American Machinist articles from November 2004

American Machinist archives from November 2004

The real winner is you.(From The Editor)
November 1, 2004... If you didn't visit the IMTS Show in September, you missed an opportunity to see some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment on display at any one time in the U.S. And while it is impossible to reconstruct the entire show in the pages of...

Insincere politicians.(We've Got mail)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2004... Regarding your October editorial ("Political intervention can be devastating, p. 8), I think politicians are hypocritical talking about job loss considering their actions. In fact, they are lucky that Saint-Gobain doesn't throw in the towel and...

OCLV carbon-fiber bike tops Tour de France.(Technology Trends)
November 1, 2004... Madone racing bicycles, built by Trek Bicycles at its factory in Waterloo, Wis., feature the company's OCLV carbon-fiber and epoxy composite frames that are strong, yet lightweight. These qualities were of key benefit to Lance Armstrong as he...

Vertical grinding of cylindrical parts.(Technology Trends)
November 1, 2004... The 750 Series grinder from Campbell Grinding Co., Spring Lake, Mich., machines cylindrical parts in a vertical orientation, greatly reducing the effects of gravity. According to the builder, the vertical setup increases rotational stability...

Advanced materials boost fuel-system performance.(Technology Trends)
November 1, 2004... Demanding applications often call for advanced materials that withstand harsh operating conditions. Take, for instance, a diesel-fuel-system at Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind. The company boosted system performance, reliability, and durability by...

Five-axis laser competes against EDM.(Technology Trends)
November 1, 2004... An innovative 5-axis laser-machining process lets aerospace and industrial-gas-turbine manufacturers machine complex geometries into turbine blades and vanes. Previously, the laser's quality and accuracy levels were only possible with EDM. In...

Grooving/parting tooling.(Company News)
November 1, 2004... A product flyer (#27.01.214) catalogs Valenite's Valgroove grooving-and-parting tooling kits. The literature, covering VG109, VG110, VG111, and VG101 series, classifies cutter kits by application categories--deep grooving and parting...

Toolholder/inserts promo kit.(Company News)
November 1, 2004... The MTC Promo Kit includes one toolholder and five MTC-SX or MTC-SX Ultra cutoff inserts. Sixteen custom kits are available, and each contains a variety of shank and width dimensions, lead angles, and insert grades. Manchester Tool Co. ...

Toolmaker acquires diamond-tool company.(Company News)
November 1, 2004... WalterCorp. has acquired Werner Schmitt, a German company specializing in PCD and CBN tools. With the acquisition, Walter intends to enter new markets in the automotive and aerospace industries. Walter Chairman Peter Witteczec points out, "The...

Drilling catalog.(Company News)
November 1, 2004... In its drilling catalog, Stellram introduces an expanded line of drills and inserts. Drill diameters range from 0.390 to 4.528 in., and inserts are available for drilling materials in all ISO classifications. In addition to tool and insert...

Tap and thread-mill catalog and guide.(Company News)
November 1, 2004... Emuge's 350-pg 2005 catalog features full-color product illustrations and descriptions with specifications, charts, and guides. An interactive Tool Finder 2.3 CD guide to taps and thread-mill products, furnished with the catalog, contains a...

Trade shows consolidate.(Business Trends)
November 1, 2004... Fabricating and welding tradeshows Fabtech International and The AWS Welding Show are combining for 2005. The new, joint tradeshow is called the Fabtech International and The AWS Welding Show. "This is a good move for the industry," notes...

Welding equipment manufacturers talk up alliance.(Business Trends)
November 1, 2004... Genesis Systems Group, Fanuc Robotics, and Lincoln Electric affirmed their long-standing alliance in North American robotic welding during the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) in Chicago. According to Genesis Founder and CEO...

August machine tool consumption resumes climb.(Business Trends)
November 1, 2004... August machine tool consumption jumped back after a slight dip in July, according to The American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and AMT-The Association For Manufacturing Technology. August consumption totaled $225.52 million,...

Export controls spin out of control.(Government Matters)
November 1, 2004... Disturbing news for another sector of U.S. manufacturing: A number of Chinese companies will soon be exporting five-axis machine tools into this country. Now, U.S. builders have to wait to see how the U.S. Defense Department's Defense...

Flexible machine combines four cutting zones.(Machine Of The Month)
November 1, 2004... Hardinge says its new Quest LMC42 turn-mill machine provides machining flexibility unlike traditional machine tools. That's because the self-contained manufacturing cell boasts four distinct cutting zones-employing a total of 56 tools--that...

Software for machinable artwork.(Bits & Bytes)
November 1, 2004... Mastercam Art lets users craft 2D sketches, clip art, photos, and CAD files into artistic relief designs and then cut them with specialized toolpaths. What normally takes a signmaker or skilled artisan weeks is done in minutes. Mastercam...

