American Machinist articles from September 2005

American Machinist archives from September 2005

Agile scheduling and aggressive attitude keep camshaft shop grinding.(casebooks)
September 1, 2005... Comp Cams of Memphis, Tenn., manufactures automotive valve-train parts, specializing in camshafts. However, its customers are not the Big Three but Nascar teams and auto enthusiasts. Unlike automakers, these folks want camshafts tailored to fit...

Tooling tackles sprint-car part demos.(casebooks)
September 1, 2005... As part of his applications-engineering job at Shelton Machinery in Fishers, Ind., Andy Hurtubise runs part demonstrations on Mazak machine tools in the company's showroom. But instead of the typical demo parts that usually have no real purpose...

F1 benefits from FEA.(casebooks)
September 1, 2005... Minardi Formula 1 Race Team engineers wring the most performance out of their chassis designs, reduce design-to-fabrication cycle times, and save money by limiting the number of iterations associated with testing prototypes. The Feanza,...

Fluids fix power-window part problems.(casebooks)
September 1, 2005... With a lot of U.S. shops losing work to foreign competition, F&G Tool Die Co. in Dayton, Ohio, was pleasantly surprised when a customer wanted to bring a production job that was being done offshore back to the United States. The job involved...

CAD/CAM system proves perfect route to production.(casebooks)
September 1, 2005... Bombardier Aerospace Belfast in Northern Ireland needed to replace an aging CAM system that ran the company's CNC routing machines. The system's limitations had grown increasingly unacceptable, but costs quoted for enhancing it as required were...

Tire-mold shop rolls on CAD/CAM.(casebooks)
September 1, 2005... Quantum Engenharia e Montagens Industriais, a tire-mold manufacturer in southern Brazil, cuts its 3D-modelling time from three weeks to one and slashes machining times by almost half. While few Brazilian companies in the industry use CAD/CAM...

5S training package.(Company news)
September 1, 2005... A 5S (sort, straighten, sweep, standardize, and sustain) training-materials package from Enna, Oakville, Ontario, explains how to conduct in-house programs and provides the necessary resources for participants. Instruction in 5S may cover...

Precision-machining expo.(Company news)
September 1, 2005... Miyano Machinery USA Inc., will conduct the Miyano Turning Expo 2005 at its Wood Dale, Ill., facility Oct. 5 and 6. Open to the public, the expo includes demonstrations of the Miyano BX-26S gang tool lathe along with tooling and peripheral...

Multimachine thread-rolling head.(Cutting products)
September 1, 2005... A quick-change shank allows one Axial Thread Rolling Head from LMT-Fette, Cleveland, to move from a screw machine, to a CNC lathe, and to a CNC machining center without adapters. For work on a multitude of machines, the rolling head accomodates...

Grade for hard steels.(Cutting products)
September 1, 2005... With a PCBN substrate and TiAlN ceramic gold coating, the BNC300 grade from Sumitomo Electric, Mount Prospect, Ill., machines hardened steels involving interrupted cuts. A new brazing technology enhances the BNC300's cutting-edge strength, and...

Insert grades for short runs.(Cutting products)
September 1, 2005... Six grades from Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., are for contract manufacturers and job shops to perform turning, milling, and holemaking across a variety of workpiece materials. The company claims the Kenna Universal tooling improves cycle...

U.S. Cutting Tools Institute billings index.(cutting tools)
September 1, 2005... U.S. CUTTING TOOL INSTITUTE BILLINGS INDEX Index for May '04-April '05 May $135,776,786 127.8% June $150,760,547 141.2% July $136,045,837 126.8% August $151,299,780 142.9% September...

Cutter materials for milling.(Cutting products)
September 1, 2005... Tiger-tec cutting tool materials WKP25 and WKP35, for steel and cast iron, respectively, are available for all milling cutters from Walter USA, Waukesha, Wis. With two-color indicator coatings, the cutters reportedly increase productivity in...

