Modern Applications News articles from July 2006

Modern Applications News archives from July 2006

'But it's the only game in town': "certainly the game is rigged. Don't let that stop you; if you don't bet, you can't win.".(EDITOR'S CORNER)
July 1, 2006... This sounds like a justification for playing the lottery. Actually the above is a quote from novelist Robert Heinlein's character Lazarus Long, and it means exactly what it says. It is also undeniably true. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Letters to the editor: once again, MAN--Modern Applications News thanks its readers for their thoughtful responses to recent columns and articles; these are always most welcome and we are pleased to be able to publish them.(Letter to the editor)
July 1, 2006... $12 An Hour? You can add the word "North" throughout your article where you use the word "America". Canada will suffer the same effects you describe in your article. I have posted copies of this on bulletin boards to raise the...

ISM Reports New Orders, production, employment expanding.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in May for the 36th consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the 55th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business[R]....

U.S. manufacturing technology consumption up 18.5% in 2006.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... The most recent statistics available show U.S. manufacturing technology consumption for April totaled $255.13 million, according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors'...

Japan machine tool orders at $5.22 billion in 2006.(Industry News)
July 1, 2006... The value of machine tool orders received by Japanese manufacturers for the period January to May 2006 totaled 593.16 billion Japanese yen ($5.22 billion), up 6.4% year-on-year, the Japan Machine Tool Builders Association reports. Out of...

European fab shops profit with automation: 'old world craftsmanship' used to be both the calling card and trump card of European manufacturing. Today, the quality remains, but automation has been the essential in maintaining Europe's manufacturing base.(JOB SHOP)
July 1, 2006... On a recent tour of several manufacturing facilities in Europe, as a guest of Finn-Power International, Inc. (Schaumburg, IL), it quickly became apparent that companies in Europe face some unique challenges compared to those of U.S. firms, and...

Machining shuttle's sensor really is rocket science: a job shop specializing in one-offs had the unique challenge of producing a 50' long sensor system for the space shuttle Discovery. Relying on two types of tools for the majority of the work, the team machined over 100 different detail parts, each with critical requirements and critical tolerances.(CUTTING TOOLS)
July 1, 2006... Reil Industrial Enterprises (Missasauga, ON) specializes in machining and assembling high quality, tight tolerance aerospace components requiring very different methodologies than a high production shop. "The parts we typically produce are...

Job shop grows with serious grinding technology: is advanced grinding technology simply out of the reach of job shops, especially high-end job shops? No. Not if their strategy is to compete with the bigger guys and to shake off the confines of niche grinding operations.(GRINDING)
July 1, 2006... Eric Reutimann, owner, Spectra-Tech (Hanover Park, IL) employs 30 in a 26,000 sq.-ft. facility with 16 Magerles from United Grinding Technologies (Miamisburg, OH), for creep feed (CF) grinding. Spectra-Tech moved into this facility in 1998, but...

Single CNC replaces three controllers on world's largest creep feed unit: running what is thought to be the largest and most powerful creep feed grinder in the world is a single controller providing 5-axis control, including the wheelhead column movements to 0.000004".(GRINDING)
July 1, 2006... The US operations of Germany's aba z&b Schleiffmaschinen GmbH, aba z&b, USA, Inc. (Orangeburg, SC) provides in-house rebuild and field service of existing machines, as well as new machine sales, installations and spare parts fulfillment for the...

Grinding machine.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
July 1, 2006... The Studer Mikrosa Kronos S CNC is designed for centerless grinding of small shaft-type parts. The machine offers straight plunge grinding and 15[degrees] plunge grinding. Workpiece diameters range from 0.5 mm - 30 mm, with lengths up to 120...

Special purpose grinding machine.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
July 1, 2006... The ASG 300/400 grinding system is suited for grinding cylinders, pistons and shafts of landing gear struts, shocks and legs in the aircraft and aerospace industries. The machine is equipped with a servo motor drive system for the headstock...

Flap discs.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
July 1, 2006... The Z3 Ultimate flap disc is designed to provide 30% more abrasive material for more control of stock removal and improved finishing results. Constructed of zirconia alumina grain with poly/cotton heat-treated backing, the wider abrasive...

