Modern Applications News articles from April 2004

Modern Applications News archives from April 2004

Step back.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
April 1, 2004... A lot of productivity and quality improvement programs stress the need to tightly focus on specific elements of the process, pay attention to the details, and remind us that. "It's the little things that count." As an industry,...

Machine tool consumption increases in December.(Industry News)
April 1, 2004... December U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $220.88 million, according to AMT--The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This total, as reported by companies participating in...

New orders, production, employment grow inventories decline.(Industry News)
April 1, 2004... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in February for the ninth consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the 28th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On...

Quality welds let thrill seekers go over the edge: as you're hurtling headlong at 30 MPH over the edge of a hotel's observation deck some 870' in the air, you may question your sanity. However, it's definitely not the time to start questioning the quality of the amusement ride's welds.(SPOTLIGHT: WELDING/BRAZING/SOLDERING)
April 1, 2004... After all, the ride is designed to send you over the edge and bring you back again... and live to tell about the heart-pounding adrenalin rush. The fabricator responsible for bringing the thrill seekers back alive is The Metal Shop...

Auto-darkening welding lenses.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2004... Hornell, Inc. has announced its newest auto-darkening welding lenses, the Speedglas[R] 9002. These new lenses provide an enhanced level of versatility to the welder by offering 61 user select able combinations of shade/delay/sensitivity. Three...

Welding wire clean/copper free.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2004... A full-line of superclean welding wire is being introduced by NovaTech, Inc. This welding wire is available in more than 85 filler materials, chemically certified and copper-free to match virtually any tool, die or mold repair requirement. The...

ARC welding stations.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2004... The AWS-150 and Pulsarc, from Weldlogic, Inc., are welding stations that integrate welding elements to provide a precision arc welding system. These systems can increase quality and output, while reducing scrap and rework. Stations may have...

New Robotic MIG Gun.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2004... The American Torch Tip Company has introduced its Lightning Robotic MIG Gun. This new welder is designed to withstand harsh work environments and has a unique quick-change taper lock seating gooseneck that allows the neck to be removed and...

Vortex shedding meter for resistance welding.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
April 1, 2004... Universal Flow Monitors, Inc., announces CoolPoint[TM], a vortex shedding meter for transmitting and monitoring cooling water flows in resistance welding. The CoolPoint meter helps assure efficient cooling of weld electrode tips, cables, and...

Fluids impact low-volume, precision, JIT machining: ultrasonic welding is one of the preferred means of plastics assembly, and the tooling for such welding is very precise, expensive, low-volume, and intensely just-in-time. The last thing you need in machining these parts is a fluid fouling things up.(COOLANTS/LUBRICANTS/FILTERS)
April 1, 2004... Carl Ollerer, operations manager, Dukane Corp.'s Ultrasonic and Plastic Welding Systems Div. (St. Charles, IL), explains that there are essentially two ways to permanently assemble plastic parts--welding or gluing. "When customers weld plastic...

Mold shop equips and dresses for success: the domestic die/mold industry is today going through considerable change. Here's how one shop combines skill and technology to be more than just competitive, but to excel and grow.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
April 1, 2004... Laitram Machine Shop, Inc. (New Orleans, LA) produces a wide array of parts ranging from one-off engineering prototypes to parts in lot sizes in the thousands for such diverse applications as automated seafood processing equipment and digital...

One-stop power brush solutions.(Grinding Products)
April 1, 2004... Anderson Products offers a complete line of power brushes for all applications including, cleaning, deburring, surface finishing, roughening, and edge blending. The power brush line, including wheel, cup, end, tube, and strip brushes, is...

Fully upgradeable automatic grinder.(Grinding Products)
April 1, 2004... Chevalier Machinery, Inc. introduces its new ADS grinder, which eliminates the need to buy multiple grinders for specialized grinding applications. Upgrade kits are offered that include operator control panel, software, servo motors, and...

Slicer wheels increase cutting speed/minimize burrs.(Grinding Products)
April 1, 2004... Metabo Corporation offers new aluminum oxide Type 1 Original Slicer wheels that provide increased cutting speed and minimal burr when cutting light gauge metals. These slicer wheels are designed for the speed and load associated with general...