Unfolding the folds.(Bits & Bytes)
November 1, 2004... Applied Production's updated ProFold sheetmetal unfolding software supports KeyCreator 3.0 CAD packages from Kubotek USA. With ProFold, engineers and designers quickly and easily create accurate flat-pattern layouts. The version comes in three...

CAD/CAM for tooling.(Bits & Bytes)
November 1, 2004... With the release of Cimatron E 5.1, Cimatron adds NC functions to its CAD/CAM software for the tooling industry. Enhancements include 5-axis milling, multiple-cutter finish routines, and other features that prolong tool life and improve...

Machine tools as CMMs.(Bits & Bytes)
November 1, 2004... Metrolosys 9 inspection software for probing transforms any machine tool into a CMM. With it, shops administer quality processes during machining to catch errors in design, CNC programming, or setup on-the-fly. Reportedly, the software reduces...

Shop designs on a virtual plane.(User Review)
November 1, 2004... Dassault Aviation used product-lifecycle-management (PLM) technology from Dassault Systemes to not only cut assembly time by 50% for its 7X business jet but also to develop the aircraft in an entirely virtual environment, from design to...

Operator assumes risk of injury and loses liability suit.(Law & Liability)
November 1, 2004... Irshard Karim operated a large corrugated-cardboard-folding machine at Mid-Atlantic Packaging in Montgomeryville, Pa. On Feb. 7, 2001, Karim was programming the Tanabe 1, a machine that folds corrugated cardboard for complicated box designs....

Auto accident complicates workers' comp case.(Law & Liability)
November 1, 2004... While working for Westaff Inc., a temporary employment agency, Calithia Thomas was placed at Alliance Compressor in Natchitoches, La., where her duties included using a T-bar tool to insert plugs into a compressor. On March 11, 2002, Thomas...

Checker club meeting comes to order: event proves fun and beneficial for all involved.(American Machinist Checker Club)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2004... Next to the latest in manufacturing technologies and equipment, AMERICAN MACHINIST'S Checker Club drew quite a bit of attention at IMTS 2004. Thousands of show attendees took part in the event that had them on a "scavenger hunt" of sorts for...

Idea pulls the pin.(Practical Ideas)
November 1, 2004... My idea is a device that works much the same as a toolmaker's clamp and easily pulls dowel pins from blind holes. After clamping the device to the dowel pin to be removed, I deliver a few sharp blows with a hammer, and the pin comes out. ...

Center drill removes center drill.(Practical Ideas)
November 1, 2004... I use a center drill to remove broken center-drill tips from workpieces. I grind out the center of a center drill, leaving two cutting lips. This tool then drills down along the sides of the tip embedded in the workpiece. Once this is done, I...

Tooling cleans up mud-pump-shaft production.(Case-Books)
November 1, 2004... Gearench, Clifton, Tex., produces tools and equipment used in oilfield, mining, and industrial applications. Its shop supervisor, Doyle Fehler, had to streamline mud-pump pinion-shaft production to meet growing demand. The company purchased a...

Ceramic/steel mix makes for better ballscrews.(Case-Books)
November 1, 2004... Ballscrews in injection-molding applications operate in a high-pressure, unforgiving, and often neglectful environment. However, one ballscrew manufacturer is tackling longevity and repeatability issues in poorly lubricated molding...

Phantom laser scanning.(Case-Books)
November 1, 2004... Implementing laser scanning substantially reduces reverse-engineering time while improving lean manufacturing at Boeing's Phantom Works facility in St. Louis. Producing a CAD model from a physical product is important where the company makes...

Forming tool tightens spring accuracy.(Case-Books)
November 1, 2004... Companies manufacturing such products as small clutches, brakes, and valves sometimes have problems finding precision springs that operate consistently. Due to inconsistencies in wirefeed stock and normal forming-tool wear, spring manufacturing...

System oversees assembly and manufacturing.(Case-Books)
November 1, 2004... A Michigan automotive components and stamping supplier needed an error-proofing and data-collection system for a transmission-transfer-case-marriage subassembly line. It selected a turnkey system that lets manufacturers measure, analyze,...

Copters get cool, rugged lighting.(Case-Books)
November 1, 2004... After a Royal Danish Air Force doctor seared his hand on a hot halogen light bulb that then burned out, the Danish Air Material Command, a procurement arm of the Danish air force, conducted a search for a cooler and more reliable lamp to...

Mark 2D matrix codes.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... The Richter CMT Matrix.2D dot-scribe marking machine produces high-quality Grade A 2D-code marks readable with fixed or handheld scanners. It features a CNC marking head with linear rails and ballscrew movements for precise inscriptions. The...

