Modern Applications News articles from January 2007

Modern Applications News archives from January 2007

You pay it now or you pay it later: eighty percent of health-care costs happen in the last 20 percent of a lifetime. As baby boomers age into that 20-percent realm, everyone gets more concerned about health care costs.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
January 1, 2007... Back before the discovery that bread mold would cure everything from pneumonia to Vagrant's Itch, the best that medicine could do was either cut you open and remove an offending gland or keep you warm until you died. Or both! [ILLUSTRATION...

Off base on energy plan.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I think John Mullally is off base in his November column [Vol. 40, No. 11, "Conservationists? More Like Addiction Enablers," p. 46]. I disagree that we have no choice but drill more domestic oil wells and build nuclear plants. We need to...

Can drill without ruining nature.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I am a full-fledged conservationist. I love the outdoors and want to protect it for future generations. But, I believe, using today's technology and past experiences, we can tap oil reserves in the extreme Northwest and the Gulf of Mexico...

Domestic oil exploration does not solve energy problem.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... John Mullally's November column is depressing in its simplistic "feed the beast" mentality. No amount of domestic oil exploration will solve the energy problem. Neither does glossing over nuclear power issues by calling them hogwash and...

Editorial mirrors experiences.(Letters to the Editor)(Editorial)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I just read your Editor's Corner in the November issue of MAN [Vol. 40, No. 11, Continuous Improvement = Continuous Chaos?, p. 6], and have to say that you hit the nail directly on the head. I see what you describe daily. I am a mining and...

Change necessary to move forward.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Thank you for your November editorial. For a while, I thought I was alone. Change is necessary to move forward. Something as random as a UPS delivery could create delays. Chris Durborow, Director of Operations New Harrisburg Truck Body...

Tool-productivity relationship not understood by most.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... The November column written by Dave Sterling [Vol. 40, No. 11, "At IMTS, The Fun May Be Upstairs, But The Money Is Made In The Basement" p. 14], reflects one of the main problems in American manufacturing today--most companies don't understand...

Where's the IMTS review?(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... Sorry, but your IMTS review in the November issue [Vol. 40, No. 11, "MAN Editors Survive IMTS," p. 16], was a letdown. I thought after 64 miles of walking, you'd have more to report on than ice, coffee, food, and carpet. The article had as...

School offers career opportunities in precision machining.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... I read your October editorial [Vol. 40, No. 10, "Why Johnnie Can't Think," p. 6], and agree with you about what has happened to education in our country. I wish you could see what our Precision Manufacturing Department does for its students....

Where are the job shop hot spots?(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
January 1, 2007... In response to John Mullally's October column [Vol. 40, No. 10, "'Get On the Bus, Gus; Make a New Plan, Stan,'" p. 52], I live in New Jersey and have watched manufacturing decline at a rapid pace. It could be because of the high cost of...

Modern Applications News celebrates 40th anniversary.(FORTY YEARS AGO IN MAN)
January 1, 2007... In January 1967, the first issue of Modern Applications News appeared. It was a tabloid-sized bi-monthly magazine published by the American Society of Metals. Things have changed significantly since that time. In January1967 * the...

Unscrewing the inscrutable: David Sterling spent two weeks traveling in Asia. With so much information, this month's column will be devoted to his travels in South Korea and Taiwan, and next month to China.(FROM THE SHOP FLOOR)(Column)
January 1, 2007... There are a lot of things about Asia that mystify Americans. Most of them have to do with food. There are some sea creatures eaten in Asia that most Americans would rather just leave at the bottom of the ocean. An extra level of horror is...

Machining Industry still below August 2005 high.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... As the Charmilles Machining Business Activity Index numbers for September increased, the accompanying Charmilles/US Bancorp Equipment Finance's--USBEF--Machining Industry Financial Strength Index decreased slightly. The Charmilles/USBEF...

Mitsubishi Laser picks Ncell software controls.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Mitsubishi Laser, Wood Dale, IL, is partnering with Ncell Automation to use Ncell's software in Mitsubishi's Flexible Manufacturing Systems. This includes iRemote, a management interface that remotely controls laser cells from desktop...

Survey says small manufacturers expect sales growth, but health care and legal fees are drag to economic health.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... A National Association of Manufacturers' 2006 Small Manufacturers Operating Survey showed respondents anticipate solid growth in the months ahead from strong sales and increases in exports and capital investment. Hopes were tempered by rising...

Lyndex-Nikken vice chairman and former president dies.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Gen Irie, vice chairman of Lyndex-Nikken Inc., died Dec. 4 of an apparent heart attack near his Schaumburg, IL, home. He was 59. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Irie only recently became the company's vice chairman. He had been Lyndex-Nikken's...

