American Machinist articles from November 2005

American Machinist archives from November 2005

Inserts do it the hardfacing way.(casebooks)
November 1, 2005... Cleveland Hard Facing (CHF) Inc., a full-service hardfacing and machining shop, specializes in wear, corrosion and heat-resistant overlays, graphite oxidation prevention, refractory tubes and thermowells for molten metal use. Its welded...

Software takes off at aircraft-tool shop.(casebooks)
November 1, 2005... With its old shop-management software, Magnavon Industries Inc. had to painstakingly navigate through nine steps, each of which involved that many separate screens, reports and approvals to cut a check or pay a bill. In addition, the software,...

CBN turns up brake-disc production.(casebooks)
November 1, 2005... While its ceramic inserts cut at nearly 4,000 sfm, Prazisions-Brems-Scheiben (PBS) GmbH of Lemgo, Germany, could not ignore the possibility of upping that speed to 6,550 sfm using CBN tooling. However, enthusiasm quickly faded for the...

Lathes prove special in secondary work.(casebooks)
November 1, 2005... Living up to its namesake, Advanced Secondaries, Inc., performs secondary drilling, tapping and turning operations to make specials from standard screw machine or cold-headed parts. A lot of the Cleveland shop's work involves fasteners, and...

Laser scanning in space.(casebooks)
November 1, 2005... NASA's Space Shuttle Discovery landed safely from its recent mission thanks in part to laser scanning and beam-positioning technology from General Scanning, a member of the GSI Group of Billerica, Mass. General Scanning supplied its technology...

Adjustable fine-boring system.(cutting tool digest)
November 1, 2005... The Romicron fine-boring system from Romi Machine Tools Ltd, Erlanger, Ky., permits graduated dial adjustments of 1 micron on the tool radius without removing the tool from the machine. With a stop at each graduation, operators feel and hear...

U.S. cutting tool institute billings index.
November 1, 2005... Index for July '04--June '05 July $136,045,837 126.8% August $151,299,780 142.9% September $143,973,615 135.1% October $150,843,626 137.9% November $136,477,214 128.2% December ...

Milling tools.(cutting tool digest)
November 1, 2005... Helido490 and Helido845 tools from Iscar Metals Inc., Arlington, Texas, join the company's Helimill line of milling tools. Helido490 tools are for heavy milling of 90[degrees] shoulders to depths of 0.630 in., plunging to 0.394-in. side steps,...

Three-jaw grippers.(Tooling & Workholding)
November 1, 2005... DTE and DTH three-jaw grippers from Robohand, Michigan Heights, Mich., are for machining and grinding. The centering, sealed DTE series reportedly delivers high grip force, repeatability, ease of part load and unload, and long finger...

Collet indexers.(Tooling & Workholding)
November 1, 2005... Single and dual-axis collet indexers from Troyke Manufacuring Co., Cincinnati, incorporate pneumatic collet closers with up to four spindles and 0-rpm to 50-rpm speed range. They work with all standard servomotors and come with stand-alone...

Controllers for multiple safety devices.(Accessories)
November 1, 2005... The UE 100 series--UE 440/470--configurable mid-range safety controllers from Sick Inc., Minneapolis, are for implementation of multiple safety devices such as light curtains, safety scanners, sensors, reset devices, emergency-stop devices and...

Compact rod actuators.(Accessories)
November 1, 2005... Type Cres high-thrust rod actuators from THK America Inc., Shaumburg, Ill., have maximum strokes of 130 mm and work well in nontraditional applications including positioning systems, opening/closing mechanisms and height adjusters. Speed ranges...

Abrasives company vp.(Company News)
November 1, 2005... David Boatwright has been named vice president and controller of Even Cut Abrasive Co., Cleveland, and Even Cut Abrasive Canada Ltd. He manages accounting, finance, treasury, IT and human-resource functions. In addition, he implements the...

Distribution partnership.(Company News)
November 1, 2005... Allied Electronics, Fort Worth, Texas, has become a partner with Scientific Technologies Inc. to distribute STI's machine safety products. www.alliedelec.com

Solid-carbide tool catalog.(Company News)
November 1, 2005... Acatalog from Metal Removal, Augusta, Ga, highlights solid-carbide end mills, conventional and high-performance drills, reamers and burs. The catalog also covers the company's submicron-grain-structure material. Product and application...

