Modern Applications News articles from February 2005

Modern Applications News archives from February 2005

A pachyderm in the parlor: there is a theory in formal problem and conflict resolution that is called the "elephant in the living room" challenge.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
February 1, 2005... The thinking is something like this--the real problem is the elephant in your living room, but no one will come out and say that, but everyone will talk about the crowding and smell, afraid to directly address the problem: The Elephant. We...

Air Products, Surface Combustion form joint marketing strategy.(Industry News)
February 1, 2005... Air Products announced recently it is entering into a marketing agreement with Surface Combustion, Inc. in which both companies will jointly market a newly-integrated portfolio to the metals processing industry. The agreement leverages...

Roger K. Taylor dies.(Industry News)(Obituary)
February 1, 2005... Roger K. Taylor, president and CEO of North American Tool Corporation (South Beloit, IL) died on Dec. 20, 2004 at his home. Roger and his father, the late K.Y. Taylor, founded North American Tool Corporation in April, 1986, which today...

T.M. Smith Tool to produce DeVlieg Bullard toolholders.(Industry News)
February 1, 2005... T.M. Smith Tool International (Mt. Clemens, MI) has announced it will begin new production of collets and toolhoder products formerly produced by the now-defunct DeVlieg Bullard, Tooling Systems Div. (TSD). Initially, the production will be...

New orders, production grow employment, inventories grow.(Industry News)
February 1, 2005... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in December for the 19th consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the 38th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On...

2004 machine tool consumption up 42.6%.(Industry News)
February 1, 2005... October U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $234.44 million, according to the most recent figures from AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This total, as...

Leading China machine tool manufacturer restructures.(Industry News)
February 1, 2005... The Chinese news agency Xinhua reports that Shenyang Machine Tools Co., Ltd., China's largest machine tools manufacturer, has restructed and expanded with the acquisition of another large machine tool company, Yunnan CY Group Co., Ltd. ...

Process furnace seminars planned.(Industry News)
February 1, 2005... Seco/Warwick (Meadville, PA) announces it will present three seminars in 2005 for heat processing equipment for general heat treatment of metals utilizing atmosphere and vacuum furnace equipment, primary aluminum heat treatment, melting and...

+P magnetic chucks key to fast, efficient machining: switching to magnetic chucks for workholding, a major mold builder was able to reduce a process time from two shifts to only four hours using a single CNC program for continuous machining.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Synventive Molding Solutions (Peabody, MA) is an industry leader in developing innovative solutions for injection molding applications that employ hot runner systems. Over the past five decades, Synventive and its predecessor companies...

New stationary clamping vise.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Schunk Inc. introduces the Kontec KSL stationary clamping vise with a rack and pinion design and movable jaw for quick adjustment and precise positioning. The vise offers numerous jaw configurations for increased clamping capabilities. Mounting...

Serrated/coated drive pins.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... The new Neidlein face driver drive pins from Logansport Matsumoto Corporation are micro-serrated and hard-coated, giving them a life expectancy of six to ten times longer than diamond coated pins according to the manufacturer. These new pins...

Quick-change floating tap/reamer holder.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... T.M. Smith Tool International Corporation offers its new FITH-II quick-change coolant-thru floating tap and reamer toolholder providing a true round float with no cornering effect. This new toolholder is for use on machines with synchronized...

Magnetic workholding.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Walker Magnetics Group/O.S. Walker introduces the Walker Turbo-Mill[TM] MMC magnetic milling chuck as an alternative workholding solution to traditional clamping methods. The new magnetic milling chucks provide powerful workpiece clamping for a...

Index Chuck for close tolerance machining.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Royal Machine & Tool Corporation offers the new 800 Series Index Chuck for machining close-tolerance, complex shaped parts such as valves, tees, and elbows. The new chuck is available in sizes 6-1/2"--48" diameter and offer a broad range of...

High density machinable jaw vises.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... The new HDL manual and hydraulic vises from Kurt Manufacturing Co. have a quick-change jaw feature and 4" hard jaw opening for both clamping stations. Designed to provide efficient workholding for fastest part-to-part machining time, the new...

Force-limiting step chuck for thin-wall-turning.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Hardinge, Inc. introduces its new force-limiting step chuck engineered with "force-control" to prevent crushing or distorting thin-walled parts during turning and grinding operations. The new chuck replaces standard power chucks when turning...

New product catalog.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Robohand, a De-Sta-Co Industries company, has released an updated version of its Worldwide Automaton Catalog. The new catalog contains the entire line of Robohand products, including a wide variety of grippers, slides, thrusters, actuators,...

Modular solution to improve face grooving operations.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Sandvik Coromant offers a new tooling solution for face grooving applications, which combines Corocut SL cutting blades and Coroturn SL adaptors to provide a flexible tooling system for parting and grooving operations. This new system allows...