Threadmilling cutters.(Cutting products)
September 1, 2005... Two multi-tooth shell-mill-style indexable-insert threadmills from Seco-Carboloy, Warren, Mich., reportedly have high rigidity for stability, especially in long-reach applications. They also have high cutting speeds and feeds and achieve...

Jaw holds multiple parts.(Workholding products)
September 1, 2005... The Hydra 5-stc vise jaw from Hydramax Technologies, Portland, holds up to 20 parts in a double vise and fits into a Chick vise without modification to the vise. The self-contained unit attaches in seconds to the sliding vise member using a...

Airlocks for dust collectors.(Accessories)
September 1, 2005... For operations producing large volumes of waste particles, such as aluminum cutting, rubber grinding, plastic machining, wood planing or shaping, and pencil manufacturing, Sternvent Co. Inc., Bogota, N.J., offers motorized rotor airlock...

Winning with hidden assets.(from the editor)
September 1, 2005... Auto racing is one of the greatest examples of joint efforts that squirrel away assets, including people, technologies, materials and products, and post wins when all of those hidden resources and the far-reaching members of the team perform at...

China: friend or foe?(government matters)
September 1, 2005... The U.S. Government has yet to decide whether it should treat China as a large potential market or as a possible threat. Actually, depending on the day of the week and the particular cabinet department involved, the U.S. Government treats China...

Winning with teamwork: one shop races to success with several NASCAR teams.(automotive Racing)
September 1, 2005... Teamwork is the competitive edge at Joe Gibbs Racing. In fact, teamwork dictated its facility's design and continually plays a key role in fan loyalty, corporate sponsor satisfaction, employee motivation, crew-conditioning programs, and the...

Machining a competitive edge: a race team's shop breaks from the pack by keeping work in-house.(automotive Racing)
September 1, 2005... By bringing work in-house, John Force Racing Inc. is no longer busting its hump to beat the competition. Besides keeping spindles busy, machining in-house lets the team build and retain its knowledge base and keep a tight lid on creative ideas....

Contractor liable for gross-negligence damage.(law & liability)
September 1, 2005... Daimler Chrysler Corp. v. Graves Sheet Metal Co., 827 N.E.2d 607 (Ind.App. 2005), Court of Appeals of Indiana, May 19, 2005. In March 1998, Chrysler Corp. hired Graves Sheet Metal Co. Inc. to upgrade the ventilation system in its Kokomo,...

Vericut software.(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 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...

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

Free air system training CD!(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... This Interactive Air System Maintenance CD details common maintenance functions for rotary screw compressors, refrigerated and desiccant dryers, filters, and drains. It is perfect for both end-users and service technicians. Available in English...

Expanding collets.(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 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 in. and up to 6-in. long. This catalog is available in a downloadable...

KAFO CNC VMC brochure.(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... This new brochure features FEMCO.KAFO's line of CNC vertical machining centers, including new models. These machines combine power, accuracy, reliability, and high speed with large capacity. (714) 898-2066, www.femcousa.com FEMCO.KAFO,...

Hossfeld bender.(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... Bend bar, angle iron, conduit, tubing, and pipe with versatile machine and tooling fixtures that ease bending to small radii. Covers hand operated and hydraulic power attachments. Hossfeld Mfg. Company www.aminfo.biz/90.ad ...

Free catalog.(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2005... The Reid Supply catalog contains over 1,000 new items. There are knobs, handles, handwheels, spring and ball plungers, clamps, leveling pads, abrasives, magnets, lubricants, and much more. Log onto our website to access over 20,000 CAD...

Small-lot turning and milling.(am lit review)(Advertisement)
September 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,...

Machines turbocharge fuel efficiency: five-axis machining supplies turbocharger impellers at a cost 90% less than typical.(machining centers)
September 1, 2005... If it weren't for Turbocam Automated Production Systems (Taps), most new cars and trucks wouldn't pass efficiency and emission standards. That's because the shop, in Barrington, N.H., is one of few that supplies the high-precision turbocharger...