Turning grade for steels.(Cutting Products)
November 1, 2005... Kennametal Inc. says its turning grade KC9105 can machine most steels at up to 40 percent higher speeds. The grade has a wear-resistant carbide substrate for edge toughness, and cobalt enrichment at the periphery for insert-edge security. It...

Cutters for holemaking.(Cutting Products)
November 1, 2005... Copperhead annular cutters from Hougen Manufacturing Inc., Flint, Mich., have carbide-tip cutting edges brazed onto a steel body for wear resistance when drilling hard alloys or abrasive cast irons. They come in diameters from 0.5625 in. to 1.5...

Modular toolholding system.(Tooling & Workholding)
November 1, 2005... Sandvik Coromant designed its Capto polygon-shaped modular tooling system for use with turning and milling centers, and machining centers. The tooling system has a clamping system with an improved amplifier and gas spring that the company says...

Good planning can drive heat away from the shop.(from the editor)
November 1, 2005... Features in this month's issue of AMERICAN MACHINIST address two forms of heat: The internal heat that comes from machines operating at full tilt, and the external heat that comes from pressures applied by regulatory agencies such as the...

Manufacturing growth and competition heating up in 2006: need for increased efficiency and productivity improvements emphasized.(emo)
November 1, 2005... The unmistakable theme that ran through the exhibits and stands at the EMO 2005 trade show was productivity. Whether expressed as work-holding devices and techniques that provided one set-up for multiple machining processes, technologies that...

Wassenaar failure.(government matters)
November 1, 2005... The Coordinating Committee on Export Controls, known as "CoCom," was a creature of the Cold War. It was created in 1949 to coordinate the embargo of militarily useful technology that had been organized by the United States and its allies...

GibbsCAM interactive tour.(am lit review)
November 1, 2005... This multimedia CD-ROM introduces you to the GibbsCAM product line and shows why GibbsCAM is the best choice for CAM software for 2 through 5-axis milling, turning, multitask machining, and wire EDM. Listen to GibbsCAM customers tell how...

Vericut software.(am lit review)
November 1, 2005... Vericut is an advanced software program that interactively simulates and displays the material removal process of an NC program. It also shows full 3D simulations of entire NC machine tools for checking collisions. Vericut accepts input from...

Expanding collets.(am lit review)
November 1, 2005... A 12-page catalog has detailed information on Rovi expanding collets for 5C, 16C, and 3J spindles and fixtures. The internal collets can hold bore diameters from 0.065 to 6 inches and up to 6-inches long. This catalog is available in a...

CNC Lathe HL-55 110S.(am lit review)
November 1, 2005... This durable series is built for heavy-duty removal and large bar work. The huge turret casting, incorporating an oversized curvic coupling, cuts 0.062 to 24.21-inch diameters and up to 49-inch lengths. (714) 898-2066, www.femcousa.com ...

Small-lot turning and milling.(am lit review)
November 1, 2005... Southwestern Industries' new catalog features its full line of CNCs and machines for small-lot turning and milling. It also discusses the application of CNC technology for skilled machinists who work in nonproduction quanities. (310) 608-4422,...

Machine maker not liable for injury.(law & liability)
November 1, 2005... On June 11, 2001, Linda Thompson was injured while operating a circuit-board laminating machine for Sheldahl Inc., a Minnesota manufacturer. As Thompson tried to clean adhesive drips from the machine's rollers while the machine was running, the...

Hot shots: thermal images capture potential equipment failures before they cause production shutdowns.(loss prevention)
November 1, 2005... Many large and medium-sized manufacturing companies in industries such as automotive, extrusion and steel production have professionally conducted infrared (IR) thermographic surveys done on their electrical and mechanical systems, process...

Production-ready grinding platform.(machine of the month)
November 1, 2005... Any number of turnkey applications start with the Accura Technics 1210G grinder. It serves as a flexible, production-ready platform configurable for handloaded or automated high-precision I.D./O.D., nonround and rotary surface-grinding...

Wake up America, outsourcing is wrong.(reader mail)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2005... "China, China, China" I am sick and tired of seeing and reading about outsourcing of our manufacturing to China. Enough is enough; outsourcing is 110 percent wrong. Are countries like Switzerland or Germany outsourcing their products? ...