Face gear rotary table.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Haas Automation, Inc. offers the new HRT320FB face gear rotary table to provide extreme rigidity and high brake torque for heavy off-center milling, drilling or tapping operations. This heavy-duty rotary table has a platter capacity (workpiece...

New series of chucks for high-speed operations.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Big Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. has introduced a newly designed series of chucks that offer unmatched balance and precision during high-speed drilling and milling operations up to 40,000 rpm. The Mega Chuck series comes standard with the...

Hydraulic fixtures for large/difficult parts.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Specially designed fixtures from Royal Machine & Tool Corp. have the capacity to handle large and extremely difficult parts. The custom fixtures are designed to hold multiple parts per side for first or secondary operations on horizontal...

Tough/lean power clamping solutions.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... De-Sta-Co Industries offers the Stronghold[TM] Select series, a complete workholding system of hydraulic and pneumatic products. The new products include hydraulic swing clamps, work supports, threaded body cylinders, square body cylinders,...

Toggle clamps with safety lock.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Carr Lane Mfg. Co. introduces its new toggle clamps with a built-in safety lock. These latch-action clamps have a lock that automatically engages when the clamp is closed, and remains locked until manually disengaged by pressing a lever before...

Getting and maintaining a grip with workholding collets; the collet is one of the most common elements of the metalworking craft; its basic simplicity of design is what makes it as reliable today as it was 100 years ago. However, a quick review of its operation and function can save time and money for machine operators and shop owners.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... In today's manufacturing environment, maintaining operations at optimum levels will require a significant degree of attention and effort, especially for the higher tech elements of the trade, such as machine controls, hard working mechanical...

Broaching holder for Swiss-type automatics.(WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2005... Slater Tools announces a new Swiss-type Rotary Broach toolholder. Designed for use on any type of CNC or manual turning, milling, drilling, or screw machine, the 12mm shank broaching tool relies on the design of Slater Tool's existing 8mm...

Breathing easy with five-axis CAD/CAM: to boost horsepower and set speed and horsepower shootout records, a motorcycle engine and aftermarket parts manufacturer gives engines the ability to breath deeply. This, however, requires unique manufacturing equipment and software.(CAD/CAM SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2005... R & R Cycle (Manchester, NH) produces aftermarket products for Harley Davidson-style V-Twin engines and for its own engines used in custom motorcycles. One problem they continually face is how to keep these components reliable and competitive...

+P on-line RFQs replace business lost overseas; small shops, it's no secret, are the backbone of U.S. manufacturing. When the economy stalls or recedes, it's often these shops, many family-owned and run, that take the hardest hit. Many are forced to sell, but those who remain to slug it out often rely on innovative means to attract new business.(CAD/CAM/SHOP CONTROL SOFTWARE)
February 1, 2005... Dennis McKaskle is owner of Toresco (Escondido, CA), a diversified job shop of 3,000 sq.-ft. and three employees--a shop that does CNC milling, lead screw tapping, metal stamping, wire EDM, grinding and tool building for production stamping....

Rebuild/retrofit increases I.D. grinder productivity; although built in the 1980s, an I.D. grinder and its controls were already behind the technology curve for competitive production. Taking the rebuild/retrofit option, the facility realized an 11% productivity increase.(CONTROLS)
February 1, 2005... Eaton Corporation's facility in Roxboro, NC is a major supplier of hydraulic lifters and associated components to the automotive market. A key machine tool in its operation is a Heald 1 VL, an I.D. grinder for the finish grinding operation on...

Keeping know-how in-house quadruples shop's sales: a tool and die shop decides to keep its products and abilities in-house, adds five people, and quadruples sales to approximately $16 million.(EDM)
February 1, 2005... Wiegel Tool Works, Inc. (Wood Dale, IL) has a 63-year history of tool and die innovation and, recently, remarkable growth thanks to the decision to become it's own customer and transforming itself into a precision stamping operation. ...

Automating fabricating adds business and employment: using automation to be the most competitive producer, a fabricator expands from a garage to global competitor.(FORMING/FABRICATING)
February 1, 2005... When Harry Monteith, Jr. created his job shop in Stratford, NJ, with his brother Mike and another partner in a three-car garage in 1967, their hard work sometimes made quite an impact on the neighborhood. "Our shop was located in a residential...

Deburring brushes for fineblanking.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... The Abtex Corporation offers fineblanking brushes for effective burr removal or edge radiusing. Disc brush diameters range from 2" - 48", with a 6" (150 mm) diameter brush designed for the Neiderberger and Vobhag deburring systems. Fineblanking...

New production cleaner line.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Milacron Marketing Company introduces the new Cimclean[R] line of production cleaners. Cimclean M Series is a line of liquid cleaning compounds and corrosion inhibitors designed for use in high-pressure production spray washers to remove...

