American Machinist articles from July 2006

American Machinist archives from July 2006

Vision-guided robots installed at Toyota's W.VA. engine plant.(LEADING INDICATORS)
July 1, 2006... Toyota Motor Manufacturing installed six state-of-the-art vision-guided ABB robotic systems in its West Virginia engine manufacturing plant to improve working conditions and employee utilization. Each of the 6600 Series ABB robotic systems...

Hardinge to move VMC production to U.S. from Taiwan.(LEADING INDICATORS)
July 1, 2006... Hardinge Inc. is planning to move production of its XR Series vertical machining centers to its Elmira, N.Y., manufacturing facility from its plant in Taiwan. The XR Series machines are being introduced at the IMTS show in Chicago in September,...

Airbus delays increasing work for Boeing.(LEADING INDICATORS)
July 1, 2006... Airbus Industrie, the European airliner building consortium, announced delays in the deliveries of its A380 superjumbo jet in mid-June, sending shockwaves through the airline industry, and causing some customers to withdraw orders and give them...

Surfware partners with local middle school to start computer manufacturing program.(LEADING INDICATORS)
July 1, 2006... Surfware, Inc. (www.surfware.com) has installed 40 seats of its Surfcam Velocity software at the Colina Middle School in Thousand Oaks, Calif., as a part of a manufacturing education program at the school. The software was installed in the...

Chips-n-burrs.(LEADING INDICATORS)(Cartoon)
July 1, 2006... THE MACHINE TOOL STORE Sure you can have it next week. If you don't mind waiting six months. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

CAD features go directly to CAM.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
July 1, 2006... DP Technology Corp. (www.dptechnology.com) says it has taken a significant step forward in the exchange of information between the design and manufacturing of products with the release of its 2007-version of Esprit CAM software. The Esprit...

Arch-style machine design reduces vibration.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
July 1, 2006... Mori Seiki's NV6000 vertical machining center gives shops that specialize in die and mold, automobile and aluminum aircraft parts the option to machine at small travel increments with high-speed acceleration and no vibration. The medium-sized...

Innovations in DROs.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
July 1, 2006... The Quadra-Chek 300 (QC300) from Metronics Inc. is designed as a powerful and cost-effective digital readout system to reduce errors, speed inspection and increase accuracy and reliability. Metronics (www.metronic.com) says the easy-to-use...

Laser cutting speeds ahead.(TECHNOLOGY TRENDS)
July 1, 2006... Prima Laser Tools (www.primana. com) says its Syncrono is the fastest 2D laser cutting system available. The Syncrono accelerates at 6 g in real cutting conditions to cut parts two times faster than conventional laser systems in most instances....

Hose clamps secure jaws.(PRACTICAL IDEAS)
July 1, 2006... I had to machine the O.D.s and two sides of flanges welded to the ends of long pipes. To hold the parts, I cut special blank soft jaws for a lathe by machining surfaces equal distances from the key on all three jaws as shown in the...

Idea puts inserts on edge.(PRACTICAL IDEAS)
July 1, 2006... When finish gap milling stub axles, I used only 0.5 mm (0.0196 in.) of the corners on 22-mm (0.8661 in.) left-hand/right-hand triangular inserts, while the rest of their cutting surfaces--about 21 mm (0.8267 in.) went untouched. Instead of...

Toolholder/insert combo for grooving, turning or profiling.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... The clamping geometries and built-in stops of Kaiser Tool Co.'s MiniGroove 'N Turn toolholders are designed to prevent slippage and rotation during axial or radial cuts when grooving, turning or profiling. Kaiser Tool (www.thinbit.com)...

Cutters for milling cast iron.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... CoroMill 365 facemilling cutters from Sandvik Coromant Co. (www.coromant.sandvik.com/us) are designed for roughing and semifinishing of cast iron in large series production or high-volume applications, and can be used in machining centers or...

Direct drive saws.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... FNB Titan saws, one of the FMB Pro Mitre series of FMB direct-drive saws from Pat Mooney Inc. (www.patmooneysaws.com), are designed to cut thin-wall tubes, profiles and heavy steel sections or hard solid materials. With a hydraulic control...

In-machine deburring brushes.(CUTTING PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... Weiler Corp., Cresco, Pa. (www.weilercorp.com) offers its Burr-Rx line of abrasive nylon disc brushes for in-machine deburring operations in CNC machining centers or custom designed machines. They are available in 3-in., 4-in., 5-in. and 6-in....

Stationary clamping vices.(TOOLING & WORKHOLDING)
July 1, 2006... Kontec KSL manual vises from Schunk Inc. (www.schunkusa. com) clamp cubic workpieces onto universal vertical machining centers or any 4th or 5th axes table with clamping forces up to 50 kN (11,240 lb). Numerous standard jaw configurations are...

Bearing spindle indexers.(TOOLING & WORKHOLDING)
July 1, 2006... Hardinge Inc. (www.hardingetooling.com) has introduced bearing spindle indexers for applications involving heavy parts, heavy cutting forces and high tailstock thrusts. The Hardinge Robust Indexers have dual bearing units at the front and...