Counter support holds parts.(SPOTLIGHT: WORKHOLDING)
November 1, 2005... Hirschmann Engineering U.S.A. Inc. has redesigned its H4265 Slid-Able counter support for wire EDMs so that workpieces have two levels on which they can be placed and clamped. The support bottom has a removable 6-mm-thick base and is the same...

Vises sport quick-change systems.(SPOTLIGHT: WORKHOLDING)
November 1, 2005... Jergens Inc.'s BallLock base-production vises feature the BallLock mounting system built into the vise base for quick changeovers. The bases also include an interlocking "jigsaw" pattern so multiple vises nest closely together. In addition,...

Built-in power boost for vise.(SPOTLIGHT: WORKHOLDING)
November 1, 2005... The built-in power intensifier of Posi Lock Puller Inc.'s MVP5 vise produces up to 6,000 pounds of clamping force with shop air and eliminates add-on power sources. The 90-degree indexable jaws provide four machinable sides for quick changes....

Expanding collets.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Econo-Loc expanding collets from Rovi Products Inc. hold parts internally when there are no collet fixtures or actuators for lathes or mills. They operate manually by turns of socket head eccentric cams. The cams push tapered plungers inside...

Soft brick vise.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Stevens Engineering Inc. has developed a soft-jaw vise that eliminates the need for changing vise jaws. The company's Soft Brick vise is made of 6061 aluminum and is a soft jaw in itself. The company said it can be machined with a cavity up to...

Twin-spindle VMC.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Chiron America Inc. has introduced a twin-spindle vertical machining center that features an 800-mm trunnion bridge plate with a 450-mm swing circle. The company says its DZ15WM IWW has two high-performance spindles that operate simultaneously...

HMCs provide quick feed rates.(technology trends)
November 1, 2005... Toyoda Machinery USA is now offering horizontal machining centers that the company says provide the cutting power of a boxway machine with 20 percent quicker feedrates. Toyoda's FH-SX HMCs feature 40-hp, 6,000-rpm spindles that the company says...

Independent axes make multitask machine.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Tong-Tai Seiki U.S.A Inc.'s parent company--Ton-Tai (Topper)--introduced a multi-tasking machining center at the TIMTOS-05 trade show in Taiwan in late August. Its TB-25-LYMB is a turning center and a four-axis machining center, using an...

Mid-power lasers do fine cutting.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... A new family of compact, mid-power, industrial lasers from GSI Group Inc. is designed to handle fine-cutting applications and high-precision welding. The JK family of pulsed, Nd:YAG lasers feature the company's LaserView control technology for...

Mills feature live spindles.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Giddings & Lewis has introduced a new line of floor-type, horizontal boring mills that have live spindles for drilling and tapping and extended reach for boring operations. Giddings & Lewis's FT and FTR Series of horizontal boring mills have...

Abrasive blaster provides consistent surface prep.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Guyson Corp. of U.S.A. says its new Model RSSA-8 rotary blast system permits more consistent surface preparation than manual blasting systems. The cabinets can be equipped with a turntable up to 42 inches in diameter or a custom-designed...

Grind and turn gear shafts.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... United Grinding Technologies Inc. is offering a new series of cylindrical grinders for hard turning and grinding of shaft and chucked parts such as gear shafts, camshafts and turbocharger shafts. The S242CNC line of grinders features modular...

DRO sports LCD.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Acu-Rite Companies Inc. has developed a digital-readout system that uses clear liquid crystal displays to replace LED or VFD displays. The 200S series of digital readout systems make standard routines visible on the screen with graphics to...

Size drill bits and fasteners.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Intromark Inc. says the Easy Gauge can be used to accurately size drill bits. The tool is semicircular in shape, and features a cutout arch to size tools in millimeters or inches. It can also measure fasteners to determine the size of the drill...

Easy-to-use measuring system.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Mahr Federal Inc. has developed a portable measurement gage that the company says can be used to determine roundness, flatness, concentricity and axial run-out on the shop floor. The company says its MMQ 100 is versatile and easy to setup and...

Turning inserts tackle steel.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Kennametal Inc. has developed new tool insert materials for tackling high-performance finish turning to medium machining of steel workpieces, such as carbon, alloy and tool steels, as well as ferritic, martensitic and precipitation-hardened...