Abrasive grinding wheels outlast flap discs.(Grinding Products)
April 1, 2004... Rex-Cut Products, Inc. introduces a new addition to its line of abrasive grinding wheels, Rex-Cut[R] Sigma Green 60-grit grinding wheels. Slightly thinner and more flexible, the grinding wheels provide better operator control, and are suitable...

Titan tackles tough tool storage problem: many companies talk about being "cutting edge," but when Titan USA says it, they mean it--literally.(CUTTING TOOLS)
April 1, 2004... The wholesale company has been providing its industrial-distributor customers with premium quality, American-made cutting tools for over 30 years. With a combination of customer service and aggressive pricing, Titan has carved out a very strong...

Stretch wrap pack-to-ship secures pallet loads, savings: shipping a diverse line of fabricated products presented secure packaging and cost challenges to an Ohio shop.(FABRICATING/ASSEMBLY)
April 1, 2004... Today, diversification is often the key to success. Product diversification for Staber Industries (Groveport, OH) posed some challenges when it came to packaging irregularly shaped metal fabrications and powder-coated parts. [ILLUSTRATION...

Thermal diffusion process boosts die life by 10X: increasing die life from 10,000 hits to 100,000 using a thermal diffusion coating process has helped a Michigan stamping plant dramatically boost stamped part productivity and up time.(COATINGS / FINISHING / CLEANING)
April 1, 2004... Fisher Corp. (Troy, MI) builds metal components for seats such as recliner mechanisms for the automotive industry that are assembled by a sister company, Fisher Dynamics (St. Clair Shores, MI). [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The company has...

Single flute routers for plastic.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... Micro 100, Inc. has introduced a series of high-speed, solid carbide routers for machining plastic and composite materials. These single flute routers feature optimized rake and clearance angles to produce the highest material removal rates...

Roll marking in compact footprint.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... The new Series 12 Roll Marking System from Schmidt Marking Systems, Inc., combines 3 tons of marking pressure into a compact 30" x 24" floor mounted unit. The benefit of roll marking is the characters are applied one at a time to reduce marking...

Expanded press brake line.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... The Foremost Machinery Corporation announces the addition of an 8' 24-ton press brake model to its Foremost Bantam line. The new air-operated brakes are used for a wide range of prototype and production operations. Features include adjustable...

New turning system features fewer grades/chip breakers.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... Valenite Inc. has introduced its new ValTURN line of only 7 grades and 14 top geometry forms for turning cast iron, steels, aluminum, and high-temperature alloys. The top form geometries include PM3, PM4, PM5 ISO styles, and F2, F5, M2, M3, M5,...

New online resource tool.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... United Grinding Technologies, Inc. announces the launch of a new web-based "grinding portal", www.grinding.com, to support manufacturers using grinding. The new site will contain UGT's product line information and specifications, plus detailed...

Newly redesigned web site.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... GSI Lumonics Inc. announces its redesigned web site www.gsilumonics.com, featuring components, lasers, and laser-based manufacturing systems, with improved access to information and easier navigation. The investor relations section has been...

Filament brushes offer application solutions.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
April 1, 2004... Nylox[R] brushes, from Weiler Corporation, are multi-directional tools that can solve various deburring, edge radiusing, and surface finishing applications. These brushes contain nylon filaments impregnated with silicon abrasive grains that act...

Improve your productivity.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... "Precision Cutting Tools" tells only part of the story. Short on words but long on photos, this brochure highlights innovative designs used to help customers improve productivity and competitive position. Tools included are custom-designed gang...

Powder Coating--The Complete Finisher's Handbook.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... This comprehensive guide to the powder coating process provides all the information you need to compare, plan, purchase, install, troubleshoot, and improve a powder coating system. The 21 detailed chapters and 424 pages include over 200...

Operate 3-phase equipment from 1-phase power.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... ROTO-CON[R] rotary phase converters allow metalworking equipment that requires three-phase electric power to operate from single-phrase power sources. Ideal for applications such as drills, lathes, mills, presses, and saws. Can also operate...