Machine delivers uncompromised milling and turning.(machine of the month)
September 1, 2005... Unlike other mill/turn machines based on either a lathe or machining center, Mori Seiki's NT Series mill/turn combines both within one platform and, most importantly, does so without compromising the milling or turning processes. The company,...

Gear grinder uses two processes.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... The KX300P gear grinder from Kapp Technologies uses discontinuous form-grinding and continuous generating grinding processes with nondressable, electroplated CBN or dressable tools for roughing and finishing. It also has spindle-integrated...

Vertical hobbing machines.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Drake Manufacturing offers four Gear System: Hobber (GS: H) machines for vertical hobbing helical, spur, spline, and worm gears from 6 to 72 inches in diameter. Reportedly, setups are simple, changeovers quick and machining time increased...

Helix gear-hobbing and milling.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Model 200 hobbing machines from Koepfer America LLC feature eight axes with gantry loading systems for most gear-cutting applications including timing one gear to another on the same workpieces and timing gear teeth to external or internal...

Multitasking machine handles gear cutting.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... In addition to turning and grinding bores, diameters and end faces, Stratos turning/grinding centers from United Grinding Technologies Inc. do gear-cutting. Reportedly, the dual grinding and turning capabilities of these machines reduce...

Single or dual spindles for VMCs.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... The modular designs of the Series 12K VMCs from Chiron America Inc. allow configuring them as single or dual-spindle machining centers. The machines feature 4.5-ton cast-mineral machine beds that dampen vibration and provide thermal stability...

Multitasking machines.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Featuring simultaneous five-axis machining center and CNC turning center capabilities, Mazak Corp.'s Integrex e-1500V machines large workpieces thanks to a 50-hp, 12,000-rpm milling spindle that tilts 150 degree and 50-hp, 300-rpm rotating...

Twin-station vertical grinder.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... With two stations on its turret-type wheelhead, the Taiyo Koki IGV-3NT vertical grinder quickly switches between internal and external grinding with one chucking--useful in jobs that require roundness near one micron. Its...

Test interference between parts.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... A mid-year release of KeyCreator software from Kubotek USA Inc. includes a verification function that tests for interference conditions between selected solids. The function provides a visual walkthrough of each problem location. There are...

Boring units come with toolholders.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... HSK 63A toolholders are now part of Criterion Machine Works' CB1.5, CB2 and CB3 modular units. These shanks work with the company's Cri-Twin and Cri-Bore modular-boring systems as well as CB-Style boring heads. criterionmachineworks.com...

Compressors reduce noise.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Available in 15 and 20-hp models, redesigned SK series rotary-screw air compressors from Kaesar Compressors provide 40 to 78 scfm with 217 psig. The compressors' cabinet designs and component layouts force cooling air upwards for reduced noise...

HMC load/unload help.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... By automating redundant tasks such as machine loading/unloading, Flexible Pallet Automation (FMA) systems from Toyoda Machinery USA enhance production qualities of horizontal machining centers. These modular systems are expandable and...

Tooling insert options.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Toroid cutting tools from Dapra Corp. sport high-feed inserts with cutting geometries for feedrates up to 0.90 ipt and 600 ipm. These inserts are well-suited for pocketing, core/cavity roughing, face roughing and ramping/helical interpolation....

Chucks sport special magnetic layout.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Herman Schmidt Co.'s HSM magnetic workholding chucks for high-speed machining centers use special magnetic-circuit layouts. The rare-earth magnets used in the chucks reportedly provide holding forces 4x greater than fine-pole magnets and pack...

Lathe power chucks.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Rota NCK plus power chucks from Schunk Inc. for CNC lathes are compatible with a range of existing machining centers. The chucks feature large throughholes, improved lubrication systems, and high clamping repeatabilities. One-piece bodies...

