Modern Applications News articles from February 2007

Modern Applications News archives from February 2007

'Do you want fries with that?' Work in the service industry and become a servant. That's the result when we stop making stuff and start selling "vapor" to each other.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
February 1, 2007... The two words, "service economy," keep popping up when pundits talk about the transition in the U.S. business world. No longer is the U.S. troubled with that dirty, pesky business of making things to sell to ourselves or people outside our...

A rose by any other name.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... In this column [December 2006, "Totally Out of Character," Vol. 40, No. 12, p.46] John [Mullally] uses the German word "schadenfreude," except that he spelled it "scheudenfreude." Otherwise the article was wonderful. Al Ragl Florida...

Perhaps too easily shocked.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... I am shocked at your article titled, "A North Korea Collapse May Benefit U.S. Job Shops" [December 2006, Vol. 40, No. 12, p. 6]. I find the connection that you made to the U.S. job shops weak from a macroeconomic view point. The suggestion that...

Laurels for sterling.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... A pat on the back to Dave for his recent column [December 2006, "Sometimes You Have to Get Your Hands Dirty," Vol. 40, No. 12, p. 10]. I agree that anyone remotely connected to manufacturing should spend time "on the floor." That experience...

Fuming over the cover.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... I bet this is one of the first of an onslaught of e-mails. I always enjoy my copies of MAN. However, I am perplexed at this month's cover [December 2006, Vol. 40, No. 12] photo. The welder has his head in the fumes, with [obviously] not...

Laugh, and the world laughs with you ...(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
February 1, 2007... Edward Dean states in your article [December 2006, "Finding the Right Machine Tripled The Capacity For One-Man Shop," Vol. 40, No. 12, p. 36], "In a bigger company, time has no meaning." Huh? Will he feel that way when his company is...

Inner fenders for volume car models using fiber glass reinforced plastic.(40 Years Ago This Month)
February 1, 2007... Molded fiber glass inner front fenders to give automobile corrosion protection are being planned for volume car models by major car manufacturers. These matched metal die molded reinforced plastic inner fenders can, with existing equipment and...

Requirements rigid for new line of multiple use shipping containers.(40 Years Ago This Month)
February 1, 2007... High strength-to-weight ratio, best possible corrosion resistance, lowest possible cost: these were the requirements of Sea-Land Services, Inc., Elizabeth, N.J., when they submitted specifications to Fruehauf Trailer Div., Detroit, Mich., for a...

A peek behind the Great Wall: government reports and alarmist declarations give one view of China's role in the industrial world, but an eyewitness report can't be beat.(FROM THE SHOP FLOOR)
February 1, 2007... Everyone in business has heard stories about China: cheap labor working long hours, lung-burning pollution, and lousy quality at great prices. I had the opportunity to see for myself. Who Needs Whom? I visited a large foundry in...

Kennametal buys three cutting tool businesses.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... Kennametal Inc, Latrobe, PA, is acquiring three Ohio industrial tooling businesses from Federal Signal Corp for $67 million: Manchester Tool Co., Akron; ClappDiCO Corp., Whitehouse; and On Time Machine Inc., Wapakoneta. Federal Signal makes...

2006 is Haas' best year ever.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... Haas Automation, Inc., Oxnard, CA, reports 2006 was the most productive year in the company's history, with CNC machine tool production of more than 12,500 units--up almost 25 percent over 2005--and a nearly 30-percent increase in revenues to...

2006 profit sharing at Hypertherm sets company record.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... A record annual sharing of profits to company associates was distributed by Hypertherm, Inc., Hanover, NH. A total of $11.8 million was given to 741 eligible associates in 2006, an amount equivalent to 35 percent of each associate's base...

Welding technology connects human tissue.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... Would that it were as easy to close a wound as it is to weld two sheets of metal. That goal may be on the horizon. CSMG Technologies Inc. reports Dr. Rustem A. Abizov at the Kiev Regional Clinical Hospital, Kiev, Ukraine, used electro...

SME buys Canadian trade shows.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... The Society of Manufacturing Engineers--SME--Dearborn, MI, purchased seven Reed Exhibition Canada trade shows. The shows include the Canadian Manufacturing Technology Show, Advanced Manufacturing Expo, Montreal Manufacturing Technology show,...

R & D initiative targets fibers used in lasers.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... Stocker Yale Inc., Salem, N.H., is increasing investment in personnel and equipment for developing fibers for lasers and amplifiers. Specialty Optical Fiber Program Director Dr. Ivan Maksymyk said new research and product development will focus...

Online Parts store open.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... GE Fanuc Automation, Charlottesville, VA, has a new CNC Online Parts store at www.gefanuc/cnstore. In addition to standard shopping cart technology, the store features a CNC Parts Drill Down Tool that helps visitors locate replacement parts...

U.S. Air Force orders more aircraft parts.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... CPI Aerostructures Inc., Edgewood, NY, has received a $983,000 order from the U.S. Air Force for various wing spoilers and panels for C-5A Galaxy cargo jets. The order is part of a 2004 contract CPI has with the Air Force for C-5A...