Special saws/systems brochure.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... A new brochure from DoALL Company describes its specialty saws, material handing systems, and automated storage and retrieval systems. Specialty saws include plate saws for cutting bars and plates into strips of varying lengths, and diamond...

Automatic feed magnetic drill stand.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... A new automatic feed magnetic drill stand designed for use with annular hole cutters to cut faster and cleaner holes through engineering and structural steels is now available from Simonds International. Designed to accept any 3/4" shank cutter...

Heavy-duty detent pins.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Jergens, Inc. introduces the Kwik-Lok heavy-duty detent pins for applications not requiring a positive locking ball. These shoulder style alignment pins are designed with a heavy-duty spring and two spring-loaded stainless steel balls to...

Compact pump/separator unit.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... The Model #152 pump/separator from Keller Products is a compact unit designed for continuous operation at a single sump. This compact unit continuously pumps oily coolant from the sump, separates the chips and tramp oil, and...

Indexing grit-blast system.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Guyson Corporation introduces a new design in its series of automated blasting machine for work cell cleaning, finishing, and surface preparation. The Model RX-400 is a compact standard rotary indexing blast system that is 30" wide and 36"...

New artistic CAD/CAM software.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... CNC Software, Inc. has added artistic CAD/CAM software to its line of Mastercam products for artistic relief design and cutting. Mastercam Art CAD/CAM software allows the user to bring 2D sketches, clip art, photos, and CAD files to life by...

New rack dies.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)(Obituary)
February 1, 2005... OSG Tap & Die offers a complete line of quality rack dies manufactured to customer's exact specifications and applications. Designed for the automotive industry, these rack dies are ideal for rolled parts including driveshafts, CV joints, and...

New catalog.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... A new, full color, 60-page catalog for Vi-Cas Manufacturing features replacement vacuum cups to fit virtually any type of vacuum equipment including vacuum lifters and manipulators, pick-and-place systems, and label applicators. Many styles and...

Finishing attachment for lathes.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Superior Honing Equipment, Inc. introduces a unique lathe attachment engineered to perform extra fine finishing operations. The SuperFine attachment is designed to be quickly and easily installed on most lathes and will perform finishing...

Automatic recessing tools.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... The AR Series automatic recessing tools, from Cogsdill Tool Products, offer through-the-tool coolant for effective chip evacuation, better surface finishes, and cooler operation. The built-in overtravel ensures overstroke protection, allowing...

Electric walk-in oven.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... The No. 839 electrically heated, 850[degrees]F walk-in over from The Grieve Corporation that is used for heat treating and high-temperature paint baking. Workspace dimensions measure 72" W X 120" D X 72" H. The new walk-in oven is designed with...

New weld preparation/cleaning products.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... A new 128-page color catalog is available from Pferd Milwaukee Brush Company detailing its Advanced Brush line of power and maintenance brushes. For pipeliner and weld preparation applications, this buyers guide covers scratch brushes, stringer...

High-speed micro-tooling CNC machine.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Datron Dynamics, Inc. introduces a compact version of its high-end Raptor Class machining centers using the same technology in a compact footprint. The miniRaptor[TM] offers a smaller bed size which uses a solid slab of granite for the...

Automatic Surface measurement.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... The Adcole 100 Automatic Surface Finish Measuring Machine Brochure, from the Adcole Corporation, describes the gage which can measure every quadrant of a crankshaft/camshaft without operator intervention. Featuring three variable reluctance...

High-pressure parts washer with controlled cavitation.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Sugino Corporation offers the U-Jet III high-pressure water washing system with ultra cleaning capabilities. Parts to be cleaned are submerged in the washing solution while the four-axis PLC-controlled robot directs the nozzle jet precisely...

Mounted points for all surfaces.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... A complete line of non-woven cotton fiber mounted points for deburring and edge-breaking all types of part surfaces is available from Rex-Cut Products, Inc. The mounted points feature a laminated construction of non-woven cotton fiber and...

Stainless steel/double-helix end mills.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... Data Flute CNC introduces a series of end mills for ultra-aggressive metal removal rates on ferrous materials. The SSDH Series is an extension of the SS Series, and feature chip-release flute form technology and harmonics-eliminating...

Non-servo rotary indexer.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2005... The Mack Corporation offers a new rotary indexer for programmed angular rotation in 10[degrees] increments in either direction without a servo system. The rotary indexer serves as a bench top turntable or may be mounted directly to any...

Down the road; CAD/CAM systems have become an integral part of our manufacturing culture, and like most integral components of our industry, rapid evolution has become the hallmark.(CAD/CAM)
February 1, 2005... Software designers are continually creating new products and releasing upgraded iterations of existing products at a brisk pace. This ongoing, rapid product evolution, driven by customer demand and competitors' challenges is absolutely...