Specialty abrasives catalog.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
July 1, 2006... This 30-page catalog features specialty abrasive products for grinding, deburring and finishing stainless steel, mild steel, aluminum and exotic metals. Included are mounted points and wheels, cotton fiber quick-change discs, Type 1 deburring...

Flap discs.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
July 1, 2006... Enduro-Flex[TM] flap discs now include more zirconium grain and an additional top coating. The zirconium grain is intended to extend grinding life and remove more metal with each flap disc. The top coating offers additional lubricating and...

Welding end prep tools catalog.(ABRASIVES/GRINDING MACHINES)
July 1, 2006... Featuring the Millhog[R] brand, this catalog includes a full line of welding end prep tools and abrasive saws for cutting and machining pipe, boiler tube panels, and large tanks and vessels. The 22-page catalog has an index and capabilities...

Portable magnetic drill increases holemaking speeds: a welding and fabrication shop had the challenge of drilling the framework for an artificial rock climbing wall. The 75 lb. "portable" magnetic drill caused safety issues and took about 60 min. to complete just one section. But a new, lighter weight drill offers ease of use and speed, reducing drilling time to 20 min.(HOLEMAKING/DRILLING/BORING)
July 1, 2006... Fabricating jobs for Garrison Welding (Redmond, OR) typically consist of interior storage racks for box trucks, sand and aggregate hoppers for concrete mixing plants, man-lift buckets and platforms for utility type vehicles, ornamental gates...

Shop cuts 40% of costs--brings waterjet in-house: bringing waterjet cutting in-house has cut as much as 2/3 of production time from some jobs and significantly increased materials usage.(WATERJET)
July 1, 2006... Since 1976, Charleston Rubber & Gasket (Hanahan, SC) has specialized in providing a variety of industrial parts including gaskets, industrial hoses, couplings, fittings, adapters, clamps, packing, hydraulics and rubber products to its...

Metal-cored wire cost saves money, reputation: taking a page from its customers' purchasing manuals, a heavy equipment fab shop ignores lowest 'initial-cost,' buys more expensive metal-cored welding wire, and saves production and warranty costs, and the shop's reputation for quality.(WELDING/BRAZING/SOLDERING)(Cover story)
July 1, 2006... Mike Bokulic Jr. is the kind of guy who likes to think big. The excavation buckets fabricated at his father's company, Mike's Welding, Inc. (Fontana, CA), can top 45,000 lb. and take weeks to fabricate. Contractors go to Mike's Welding when...

CAM adds 5-axis option for high-precision shop: a short-run job shop specializing in exotic materials and tight tolerances--the parts that no one else wants--ran into a problem translating complex designs into toolpaths on its 5-axis machine. Switching to a new CAD/CAM program now provides the company with more flexibility and speed, as well as the ability to take on even more unique jobs with its existing equipment.(CAM)
July 1, 2006... Absolute Precision (Morrisville, VT) takes on all types of machining from semiconductor work to automotive and agricultural parts. The company has also built components from wood for mandolins, cut ceramic parts using carbide tooling and even...

Workholding system boosts productivity: by adopting a new workholding system, a measuring systems manufacturer, specializing in high tolerance parts, has reduced run time from 10 stages and a 70 min. cycle time to just two stages and a 5 - 20 min. cycle time.(WORKHOLDING)
July 1, 2006... Micro-Vu Corporation (Windsor, CA) designs and manufactures a broad line of measuring machines including automated vision systems, manual video systems and optical comparators. These non-contact and contact systems use video and touch probe...

Deburring system cuts production costs by 40%: for an air-driven pump manufacturer, trying to remove small burrs from the inside of aluminum sleeves proved to be a time consuming and expensive operation--especially sending the parts out for manual deburring. But a new system, consisting of a resilient-based hone, has resulted in a more efficient process and a smoother finish.(DEBURRING)
July 1, 2006... Haskel Inc. (Burbank, CA) manufactures a variety of compressed air driven pumps for use in a cross-section of industrial applications. The company experienced quality control issues with the manufacture of its miniaturized models. Burrs are...