Manufacturing technology consumption continues upward trend.(Industry News)
February 1, 2007... November U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $335 million, according to AMTDA--American Machine Tool Distributors' Association--and the Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating...

A San Diego medical firm prototypes with a 'personal' CNC machine: just as the PC brought affordable computing to the individual level, a medical development company takes advantage of the "small" CNC machine on the market.(MEDICAL MANUFACTURING)
February 1, 2007... Technological factors often converge that make advances inevitable. In the 1930s, six teams--each operating without the knowledge of the others--were developing concepts of the gas turbine engine: three in Germany, two in England and one in...

Get the most from CNC automation investments: eight steps that take full advantage of automation capabilities in most shops.(SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS)
February 1, 2007... To remain competitive in a global economy, U.S. companies are faced with producing parts faster, with tighter tolerances, and lower costs. These competitive pressures also face job shops and contract manufacturers. Market demands are forcing...

Office furniture manufacturer seeks excellence, not compliance: environmental responsibility isn't always costly. A Michigan firm found a way to go green that contributed more green to its bottom line.(COATINGS/FINISHING/DEBURRING)
February 1, 2007... Call it The Law of Conservation of Filth: You can't make something clean without making something else dirty. In the case of izzydesign, Spring Lake, MI, an office work-surface and furniture maker, getting components cleaned and prepared for...

Stand and deliver--profits: breaking bottlenecks is what it's all about for this fabricating shop. Proper throughput keeps the work and dollars flowing.(WELDING/FORMING/FABRICATION)
February 1, 2007... Superior Fabrication, Kincheloe, MI, bought into the Theory of Constraints--TOC--in 2001. The premise of TOC is that revenue is constrained by one or more bottlenecks. By increasing the outturn at the bottleneck, system throughput increases and...

Robot adds horsepower to motorcycle aftermarket shop: Milwaukee Iron met success on the Discovery Channel, but its real achievement was the discovery of increased productivity with a robotic cutter and welder.(EDM/PLASMA/WATERJET)(Cover story)
February 1, 2007... When 17-year-old Randy Simpson first tinkered with an old Harley-Davidson Panhead in the Virginia backcountry town of Lynchburg, he never imagined the hobby would elevate him to celebrity status with his own television series 30 years later....

There's no neutrality about Swiss turning: existing equipment created bottlenecks, not finished products, for a job shop with a staff of eight. The solution was better Swiss turning equipment.(SWISS TURNING)
February 1, 2007... Just because Cole Machine ran Swiss turning equipment 21 hours a day meant it was happy with its situation. It needed to increase efficiency rather than turning-hours to stay competitive. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1991, Harry Cole,...

In-process probe for multi-axis machines.(WESTEC 2007 EXPOSITION CONFERENCE Sneak Peek)
February 1, 2007... The OMP60 machine tool probe incorporates a 360[degrees] infrared optical transmission system with six-meter range for use on multi-axis machining centers and mill-turn machines. It is useful in single touch or double touch probing routines and...

Programming photo-realistic 3D machine models.(WESTEC 2007 EXPOSITION CONFERENCE Sneak Peek)
February 1, 2007... Version 8 of Part Maker[R] CAD/CAM software now includes improved functionality such as a Full Machine Simulation module for viewing photo-realistic 3D machine models for programming. There is also improved error checking and collision...

Wedge-activated clamp.(WESTEC 2007 EXPOSITION CONFERENCE Sneak Peek)
February 1, 2007... Low profile and wedge activated, the OK-Vise clamp comes in many sizes. The clamp expands and pulls parts down as a screw is tightened. Its moving surfaces are precision-ground for accuracy and easy adjustment. Heat-treated jaws are serrated...

Lathe also tackles drilling and milling.(WESTEC 2007 EXPOSITION CONFERENCE Sneak Peek)
February 1, 2007... Twin spindles, gantry robot, and slant bed are part of the TNW-3500R automated lathe for turning, drilling, and milling with one machine. The machine's A2-6 spindle has a 15/20 hp motor that delivers 4,200 rpm and a live tool turret does...

Mill offers high-speed complex 3D machining.(WESTEC 2007 EXPOSITION CONFERENCE Sneak Peek)
February 1, 2007... The Johnford Hi-Net DMC-1500HN bridge mill for aerospace and mold and die shops does high-speed, net shape machining of complex 3D parts. Its Meehanite castings provide strength and vibration dampening for good surface finishes and extend...

EDM increases accuracy.(WESTEC 2007 EXPOSITION CONFERENCE Sneak Peek)
February 1, 2007... According to the manufacturer, the Roboform 350 Micro REC die-sinking EDM improves precision, productivity, and speed. It features discharge circuitry and double thermostabilization for improved accuracy and reduced electrode undersizes....

