in Cincinnati. In addition to classrooms and presentation areas, the new building houses the Dr. M. Eugene Merchant...

GM orders measurement systems.(Talking Shop)
February 1, 2004... General Motors has ordered Optigo 200 manual, 3D, noncontact and OptiCell automated robotic measurement systems from CogniTens Ltd., Wixom, Mich. Both systems do quick characterization of parts and assemblies and acquisition of measurement data...

IDA-ISMA merger talk.(Talking Shop)
February 1, 2004... A special task force of officers from the Industrial Supply and Manufacturer's Association (ISMA), Cleveland, and the Industrial Distribution Association (IDA), Atlanta, recommends the two trade groups merge. ISMA President Ray Reynertson and...

Bicycle supplier acquisition.(Talking Shop)
February 1, 2004... The supplier of Cosco and Safety 1st juvenile products is purchasing the marketer of Schwinn, Mongoose, and GT bicycles. Pacific Cycle, Madison, Wis., has agreed to the acquisition by borel Industries Ltd, Montreal, Que., in a $310 million...

U.K. train manufacturing finished?(Talking Shop)
February 1, 2004... The United Kingdom largest manufacturing union is attempting to save train manufacturing in that country. Members of Amicus, London, have met with the U.K.'s transport minister and were scheduled to meet with a Bombardier representative. ...

The U.S.-trade agenda is riding on a rocky road.(Government Matters)
February 1, 2004... An opinion column entitled "Second Thoughts About Free Trade" recently appeared in the New York Times. Authored by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Paul Craig Roberts, a conservative author and former Treasury official in the Reagan...

Multi-axis laser system beams with productivity.(Machine Of The Month)
February 1, 2004... Known for multitasking metalcutting machines, Mazak Corp. is expanding its technical expertise into lasers with the introduction of the FabriGear (FG)-150 and FabriGear (FG)-300 multi-axis laser systems. Both machines automatically load, feed,...

No penalty for post-accident safety measures.(Law & Liability)
February 1, 2004... At Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. in Mingo Junction, Ohio, overhead cranes moved along tracks above a blast furnace. Walkways parallel to the path of the crane provided for exiting the crane in an emergency. On one side of the crane, the...

Contract claims not covered by general-liability policy.(Law & Liability)
February 1, 2004... In 1998, L.B. Smith Inc. sold two Trashmaster industrial-trash compactors to Environmental Recycling Services Inc., a company operating a landfill to dispose of construction materials. Both machines had mechanical problems, which Smith and CMI...

Date of injury fixes liability for workers' comp benefits.(Law & Liability)
February 1, 2004... Steelwind Industries Inc. is a steel fabricator specializing in the construction of large castings and structural-steel components. In January 1999, Steelwind hired Epic Staff Management Inc. to provide Steelwind with various human-resource...

Stepping past features and functions: what shops should ask before selecting manufacturing software--from the basics to the hard questions.(Software)(Cover Story)
February 1, 2004... Every shop buying manufacturing software probably starts by asking the same two questions: "While the software do what we need it to do?" and "Will we be able to use it?" But where do they go from there? That answer depends on the package and...

Intelligence + integration = innovation: one OEM's equation for machine tool leadership.(Machining Centers)
February 1, 2004... With over 50 years of manufacturing experience and more than 100,000 machines installed worldwide, Mori Seiki knows something about the global machine tool business. The company's strategic plan for meeting the rapidly changing needs of the...

TCO delivers TKO in EDM productivity: total-cost-of-ownership analysis proves electrode material matters.(EDM)
February 1, 2004... Moldmaking shops constantly fight to keep production costs competitive, and one of their best strategies incorporating new equipment and technologies. When they do so, these shops often assess the costs of owning and operating the new...

Holding onto high production: when--and when not to--pile parts onto workholding fixtures.(Work Holding)
February 1, 2004... When it comes to workholding for high production, most shops pack fixtures with as many parts as possible. A full fixture, in some cases, is advantageous, but in others, it could do more harm than good. For high-production, shops not only need...

Supporting slotting cutters.(Practical Ideas)
February 1, 2004... Thin slotting cutters sometimes walk during operation, especially when they stick out a considerable amount from the arbors that hold them. To eliminate this deflection, I use special arbor collars and cutter supports. My arbor collars are...

System airs out component-testing problems.(Case-Books)
February 1, 2004... Testing oil pumps and other automotive components for their ability to hold and circulate high-pressure oil or water was a messy job at Metaldyne Powertrain/NVH Group in Middleville, Mich. The shop used motor oil, or, in some cases, a...

On-the-fly jet-engine blade inspection.(Case-Books)
February 1, 2004... To optimize jet-engine performance and ensure safety, small-aircraft operators rely on overhaul facilities to inspect, replace, and regrind hundreds of small, stainless steel and Inconel blades in the engines. And, typically, overhaul...

Company arms welding fixtures.(Case-Books)
February 1, 2004... Lindgren Automation Inc. of Concord, Ontario, develops custom fabrication machines, and one of its specialties is carousel/Ferris-wheel fixtures that hold parts for MIG/laser/spot robot welders to weld into single structural pieces. The problem...