Two-spindle lathe.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Miyano Machinery USA Inc.'s BX-26S gang tool lathe includes two spindles for machining up to 1-inch-diameter bars in one setup. Two gang slides and a 3D linear turret contribute to the lathe's precision and quick cycle times. The 3D linear...

Grinder-safety equipment.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Midaco Corp.'s Grinder Guard and pedestal dust collector minimize debris and liability associated with bench and pedestal grinders. Polycarbonate visors and full-width florescent lights improve visibility, while dust collectors and filters...

Two-turret lathe cuts machining time.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... To reduce machining time, Tong-Tai Seiki USA Inc.'s TVL-40-S4W four-axis vertical turning lathe (VTL) has one spindle and two turrets. This boxway VTL produces 14 to 26-inch-diameter aluminum wheels as well as other turned parts. The turrets...

Grinding measurement and control.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... VM20 systems from Balance Systems Corp. incorporate grinding-wheel balancing, touch sensing and gaging in one unit, and they configure for specific applications with the addition of function modules. VM20s come as shelf or rack mounts and...

Control handles multiple amplifiers.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... The Digital MMC from G&L Motion Control not only controls its resident servo amplifier, but up to 15 additional amplifiers. It comes in 1, 2, 4, and 16-axis versions that mount in 230 and 460-V MMC Smart Drive amplifiers. The Digital MMC...

Monitor metalworking jobs.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Marposs Corp.'s tool and process monitoring systems perform continuous monitoring of metalworking processes. Monitors check functions such as vibration, force, power, displacement, and temperature. us.marposs.com [ILLUSTRATION...

Thickness gages reach difficult areas.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Handheld Panametrics-NDT Models 35, 35HP, 35DL and 35DLHP ultrasonic precision thickness gages from Olympus-NDT accurately and repeatably measure part thicknesses, particularly where access to opposite surfaces is difficult. These gages also...

Pictures into 2D toolpaths.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... BobArt Pro-X art CAD/CAM from BobCAD-CAM lets users turn pictures or CAD drawings into 2D toolpath or embossed models for machining within its Version 20 2D and 3D CAD/CAM systems. The software also lets shops perform advanced raster to vector...

CAM software recognizes features.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Open Mind Technologies USA's hyperMill V9 multi-axis CAM software automatically recognizes and processes geometry information from part surface and solid models. This feature recognition takes place on the whole model. Added bidirectionality...

Vegetable-based cutting oil.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Vascomill 22 vegetable-based cutting oil from Blaser Swisslube Inc. is well-suited for Swiss-style automatic lathes and machining tough materials such as stainless steel, titanium, high-temperature alloys and beryllium copper. The fluid's flash...

Multifunction plate processor.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... The FPDB 2500/3 plate-processing center from Peddinghaus Corp. tackles flat bar and plate stock 0.250 to 3-inches thick, 96-inches wide and 29-feet long. The center incorporates punching, drilling, scribe marking and thermal cutting with plasma...

Premium thick-turret dies.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... Ultima premium tool-steel dies for Wilson Tool International's HP Thick Turret reportedly do well in applications where punches and dies usually wear out quickly. They are made of a special steel composition, that extends fabrication-tool life...

Cylindrical part marker.(SPOTLIGHT: GEAR CUTTING)
September 1, 2005... The Pro-Pen DP 3000 marking unit from Pro-Pen USA uses a motorized rotary-axis device to quickly and easily mark round or cylindrical parts around or along an axis. It clamps parts internally, from 0.9 to 3.9 inches, or externally, from 0.1 to...

Idea guards vises.(practical ideas)
September 1, 2005... Metal chips often lock up the screw and nut mechanisms on manual vises mounted to milling machines. When this happens, I must dismantle the assembly and clean it, wasting valuable machining time. To eliminate this hassle, I use a custom-made...