High-density workholding.(TOOLING & WORKHOLDING)
July 1, 2006... The MultiChuck MMY concentric clamping system from Kurt Manufacturing Co. (www.kurtworkholding.com) consists of manual self-centering static workholding for high-density workholding on machining centers, milling machines and grinders. Kurt says...

PCD tool profiling system.(SPINDLES & ACCESSORIES)
July 1, 2006... The PCD Edge system from Methods EDM, Sudbury, Maine (www.methodsmachine.com) profiles polycrystalline diamond (PCD) cutting tools using a Fanuc iC series wire EDM machine. The system, which can create original profiles or resharpen worn...

Integrated HSK spindles for presetters.(SPINDLES & ACCESSORIES)
July 1, 2006... Integrated automatic mechanical clamping of HSK spindles for Speroni Models STP-34, STP-35 and Esperia tool presetters is available from Big Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. (www.bigkaiser.com). The system applies a tool-clamping force of 440 lb...

Winning on details, losing on policy.(GOVERNMENT MATTERS)
July 1, 2006... By the time that you read this column, it is likely that the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security will have issued a new version of the so-called "China Catch-All" regulations. As explained by Bureau of Industry and...

Top shop analysis.(BENCHMARKING)
July 1, 2006... AMERICAN MACHINIST's SURVEY OF MACHINE SHOPS PROVIDES tools that machine shops can use to gage their competitive positions and to systematically improve their operations to become more competitive. We used results of the survey to establish...

A rough guide to better milling: simple techniques put chips on the floor and parts out the door.(MILLING)
July 1, 2006... TWO SHOPS HAVE FOUND THAT THEY can improve their rough-machining operations by adopting relatively simple milling techniques. Tri-Core Mold & Die Co. now rough cuts parts 33 percent faster, and Harrison Steel Castings Co. has eliminated...

Understanding beryllium: know its strengths, but handle with care for effective, safe machining.(MACHINING)
July 1, 2006... BERYLLIUM IS A MATERIAL LIKE NO OTHER. From a design standpoint, no other material has its combination of physical and mechanical characteristics that are so well suited to specific demanding applications. However, these same characteristics...

Bike shop fame rides on machine tools: a mill and lathe help create rolling works of art and a popular TV show.(MACHINING)
July 1, 2006... BUILT BY THUGS IS NOT A TYPICAL run-of-the-mill specialty bike shop. While the fully functional Santa Monica, Calif., shop does turn out custom-built "chopper" motorcycles that might cost $100,000 or more, it also stands in as the set of the...

Ready for six sigma? The rewards are enticing, but the requirements can be formidable. Here's a shortcut.(QUALITY)
July 1, 2006... SIX SIGMA HAS BEEN TOUTED AS a powerful quality improvement method that boosts employee job satisfaction and increases profits. Although many shops striving to improve operations and profits have adopted lean production and other...

Running fewer parts pays off: rotary transfer machines now competitively manufacture small and medium lot sizes.(ROTARY TRANSFER LINES)
July 1, 2006... SHOPS USING TRADITIONAL ROTARY TRANSFER systems have always had to justify the long changeover times of such machines by running high-volume jobs. But this is no longer the case because today's advanced rotary transfer machines changeover in...

No prints at Delphi.(CASE BOOKS)
July 1, 2006... While most automotive companies focus on outsourcing as many manufacturing operations as possible, Delphi (www.delphi.com), a supplier of automotive electronics and systems technology, has successfully moved some of its moldmaking operations...

Shop works without wires.(CASE BOOKS)
July 1, 2006... Dearborn Precision Tubular Products (www.dearbornprecision.com) gave itself flexibility to change its operations in the future by choosing to use a wireless factory-automation system in a recent expansion. Dearborn Precision, which specializes...

Business blooms with waterjet.(CASE BOOKS)
July 1, 2006... New England Die Cutting Inc. (NEDC) (www.nedc.com) President Kim Abare says continued reinvestment in her company, even during economic downturns, has contributed to its phenomenal growth. One of the company's recent investments was in abrasive...

New 16C and 3J rotary indexing systems.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Hardinge, Inc. (www.hardingetooling. com) will introduce larger capacity 16C and 3J style indexers featuring its A2-5 spindle design. A variety of standard 16C or 3J spindle tooling will mount directly in or on the spindle without the use of an...

New micro-machining tooling solutions.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Big Daishowa Seiki and Big Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. (www.bigkaiser .com) will introduce the Air Power Spindle, an air-driven tool that can be used as an additional spindle on normal machining centers to eliminate the need for an expensive,...

New line of horizontal machining centers from Fadel.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Fadal Machining Centers (www.fadal.com) is introducing three new horizontal machining centers at IMTS. The HMC-400 with Fanuc 18i MB CNC, 400 mm (15.75 in.) by 400 mm pallet, 600 mm (23.6 in.) diameter by 660 mm (26 in.) high part size,...