Schunk chosen as Okuma America supplier.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Schunk Inc., Morrisville, NC, was chosen by Okuma America Corp., Charlotte NC, to supply the firm with lathe chucks for large bore machines used in the oil and energy industries.

Retired Trumpf worker who swayed the manufacturer to settle in Essex, CT, dies at 78.(Industry News)(Obituary)
January 1, 2007... Phillip Haynes, 78, the man who helped to locate Trumpf's U.S. offices in Connecticut, died Nov. 23 in Essex, CT. In the 1960s, Haynes invited old friend, Berthold Leibinger, to visit him for the weekend at his home in Connecticut....

Bankrupt Michigan auto parts maker finds an "angel".(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Innovative Group Global Inc., a Michigan-based supplier of screw machine parts and fabricated steel tubing to the automotive industry, received $8 million in financing to help it out of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Platinum Funding Group, New...

New De-Sta-Co business plan consolidates lines.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... De-Sta-Co, Madison Heights, MI, consolidated workholding lines into one group as part of a new business plan. This makes them available to all customers and anywhere in the world. Previously, De-Sta-Co had segmented product lines...

Machining tech lab established.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Mori Seiki, Rolling Meadows, IL, established the Machining Technology Laboratory--MTL--to develop products beyond machine tool design, such as cutting tools and workholders. "Traditionally the role of machine tool builders has been limited...

Kuka Robotics makes inroads in Georgia.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Industrial robot producer Kuka Robotics Corp., Clinton Township, MI, is supplying products to two companies. The first one, a KR 16 robot, will be used by SHL Automation Inc., Tucker, GA, for its new grinding and scotching system. This...

Hirschmann relocates HQ from Buffalo Grove to Elgin.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... EDM and machining support manufacturer Hirschmann Engineering USA Inc. has opened its new 10,000 ft[.sup.2] facility in Elgin, IL. In addition to being the sales, distribution, and warehouse headquarters for Hirschmann products, the Elgin...

Si, Precision Metalforming Association Habla espanol.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... The Precision Metalforming Association, Cleveland, started an on-line Spanish technical form, mexico.pma.org/forum/phpbb2/index.php, for Spanish-speaking companies involved with metal stamping, tool and die, sheet metal fabricating, and...

EDM, HSM machine sales and services merge.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Agie Charmilles Corp., Lincolnshire, IL, merged the sales and service departments of Agie, Charmilles, and Mikron of North America. Wire EDM, CNC, diesinking, and manual EDM machines are produced by Agie and Charmilles. Mikron makes...

Manufacturing czar departs.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... The Bush Administration's manufacturing "czar" is leaving his job at the end of the month. Jan. 31 is the last day for Al Frink, the first assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing and services. No one has been selected to fill the...

Associations report manufacturing tech consumption down from September.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... October U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $368.62 million, according to the Association For Manufacturing Technology--AMT--and the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This total, as reported by companies...

KMT buys robot manufacturer.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... Waterjet manufacturer KMT bought a robotic manufacturing company and its subsidiary for $36 million. Robotic Production Technology, Auburn Hills, MI, has been consolidated into KMT's Cutting Systems division and renamed KMT RPT Inc. The robotic...

MAG acquires another machine tool producer.(Industry News)
January 1, 2007... MAG Industrial Automation Systems--MAG-AIS--purchased the Boehringer Group from the IWKA Group. This is the second company MAG-IAS, Sterling Heights, MI, has bought from IWKA--it picked up the Ex-Cell-O companies almost one year ago....

Grinder improves tap manufacturer's bottom line: a Canadian tool manufacturer sees 35 percent productivity improvement with thread grinder.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
January 1, 2007... Improved profit can sometimes depend on scrapping old methods and machinery. Taylor Tool, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, a shop of 30 employees, needed to improve grinding speed and reduce setup time. It found new grinders were the answer. ...

Button-type face mill reduces machining time 60 percent: eighty hours of machining was too much time for a Pennsylvania shop to invest in creating a part; it had to find a better way. Getting a better cutting tool kept it from "going nuclear.".(CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Hamill Manufacturing, Trafford, PA, designs, engineers, and manufactures components for naval and commercial nuclear reactors, commercial power generation, semiconductor, aerospace, and other defense-related industries. Because Hamill's...