Free 34-page marking equipment catalog.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Numberall Stamp & Tool., Inc., has a free 34-page catalog outlining all types of metal marking equipment. Included with every catalog is a FREE Length Of Impression Ruler, a versatile aid in determining character size and number of characters....

GibbsCAM[R] interactive tour.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... This multimedia CD-ROM introduces the GibbsCAM product line and shows why GibbsCAM is your best choice for CAM software. Actual customers tell how GibbsCAM addressed their manufacturing problems and improved their company's productivity and...

Extend cutting fluid life.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... HaloFresh[TM] Coolant Xtender destroys odors, extending the life of cutting fluids. The drastic reduction in fluid turnover translates to significantly lower coolant purchase costs and disposal fees, reduced machine downtime, and decreased...

Compact marking system.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... The Schmidt Stinger[TM] is an ergonomically designed, compact system ideal for marking large, heavy or hard to reach parts throughout the plant. A mini-control box is mounted on a two-wheel hand truck, which includes a shelf for the marking...

New features on CAD/CAM systems.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Surfcam[R] 2003, from Surfware, Inc., is designed to increases the success of manufacturing operations. Some of the new features are full associativity and advanced finishing methods, including flat surface finishing. This method automatically...

Two lines of borescopes/accessories.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Gradient Lens Corporation offers two lines of borescopes and accessories, Hawkeye[R] and Hawkeye Blue. Using the patented endoGRINS[R] optical design, the traditional Hawkeye borescopes are often half the cost of comparable instruments without...

Toolholders & machine tool accessories.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Lyndex-Nikken, Inc. introduces extreme quality and advanced technology in a complete product line of superior tooling and machine tool accessories. Lyndex-Nikken's product line features standard toolholding solutions designed to meet the...

New pulsed laser product brochure.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... GSI Lumonics has released a new brochure covering its JK700TR Series of pulsed laser products. Information included describes the product line's TR (twin-rod) technology, which improves beam quality, average power, and peak powers, as well as...

Precision optical instruments and micro-finishing products.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Titan Tool Supply's complete 116-page catalog of optical metrology and viewing instruments, general inspection tools, micro-finishing equipment, and video viewing systems is now online. Also included is information on a variety of miniature,...

Dimensional measuring instruments brochure.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... This brochure details digital indicators; linear gage sensors with ranges of 1"-4" and accuracies up to 0.00002". These gages measure dimensions, thickness, curvature, eccentricity, displacement, height, depth, flatness, variation, run-out,...

Fast hole EDM systems.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Beaumont Machine provides fast hole EDM systems to a customer base that EDM's 0.018" diameter and larger holes in aircraft engine and land based power generation parts. The open architecture and unique motion allows handling of large and heavy...

Robotic Rotary Joint.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... ATI Industrial Automation has just released a new device that allows unlimited rotation of end-of-arm tooling without tangling or twisting robot lines. By utilizing advanced slip-ring technology the Rotary Joint passes electrical and pneumatic...

New catalog for high performance tap line.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... A new 48-page catalog is now available from Guhring Inc., which simplifies the process of finding and applying the optimum high performance tap to perform threading operations in a complete range of workpiece materials. The Guhring line of taps...

OSG High Technology Cutting Tool Systems Catalog.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... The 288-page OSG High Technology Cutting Tool Systems Catalog contains work material specific end mills, taps, thread mills, drills, and face mills for high-speed and high-efficiency machining. The cutting tools featured in this catalog are...

Free demo CD.(Free Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
April 1, 2004... Faro's free demo CD lets you perform a virtual measurement with each of its portable CMMs: the Faro Gage, Faro Laser Tracker, and all the FaroArms--including the new Laser ScanArm! The CD includes complete descriptions, specifications, CAM2...

CAD, CAM, or CAD/CAM? Is it for your shop? Focusing on only the machine-side of our industry, we get only a segment of a bigger picture. To enhance productivity we need to investigate all machining-related processes.(CAD/CAM COLUMN)
April 1, 2004... One of these processes, part programming, can be especially time-intensive when it's done manually on the shop floor. Off-line part programming and particularly CAD/CAM programming is worth considering because of its ever-increasing role in the...