System provides riveting solution for process monitoring.(Case-Books)
February 1, 2004... To improve quality and reduce process costs, a major Midwest automotive-parts supplier has installed automatic process monitoring on its ball-joint-riveting system. The monitoring system eliminates manual post-process inspection and provides...

Refresh coolant.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The Coolescer coolant refresher removes tramp and gray oils from machine tool coolant sumps. It pumps the top layer of coolant and oil through a coalescing cartridge, which separates oil from the coolant. The oil discharges through a valve, and...

Pumping system removes pollutants.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The compact Model AC1-70DE's special pumping system removes contaminants from dirty water-based or synthetic coolants without machine shutdown. It extracts particles down to 3 [micro], as well as tramp oils that produce bacteria and rancidity....

Cleanable coolant filter.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Centrifugal force from the Vortex Ultrafilter separates contaminants from machine tool coolant. Cleanable filter elements trap particles down to 2 [micro]. With abrasive fine particles removed, coolant retains its lubricity and provides...

Removes grinding solids.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The Turbo-Separator T18-2 is an automatic solids-discharging centrifuge that recycles grinding and polishing fluids. It removes 1 to 10-[micro] particles, and the centrifuge processes at a rate up to 40-gpm and removes solids at up to 20...

Filter fibers absorb oil.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The Oil Separation Filter (O.S.F.) is an alternative to ultrafiltration for facilities that do not require instant removal of emulsified oils from fluids. It uses absorption to remove the oils, and the solution containing the oil runs through a...

Adaptable machining centers.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The SpeedMat table-type machining center line includes four models with X-axis strokes from 2,000 to 4,000 mm, Y axes from 1,600 to 3,000 mm, and Z axes from 1,600 to 2,200 mm. Each model accommodates an automatic head-changing device (square,...

Wire-threading system central to EDMs.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The Robofil 390/690 EDMs deliver cutting action without the need to fill or drain their work tanks. Also, a special high-speed and maintenance-free wire-threading system, known as ThermoCut, stretches wire and cuts it under the effect of heat,...

Drill deep holes.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Beaumont Fast Hole Series 6-axis EDMs drill holes as small as 0.018 in. in diameter in high-strength-alloy parts for aerospace engines and other equipment. Available with 40 and 60-in. X-axis travels, the FH40 and FH60 are VMC-style machines...

Washer saves energy.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Through its internal ventilation, encapsulated spray, and blow-off-zone design, the Lean-Veyor spray washer reportedly provides energy savings greater than 50% as compared to conventional spray washers. It is suitable for lean or cellular...

New CMM features.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Besides offering all the benefits of its predecessor, the SI.2 Laser Tracker sports three additional, advanced features. They are Smart Warm-Up, which heats the tracker to a stable temperature in half the time; SelfComp, which eliminates the...

Space-saving tester.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Satec single-footprint, hydraulic, universal-testing systems combine frame, hydraulic-power supply, electronics, and control panel into a single machine. This reduces floorspace by more than 60%. The hydraulically powered load frames of the...

Software obtains part info from solidWorks models.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... GB/GeoSolid software automates unit creation by extracting part geometry information from a solids part model in SolidWorks and bringing it into Mazatrol programming. Programming time, the developer reports, is reduced by using the solids data...

Orbitally form parts.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... The Model B-310 pneumatic orbital-riveting machine comes with real-time process monitoring and control for orbitally forming parts up to 0.312 in. in diameter or an equivalent area in tube, square, or other form. Typical cycle time is less than...

Self-centering punch/die sets.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... TruPunch self-centering punch-and-die sets feature pilot systems for perfect alignment when producing custom washers and shims. Operators simply punch the inside hole, insert the matching pilot into the tip of the outside punch, and then punch...

Grinders use hydrostatic system.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Delta surface-grinding machines feature hydrostatic way systems, which, in conjunction with traveling columns, provide stable, precise, and repeatable working envelopes. There is no metal-to-metal contact on mating way surfaces, resulting in no...

Gearmotors handle adjustable-speed controls.(Spotlight: coolant filtering)
February 1, 2004... Baldor Electric's inverter-duty gearmotors are designed for use with adjustable-speed controls. The motors are rated at 3/8-hp, 230 V, 60 Hz, and three phase. A 10 to 90-Hz operating range offers ratios for both right angle and parallel-shaft...

Boiling mad about accident.(100 years ago in American Machinist)
February 1, 2004... A February 25, 1904, article described a boiler explosion that killed six people. Editors described the event as "disgusting," noting that the accident was the direct result of "the culpable ignorance or the regardlessness of inevitable...

A nice place to work.(50 years ago in American Machinist)
February 1, 2004... Editors were marveling at fringe benefits offered to employees of the George Fischer works in Switzerland in the February 15, 1954, issue. At the time, the company, in cooperation with another firm, owned and operated a convalescent and rest...

Old ideas still work.(50 years ago in American Machinist)
February 1, 2004... In an address to a chapter of the American Society of Tool Engineers, Ralph E. Cross, executive vice president of The Cross Co., Detroit, presented a "Prescription for Prosperity" for the manufacturing sector. An article on his presentation...