Waterjet technology doubles a small shop's sales in the first year of use: innovative use of mature technology helped a job shop weather the economic storm after 9/11.(JOB SHOP SHOWCASE)
January 1, 2007... When it comes to the cutting edge, Trim Tool & Machine, Cleveland, knows its business. A traditional "mom and pop" job shop employing eight has become a specialist in cutting thick materials with a waterjet system. Best known for cutting...

An aerospace job shop turned to the 'dark side' to beat parts distortion: a California high-tech machine shop saves time and money by using "Black Magic".(PART TREATMENT)
January 1, 2007... In a case where "warp speed" slowed production, a small, high-tech, boutique machine shop, Mooney Industries Precision Machining, Inc., Canoga Park, CA., found a wizardly way to cut reworking time and improve production. For 34 years,...

In-house saws put a shop a cut above the competition: football may be a game of inches, but making a profit can be a game of eighth-inches. Cutting stock without waste keeps a suburban Chicago firm from sheering its net income.(SAWING)(Company overview)
January 1, 2007... American CNC is a respected machine shop managed by Joe Lanute, with his wife Mandy as company president. Founded in the early 1970s and located in a Chicago suburb, the company produces items for the medical instrument and agricultural...

From bar to box in half the time: turning centers cut diesel part production time in half.(TURNING CENTERS)
January 1, 2007... Mitchel & Scott Machine Co., Indianapolis, was touching parts too many times and, in some cases, not getting the results it wanted. The company specializes in difficult-to-machine metal components for Cummins Engine Co., Allison Transmission,...

Between diversity and a hard place: an Iowa shop suspected a diversity of parts was causing inefficiencies and bottlenecks, but it took outside observers to evaluate the problem, decrease inventory, and increase productivity.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Sometimes you can be too close to a problem to see the proper solution. You might suspect there's trouble, but it may take an outside eye to pinpoint the difficulty and suggest a solution. An award-winning shop knew something wasn't right and...

Lightweight, tough boring tools.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Truline Tool[R] composite fine boring tools are lightweight but have the strength, as well as density, stiffness, friction coefficient, and damping qualities that are reportedly better than steel or carbide tools. The tools are made from...

High-speed tooling.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Index H-Ream is a high-speed reaming system that produces holes 8 to 32 mm in diameter. It is suitable for high precision applications and tight hole-diameter tolerances. These tools create blind, through, and cross-holes as well as keyways....

Carbide inserts do rough boring.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... TN14 carbide grade inserts for rough boring on cast-iron materials are made from C2 carbide substrate and have a multi-layered coating for resisting abrasions and smooth cutting edges. The substrate and edge prep hone protect the inserts from...

Balanced cutting.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... ZX[TM] boring and contouring heads tackle forward and back-boring operations as well as machining internal grooves, faces, and bottle bores. Twin tool slides are available for balanced cutting action at high speeds. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]...

Inserts tackle stainless steel.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... CA6515 and CA6525 CVD-coated carbide indexable inserts machine stainless steel. Their smooth, outer TiN coating prevents sudden fractures, reduces cutting forces, and resists sticking, while the A1203 layer handles crater wear and dissipates...

Smooth-cutting endmills.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Featuring heat and wear-resistant nano technology-coated grades, WEX endmills with indexable inserts and shoulder milling cutters reportedly improve feed rates, machine accuracy, and surface finishes. Their wave-shaped cutting edges, the...

Turning inserts sport special coating.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Useful in stainless steel turning and cast-iron applications, the coating of TP2500 turning grade has been manipulated at the atomic level for strength and durability. The manufacturer says field tests in more than 80 applications, such as...

Inserts brochure.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... "Technical Information and Crossover Charts for Metalworking Inserts" is a 20-page brochure of grade and application data for the manufacturer's metalworking grades. Comparison charts let users compare inserts to major suppliers. Cutting data,...

Inserts for difficult materials.(SPOTLIGHT: CUTTING TOOLS)
January 1, 2007... Utilis[R] AG Multidec[R] Swiss-made turning inserts work titanium, 300 series stainless, and other difficult materials used in aerospace and medical applications. The inserts have repeatability of less than 0.0004", turning work 1" diameter and...

VMC control has 200+ features.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The 2216FX vertical machining center--VMC--features a GE Fanuc Fadal Oi-MC control with more than 200 advanced programming, operational, and troubleshooting features. An optional Al Contour control provides look-ahead that improves cutting...

Lathe makes automotive shafts.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The two turrets of the NZ-S1500 shaft lathe are aligned with the spindle, which is mounted on a vertical bed, to improve productivity. The layout reportedly reduces heat influence and improves accuracy for continuous machining. It holds thermal...