System for various marking settings.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Technomark Multi 4 marking machines produce figures, letters, logos, special characters, and data matrixes of various heights and widths from up to 1,000 settings. They operate based on electromechanically controlled micro-impact-marking...

Custom marking fields.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... In addition to 1x4, 3x4, or 6 x 6-in. marking fields, the Styliner Scribeline Quiet Marker comes with custom-designed marking fields and clamp tooling. They serialize numbers, time and date codes, and duplicate logos on metal, ceramics,...

Milling machine marking tools.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Compensating for irregularities of flat, curved, and uneven surfaces, spring-loaded engraving tools move within the toolholder of CNC milling machines. They provide constant pressure to the toolbit as it moves over part surfaces. The tools fit...

HMC tackles high-speed milling.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... The Matsuura H.Plus-405 is a large-capacity HMC for high-speed milling and contouring. It has feedrates and rapids up to 1,968 ipm in all axes, 1-G acceleration, and a high-speed pallet changer. The machine features a 25.59 x29.50-in. work...

Plasma cutters.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Tracker CNC plasma cutting systems come with 4x4, 4x8, or 5x10-ft tables. They are equipped with rack-and-pinion direct-drive stepper motors, AVC automatic torch-height control, reversible cutting deck with 3,000-1b capacity, and Command & Cut...

Plasma-cutter control.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Used by Monograph Millennium plasma-cutting machines, the PC-based uCNC control has two microprocessors--one for programming and a second for motion. It also features a Microsoft XP operating system, 3-Gbyte hard drive, 124-Mbyte RAM, and...

Monitor job progress.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... A graphical capacity-planning board is now part of JobPack's Scheduler software. The board provides real-time information on the loading of machines and workcenters. With a PC, shops can monitor the situation of each machine or workstation...

Simple turning and multiaxis machining.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... The Puma MX series mill-turn does simple turning or milling and complex, simultaneous, multiaxis machining. Depending on the model, the turning spindle is powered by a 25 or 35-hp motor that runs up to 3,500 or 5,000 rpm. Motors are built into...

Two configurations for robots.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... M-16iB/20T Toploader articulated gantry robots have a maximum reach of 68 in. and come in an underslung or sideslung configuration. The underslung configuration suspends the robot arm underneath the rail structure for a symmetrical work...

Grease protects bearings.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Formulated with the producer's thickener technology, Mobil Polyrex EM grease provides mechanical shear stability, inhibits rust and deposits, and protects against high temperatures and high speeds for electric-motor bearings and balls or...

Hydraulic clamps.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Enerpac link clamps permit unobstructed part loading and high clamping forces. Hydraulic cylinders extend for clamping force and retract for part removal. The clamps' designs ensure repeatable clamping locations and linkage repositioning from...

Reclaim fluids during recycling.(Spotlight: marking equipment)
November 1, 2004... Chipmunk metal compactors work with ferrous and nonferrous chip and reclaim cutting fluids. There are two models, the 6000 and 2000. The 6000 is a 20-hp system that produces up to 500 lb/hr aluminum and 1,400 lb/hr steel and ductile-iron...

Vertical grinder.(New Equipment)
November 1, 2004... With two stations on its turret-type wheelhead, the Taiyo Koki IGV-3NT vertical grinding machine switches among internal, external, and face grinding with one chucking--a capability for jobs needing 1[micro] roundness. Internal-grinding-spindle...

Flap wheels tackle aggressive cutting.(New Equipment)
November 1, 2004... Weiler Corp. offers two flap wheel products with solid-hub constructions rated for high-rpm aggressive cutting. Hub constructions also provide balance for smooth, chatter-free finishing. The first product, Tiger, is made of Egyptian cotton...

Gearmotor directly connects to load.(New Equipment)
November 1, 2004... H Box hollow-bore gearmotors include a 1-in. hollow output shaft that connects directly to driven loads. This saves space and eliminates shaft couplings, chains, or sprockets, as well as Chain guards and hardware used to connect gearmotors to...

Reduce seal failures.(New Equipment)
November 1, 2004... The 7550 Series of vertical end-suction, closed-column centrifugal pumps reportedly reduce mechanical-seal-failure problems. Closed columns permit external tank mounting. Flow rates are up to 4,000 gallons/min. Long-coupled and integral-shaft...

Module handles simple motion.(New Equipment)
November 1, 2004... Allen-Bradley 1756-L6x ControlLogix controllers combine with Sercos interface-motion modules for motion control of small, low-axis-count machines. The modules provide control for three axes of ControlLogix-integrated motion, and an added second...

50 years ago in American machinist.(Retrospective)
November 1, 2004... Automation kept quiet in 1954 Automation was an "outstanding trend" in automotive plants, as editors described in the November 8, 1954, issue. However, many automakers were still hesitant about actually defining the term. According to...