Fadal horizontal turning centers.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Fadal Machining Centers (www.fadal.com) new "Performance Turning Centers Series" (PTC) includes four horizontal turning centers: The PTC150-G with a 150 mm (6 in.) chuck, a gang-type slide with space for up to six toolblocks and optional...

New vertical grinding machining center.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... INDEX Corp. (www.index-usa.com) is introducing the V160 vertical grinding and machining center that incorporates ID/OD grinding, auto-loading and rough machining (hard turning) with automatic in-machine wheel dressing and in-process gauging....

New superabrasive turning center.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... MAX-TEK, LLC's (www.maxtekmachine. com) new STC 400 Superabrasive Turning Center is designed for machining stainless steel, Hastelloy or cast-iron centrifugal pump and compressor impellers using plated CBN grinding wheels. The STC 400 allows...

New fail-safe pneumatic collet block.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Hardinge, Inc. (www.hardingetooling. com) says its new air-operated 5C collet block is fail-safe. The design does not require air during the cutting process. This results in maintained concentricity without downtime or waste if loss of air...

Edge technologies introduces new bar loader.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... The new Rebel 102 short bar loader from Edge Technologies (www.edgetechnologies.com) features an 8 mm to 102 mm (.31 in. to 4 in.) diameter capacity range for feeding round, square and hexagonal bar stock into CNC lathe spindles. Loading...

New twin spindle turning center.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... MAG Industrial Automation Systems Hessapp Division (www.hessapp.com) is introducing the DVH250I twin spindle vertical pick-up turning center designed for high-volume production applications. The center has a work envelope of 11.8 inches by 7.9...

Heidenhain has new digital readout system.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Heidenhain Corporation's (www.heidenhain.com) new universal ND 780 digital readout system will be showcased at IMTS. Heidenhain says the new system is compatible with any manual machine tool, including milling, turning, boring and drilling...

Full machine simulation module unveiled.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... PartMaker Software/ICMS Inc. (www.partmaker.com) will unveil its latest version of PartMaker Software for programming CNC mills, lathes, wire EDM, turn-mill centers and Swiss-type lathes at IMTS. PartMaker says the new version features a new...

Lift magnet can lift 6,600 lbs.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Indianapolis, IN based Earth-Chain will offer the ELM-3000 EZ-LIFT lifting magnet with a maximum rated load of 6,600 lbs. (3,000 kg) and a safety factor of 3.5. All EZ-LIFT magnets are constructed from neodymium iron boron magnets that...

New bridgeport Boxway VMC.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Bridgeport is introducing the GX 1000 B boxway machining center with an introductory price of $59,990. Bridgeport says the new rigid boxway design significantly dampens vibration at the cut to achieve excellent surface finishes, longer tool...

Toyota debuts new VMC line.(IMTS '06)
July 1, 2006... Toyoda Machinery's (www.toyodausa. com)new AF-series of vertical machining centers is designed for high-speed machining applications. The rigid cast iron base and column provide long-term accuracy and durability. The direct-drive, 12,000 rpm,...

American machinist benchmarking study, Part II.(FROM THE EDITOR)
July 1, 2006... Beginning on page 34, we continue examining results from our benchmarking study of the American machine tool industry, with a report on shop operations and how machine shops are using the best practices available make themselves competitive and...

Salty watermelons.(FROM THE EDITOR)
July 1, 2006... The Internet site, The Practical Machinist (www.practical machinist.com), has a profusion of knowledge that's exclusively based on the erudition of the people that contribute to the discussion on the site. And, with the involvement I've had...

Correction.(Correction notice)
July 1, 2006... Correction: Schunk Inc. (www.schunkusa. com) and Techniks Inc (www.techniksusa .com) were omitted from the list of contributors to the article on toolholding on page 46 in the June issue of American Machinist.

A machining plant will be restored.(LAST WORD)
July 1, 2006... Something unique is happening in Toledo, Ohio: A major automotive machine shop is being transformed and rejuvenated, and when the work is through in the next five years, the odds are that the inside of the plant won't be recognizable. ...

Chips-n-burrs.(LAST WORD)
July 1, 2006... COLLABORATIVE MANUFACTURING SYMPOSIUM Are there any questions before we move Process Mapping to Throwing Up Your Hands and Winging It? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

No claim against company for laying off injured worker.(LAW & LIABILITY)
July 1, 2006... Webb Wheel Products Inc.--manufacturers of wheels, wheel hubs, brake drums and disc-brake rotors for large trucks and trailers--hired David Joshua Hanvey in September 1999 to operate a drill press at one of its plants in Cullman, Ala. On...

Trial to determine fault for asbestos death.(LAW & LIABILITY)
July 1, 2006... In 1950 and 1951, the Koppers Company had a plant in Kobuta, Pa. where it manufactured materials used to produce synthetic rubber. Koppers hired an independent contractor, Phillip Carey, to work on an expansion project involving removing old...