Good finishes from inserts.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Kyocera Industrial Ceramics Corp has developed end mills and face mills that the company says are designed to provide good wall finishes and high squareness during shouldering or slotting cuts. Kyocera says its Ultra Hurricane end and face...

Finishing tools for steel.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Rex-Cut Products Inc. says its Rex-Cut Double-Cut carbide burs remove exit burs from drilled holes on stainless steel, high nickel alloys, common steel tubing and cast iron pipe. The company says the tools do this with less vibration than...

Collet chucks improve machine parameters.(new equipment)
November 1, 2005... Command Tooling Systems says a recessed nosepiece design gives its DR (ER) 32 Shorty collet chucks short projections that improve machining parameters for small vertical machining centers and multiplex turning machines. The company says tests...

Gage-holder idea is a go.(practical ideas)
November 1, 2005... I often have trouble keeping track of precision go/no-go pin gages for sizing holes during production. I tried taping them together, but that left behind a sticky residue on their surfaces. The solution was a simple square piece of soft...

Formula taps into drill sizes.(practical ideas)
November 1, 2005... I quickly calculate proper tap-drill diameters using this simple formula. Tap-drill diameter equals nominal diameter minus thread pitch. For example, drill size for a 3/8-16 thread is 0.375 - 0.625 (pitch) = 0.312 in. in diameter, and for a...

Drilling crankshafts a whole lot better: machining system improves oil-hole precision and optimizes crankshaft manufacturing.(process optimization)
November 1, 2005... Oil holes deliver vital lubrication to contact points between piston connecting rods and crankshafts in truck and car engines. Because oil holes are interconnected, they must enter and exit crankshafts at precise positions for efficient...

Uniform postage.(100 years ago in American Machinist)
November 1, 2005... One topic in the November 2, 1905, issue was U.S. postage. Domestic mail cost two cents; international mail cost five cents. The editors received a great deal of foreign mail that had the wrong postage. At the time, everyone in the United...

Bite-sized extracts.(50 years ago in AMERICAN MACHINIST)
November 1, 2005... In mid-November 1955, American Machinist presented its "1956 Production Planbook." The 548-page issue, titled "How to Work Non-Ferrous Metals," was the second such publication, and included "nuggets of knowledge" carefully extracted from a...

Bringing the computer in-house.(25 years ago in American Machinist)
November 1, 2005... A story in the November 1980 issue discussed cost-efficient production of numerical control (NC) part-programs. Aerospace structural components maker Monitor-Boxart of Farmingdale, N.Y., was about to complete a technology overhaul, converting...

Creating a 'culture of safety': regulations and procedures are not enough if workers don't buy into the program.(safety)
November 1, 2005... Even shops that comply with OSHA-mandated regulations can be dangerous places. Most shop managers comply with safety mandates and realize that improved safety equals improved productivity and earnings. However, buying the right protection and...

Hard, lightweight metal composite on the horizon.(technology trends)
November 1, 2005... A London-based company has filed a patent application for a new metal-matrix composite that combines aluminum, titanium and carbon to produce a strong and hard metal with increased wear resistance. The Adal Group Inc. says its composite,...

Vacuum heat treating eliminates distortion.(technology trends)
November 1, 2005... Solar Atmospheres of Souderton, Pa., says its vacuum heat treating process helps to eliminate distortions caused by oil quenching heat-treated metal parts, while matching stringent heat treating specifications. Solar Atmospheres...

Solid August tool consumption.(technology trends)
November 1, 2005... After a minor dip in July, U.S. machine tool consumption for August increased according to the United States Machine Tool Consumption report from The American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and AMT--The Association For...

Software accelerates development.(technology trends)
November 1, 2005... GE Fanuc Automation Americas Inc., Charlottesville, Va., has released a new version of software that the company says streamlines and unifies its manufacturing controls. GE Fanuc says its Proficy Machine Edition Version 5.50 simplifies...

Grinder tool-measurement system.(technology trends)
November 1, 2005... CNC tool and cutter grinder machine manufacturer Anca has developed a compact tool-measurement system that the company says gives machine operators a detailed look at tools while they are clamped and ready to be re-formed and sharpened. ...