CAM program drives multi-axis laser: with the goal of "building the best bicycles in the world," a Wisconsin operation employs a powerful CAM program to precisely cut high-end alloy and carbon fiber composites with a multi-axis laser.(CAM)
July 1, 2006... Trek Bicycle Corp. (Waterloo, WI) produces bike frames at the rate of about 300 metal--aluminum, titanium or steel--frames a day, and nearly that number in carbon fiber. The frames are then sent to another plant for assembly into a bicycle. ...

Smaller company invests big in CMM capability: QC and inspection operations can no longer just pass a judgment on good part vs. bad; customers demand much more detailed information for meeting industry standards and customer data needs.(QC/MEASUREMENT/INSPECTION)
July 1, 2006... Over the past 10 - 15 years, manufacturers at all levels have either recognized the need or were required to install coordinate measuring machines (CMM) to improve inspection capability, assure consistent quality and meet the standards of QS,...

Robot arm speeds inspection: capable of examining 150 features in five seconds, this new development in inspection systems--called the robotic vision cell--boasts a 5- or 6-axis articulating robot arm that removes a product from the line, places it in front of the viewing station to inspect a range of features, then either returns the product to the line or rejects it.(QC/MEASUREMENT/INSPECTION)
July 1, 2006... A new concept in robotic vision cells, developed by Belden Machine Corporation (Broadview, IL), acts as an inline inspection machine. Unlike stationary cameras, though, the vision cell has an articulating robot arm that pulls the product off a...

Bench magnifier delivers minimal distortion.(QC PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... The new Lentis high-performance bench magnifier is designed to provide easier, more comfortable and more accurate task magnification. The magnifier is designed with an optical lens that has minimal distortion across the entire field of view,...

New PC-DMIS Portable software for portable measurement systems.(QC PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... New PC-DMIS Portable software is designed to take full advantage of the unique capabilities of articulating arms, laser trackers and other portable measurement devices, allowing users to work more productively with this versatile class of...

Self-contained measurement station.(QC PRODUCTS)
July 1, 2006... The self-contained Starlight[TM] measurement system, a compact, non-contact inspection system with built-in electronics, ergonomic design, motorized zoom optics and a high-resolution color camera, accommodates parts and tooling fitting with its...

Techno retro-fit saves basic system, cash: faced with a complex piece of production equipment with outdated components, the first impulse might be to scrap the entire system and build from scratch. One shop chose to rebuild a system, fitting new technology to a still-capable foundation unit.(ROBOTICS)
July 1, 2006... The problem was what to do with multiple welding cells that have functioned acceptably over the years but have robots so old the original manufacturer no longer supports them, and replacement parts getting more difficult to obtain. Also, new...

Plasma cutting system.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
July 1, 2006... The m3 Plasma System is designed to produce high-speed, high-precision cutting and marking and high-current, thick-plate cutting all with a single plasma torch. Able to function in both dry and water injection modes, the PT-36 torch is intended...

Turret punch press.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
July 1, 2006... The C6 turret punch press features an axis actuation system with rack and pinion drive on the X-axis and two servo driven ball screws on the Y-axis. Without repositioning, the punch press has a working area up to 123" and material size of 60" X...

Waterjet.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
July 1, 2006... An expanded line of waterjets is available with one or two heads and a range of stainless steel table sizes. The 2-axis Classica features 2D CAD/CAM software with nesting capabilities, as well as accuracy and repeatability of [+ or -]0.004"....

Knee mill.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
July 1, 2006... The Trak K3SX knee mill with Proto Trak SMX control is offered as a 2-axis CNC machine or with a quill drive for automatic 3-axis CNC machining. Precision-ground ball screws are installed in the table and saddle of the machine. The wide way...

Laser workstation.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
July 1, 2006... The PowerWeld multiflex laser workstation is designed for build-up welding on large workpieces. The system is based on a Cartesian machine with a range of 1,000 mm in all three axes. The large stroke of the axes, combined with the adjustable...

You are high tech ... tell the rest of America! High-tech. The term has become part and parcel of any American discussion about economics, the future of the country and employment.
July 1, 2006... It seems to mean nothing but computers and software to some. To others it means modern medicine or space exploration, telescopes, satellites and so on. Yet, much of the most advanced technology is working away every day across the United States...