Jig keeps letters in line.(practical ideas)
September 1, 2005... Marking specifications and sizes on the end faces of long pipes with thin wall thicknesses is difficult and time consuming. Since I had a tough time centering the character punches on these thin walls, I manufactured a letter-punching jig that...

Dividing to conquer: a homegrown strategy splits a shop to develop a winning team.(automotive Racing)(Cover Story)
September 1, 2005... Greg Cox split his company in two to better serve its customers. One section of the Indianapolis-based Rayco Machine Co. Inc. concentrates on production work, while the other manufactures racing-car-components. With this special strategy, Rayco...

Don't fit business to software.(reader mail)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... I read your August editorial (How well do you fit into the extended enterprise?, p. 8). Never try to make the business fit the software. I believe one way is to find a person in an organization who can visualize out of the box. This person...

More about China auto production for U.S. market.(reader mail)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2005... After reading June's editorial (Let's keep U.S. assembly lines moving, p. 8), add my name to the list of those tired of the shortsightedness by large manufacturers, which continue to practice "penny wise and pound foolish." Moving production...

A tale of courage and narrow-mindedness.(100 years ago in AMERICAN MACHINIST)
September 1, 2005... On July 21, 1905, the U.S.S. Bennington's steam boilers exploded, marking the U.S. Navy's worst peacetime disaster until that time and bringing the Navy's personnel and social structure under scrutiny. The tale that unfolded is one of...

Equipping the Cold War.(50 years ago in AMERICAN MACHINIST)
September 1, 2005... In the September 12, 1955, issue, AM editors reported on the Defense Department's (DoD) approval of 11 Navy contracts, part of the government's effort to develop multiple armament sources. The contracts were the first with price differentials...

Safety equipment was not big business.(retrospective)
September 1, 2005... The editors advised readers not to expect "any startling safety innovations in the new crop of automobiles for 1956." All the devices, except safety door-latches, would be optional. It's not that safety wasn't a concern. It's just that it...

CAD/CAM software functions micro level.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... An upcoming version of Cimatron Ltd.'s CimatronE 7.0 software includes an application that the software developer claims makes it the first CAD/CAM software that performs NC functions at the micro level. Cimatron says the application...

Material extends wear-part lives.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... Cerbide Inc., Orchard Park, N.Y., reports that the combination of ceramics and cemented tungsten carbide of Cerbide, a long-wearing polycrystalline tungsten carbide material, handles high levels of abrasion and resists erosion better than...

Software quickly opens large CAD files.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... Faro Technologies Inc., Lake Mary, Fla., is offering CAD-based measurement software that quickly loads and opens large files. "Our research revealed there wasn't a single program that could handle the extremely large CAD files typical of...

ThyssenKrupp sells machine tool unit.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... A New York company that purchased the Cincinnati Lamb Group is buying the ThyssenKrupp MetalCutting Group. The purchase price offered by Maxcor Inc. was not released, and the sale is still subject to approval by ThyssenKrupp AG supervisory...

June machine tool consumption climbs.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... Machine tool consumption continues its upswing. The U.S. Machine Tool Consumption report by AMT--The Association For Manufacturing Technology and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Assoc. (AMTDA) shows June tool consumption 6.3 percent...

Timken chairman now U.S. ambassador to Germany.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... W.R. Timken Jr., chairman of the board of directors for The Timken Co., Canton, Ohio, is now the U.S. ambassador to Germany. With the appointment, the board chose his nephew, Ward J. "Tim" Timken Jr. to succeed him. The younger Timken is a vice...

Whirlpool to take over Maytag.(technology trends)
September 1, 2005... The winner in the Maytag Corp. buyout is rival appliance manufacturer Whirlpool Corp. Maytag agreed to the takeover in a cash and stock deal valued at $2.7 billion. Under the agreement, Whirlpool assumes $977 million in Maytag debt. Before...