Changing specs means a change in workholding: a switch from aluminum to brass milling demanded more stability and less chatter from the workholding fixture.(SPOTLIGHT: WORKHOLDING/TOOLHOLDING)
February 1, 2007... Holding 0.001" tolerances while machining and removing large amounts of material from brass parts is a challenging task when a job is run at 10,000 rpm and surface speeds of 240 ipm. If the workholding isn't rigid enough, part quality...

Coolant-through toolholder controls flow.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2007... The Jet-Stream[TM] high-pressure air or liquid coolant-through toolholder and boring bar system features clamping that not only holds but, controls air velocity or coolant flow in the system. The manufacturer reports the Dor-Lock clamping...

Connectors ease tool changes.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2007... Capto connections for the Seco Turbo line of square shoulder, end-mill cutters are meant to simplify tool changes between machining cycles. They also ensure tool position and rigidity for low runout, high-part-tolerance, and square-shoulder...

Lathe chuck compensates for centrifugal force.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS)
February 1, 2007... The latest Rota NCFplus lathe chuck has integrated centrifugal force compensation for high-speed machining. Multiple tooth guides have also been added to base jaws for optimum grinding conditions. The bores of the Rota NCFplus chucks are larger...

Five-axis machining center works light metal parts.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2007... The AL 204 multi-spindle five-axis machining center produces complex light metal parts such as brake calipers, main brake cylinders, and valve housings. It features four individually-driven box spindles for HSK 63 tooling with separate...

Multi-axis turning center suitable for medical parts.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2007... With a 60-tool magazine and trunnion swivel assembly, the MC 726 MT five-axis milling and turning center produces complex surgical tools, orthopedic implants, and other medical parts. Its vertical spindle delivers up to 12,000 rpm and...

Lathes tackle heavy-duty cuts.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2007... The spindles of the Series FCH-NC CNC lathes deliver 6 to 2,000 rpm for heavy-duty cutting. Turning diameters are 23.6" and center distances are 118.1" to 157.5". The lathes come with Fanuc 0i-T controls and tailstocks that operate manually or...

Low energy consumer.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
February 1, 2007... The Mitsubishi ED-2000NC small-hole EDM drill has low energy consumption and combines high speed with low wear. The power supply generates no bullet nosing on the electrode for clean holes and quick breakthroughs. Its five-axis design makes the...

Why buy an OMAX[R]?(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... Only OMAX offers the fastest cutting speeds and dynamic positioning accuracy to within +/-0.001". The user-friendly system machines virtually any material to a smooth finish with little or no setup necessary. With free software upgrades for the...

Automatic tube Cutoff Lathes and feeders.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... Our new color 10 page catalog describes the advanced engineering and performance of Modern Machine Tool's newest Servo-Slide and Conventional Cutoff Lathes; capable of quickly and accurately cutting-to-length and machining cylindrical tube,...

Diamond-tipped marking indenters.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... DiaMark[TM] 2D pin and dot peen marking indenters deliver 100 times the life of a typical carbide stylus. These diamond-tipped tools provide up to 8,000 high-contrast marks before replacement, compared to 50-75 marks for typical carbide...

Free 34-page marking equipment catalog.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... 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....

Affordable cutting tables.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... WaterjetPRO[TM] cutting tables are affordable, fast, accurate and start at $60,000. Jogging pendant, programmable Z, and accurate ball screw drives are included. You can run your favorite CAD/CAM software. Because they are Powered by Flow[TM],...

Darex drill sharpeners.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... Darex has been making industrial drill sharpeners for use in shops of all sizes for 30 years. For shops that demand precision and productivity, the Darex V-390 can sharpen bits from 1/8" to 3/4" easily. Darex; OR; 800-547-0222; www.darex.com...

Blowoff Guide helps cut noise and air use.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... The Air Nozzles and Jets Blowoff Guide is a free 16-page technical booklet that offers solutions to reducing compressed air cost and noise. It shows OSHA requirements for allowable noise exposure for compressed air. Comparison information is...

Global manufacturing marketplace.(Literature Marketplace)
February 1, 2007... MFG.com provides suppliers with direct access to Buyers worldwide that have an immediate need for custom manufacturing services. The site allows Suppliers to specify what types of jobs they are interested in and from there MFG.com helps match...

MFG.com.(Web Site Showcase)
February 1, 2007... MFG.com provides suppliers with direct access to Buyers worldwide that have an immediate need for custom manufacturing services. The site allows Suppliers to specify what types of jobs they are interested in and from there MFG.com helps match...

Darex drill sharpeners.(Web Site Showcase)
February 1, 2007... The Darex website, www.darex.com, includes a comprehensive "sharpener selector" that quickly and automatically recommends which of their best selling drill or end mill sharpeners is best for your shop based on your personal preferences. The...

You and the yuan: China poses a threat to onshore shop work, but the real enemy may be the guy striking out on his own with little business acumen.(THE LAST WORD)
February 1, 2007... I was speaking with a shop owner recently who complained about the reduced prices his customers were demanding so he could keep their business. He said he saw erosion in prices he could charge, yet his expenses were rising. Ironically, it...