Creates cutting tool edges.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... Naxo Edge grinding tool gashes solid, round cutting tools, creating the end and center edges. The manufacturer reports the tool improves cycle times up to 30 percent and increases parts per dress two to three times. Naxo Edge is available with...

Counter spindle part of multispindle machine.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... To produce complex components without secondary operations, the Tornos MultiAlpha 6x32 features a 3-axis independent counter spindle with five backworking tool positions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The MultiAlpha's spindles have...

Cutter sports small footprint.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The FO-3015NT Flying Optics laser-cutting center handles 5'x10' sheets of material in a small footprint. It has a Fanuc fast axial flow resonator with three power ratings--standard 4,000 W and optional 2,000 W and 6,000 W for cutting various...

Measuring gage for I.D. grinding.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The Thruvar[TM] gage for inside diameter grinding machines incorporates push-button automatic set-up adjustment that reduces downtime and eliminates special tools. It mounts in the grinder's workhead spindle for measuring parts as they are...

Grinding belts added.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... An expanded coated abrasive belts line includes file belts up to 30" long, portable belts to 24" long, benchstand belts to 72" long and backstand belts to 132" long. This line includes various grains, such as zirconia alumnia and ceramic. ...

Thick band saw blades.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... This manufacturer's bimetal portable band saw blade line features 0.025"-thick blades, rather than standard 0.02" blades, that reduce deflection and improve beam strength. They are shatter resistant and rigid for straight cutting in various...

Small laser cutter handles full-size metal sheets.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... A small laser-cutting machine with a 20'x20' footprint, the ByVention reportedly handles standard size metal sheets up to 5'x10'. Its control cabinet and laser source are integrated into the machine frame. The machine's cooling unit and dust...

Furnaces save operating costs.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... Space Saver dual chamber furnaces feature lightweight, low mass ceramic insulation, instead of traditional brick, so operators use less electrical power and save on operating costs. According to the manufacturer, Space Saver furnaces...

Two-axis laser alignment.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The two-axis Microgage tackles measuring, calibration, and machine alignment on cutting and milling equipment, lathes, stamping presses, roll and web lines, and other production equipment. It combines a compact laser transmitter with receiver...

Second diesel engine offered.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The latest Vantage[R] 300 welder/generator can come with a four-cylinder, water-cooled Deutz[R] D2008L4 diesel engine. These welder/generators also continue to use Kubota[R] engines. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The 1.6-liter Deutz engine...

New Scanner software.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... Version 4.0 of software for the Laser Scanner LS measurement system has been released. The software line includes Faro Scene, Scout, Scout LT, and Record. Detailed 3D measurements collected by the Laser Scanner LS are used to create digital...

Special Collision Detection for CAM software.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... D-Cubed Collision Detection Manager--CDM--component has been added into NX computer-aided manufacturing--CAM--software for fast and accurate gouge checks during tool-path generation. NX CAM uses CDM's precise computations so tool-path...

System handles HSS cutting.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
January 1, 2007... The Transor filtration system for high-speed steel uses two stages. By-product is removed from oil by a "shaving kit" or prefilter. Then, the oil processes through special filter elements until clean. Its producer says the process is efficient...

Clamps and tooling components.(Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
January 1, 2007... This 680-page catalog includes toggle clamps, modular fixturing, chuck jaws, drill bushings, pins, knobs, power workholding, handles, supports, feet, locators, vises, and threaded inserts. Carr Lane Mfg. Co.; MO; 314-647-6200; Fax 314-647-5736;...

New NL37 Nitro-Lok[TM] ultra grade turning inserts.(Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
January 1, 2007... This four page product brochure details all the insert styles, sizes and geometries of NL37 grade turning inserts available from ATI Stellram. NL37 can be used (under stable conditions) to machine hardened steels from 52 HRc to 56 HRc and at...

Automatic tube Cutoff Lathes and Feeders.(Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
January 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,...

CNC rotary tables.(Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
January 1, 2007... Lyndex-Nikken offers an extensive line of CNC rotary tables. Nikken's CNC Rotary Tables are recognized worldwide for their wear-resistance, rigidity and high-speed rotation. Every part of every rotary table is designed and built to provide high...

Low-cost, high-quality VMCS.(Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
January 1, 2007... Fadal builds 12 VMC models complimented by performance-enhancing rotary products. From the VMC 2216 FX to VMC 8030, it offers a full range of solutions for job shops, medical, mold/die, automotive, and aerospace. To learn more about the latest...

Free 34-page marking equipment catalog.(Brochures & Catalogs Covering Metalworking Equipment)
January 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....