Modern Applications News articles from March 2002

Modern Applications News archives from March 2002

PM feedback: Preventive measures prolong machine tool life, save big bucks. (Editorial Viewpoint).
March 1, 2002... Kenney Skonieczny Everyone knows the big reasons for large machine tool repair bills and short machine tool life. However, the simpler, often overlooked things can be the downfall of most shop equipment. Focusing on a few simple ideas...

The economy, chickens, Enron, and cutting tools: We worry about generalities, but act on specifics. (Editor's Corner).
March 1, 2002... John Mullally Over the last many months, everyone has been rightly concerned about the economy and its impacts on their own and company finances. There are a few problems with worrying about the economy. I think the biggest problem is...

Manufacturing Conference at IMTS. (Industry News).
March 1, 2002... The IMTS 2002 Manufacturing Conference will be held in conjunction with the 2002 International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) Sept. 4 - 11 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. World-class experts will present information on manufacturing...

November machine tool consumption down 16.6%. (Industry News).
March 1, 2002... November U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $156.17 million, according to AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association. This total, as reported by companies participating...

Robotic games set for April. (Industry News).
March 1, 2002... High school students in the U.S., Canada, and Brazil will compete by building original robots in the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Competitions. The championship event is scheduled April 25 - 27 at...

SOUTH-TEC marks 25 years. (Industry News).
March 1, 2002... The SOUTH-TEC Charlotte Advanced Productivity Exposition, set for March 5 - 7 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC, is marking 25 years servicing manufacturing in the Carolinas. Product lines will be presented by 350 exhibiting...

VMCs give manufacturer the edge in machining magnesium racing parts. (Cover Story).
March 1, 2002... Magnesium is a favorite for racing components because of its light weight and high stiffness-to-weight ratio, enabling it to resist deflection and absorb energy inelastically. Tilton Engineering (Santa Barbara, CA) is a manufacturer of...

Tilting trunnion-table-type machines. (Spotlight Products).
March 1, 2002... The HU50-5AX is one of several models in Mitsui's tilting trunnion-table-type machines. This model is the smallest in the range, accommodating part diameters up to 27' and weights up to 1,430 lb. 50-taper spindles are available up to 12,000 or...

Flexible multi-axis turning center. (Spotlight Products).
March 1, 2002... The MT1500 multi-axis turning center can machine small and complex workpieces requiring cutting the front, back, and side or it can accurately machine workpieces that involve turning. The machine has a 15.7 maximum turning diameter and 36.2...

CNC bed mill. (Spotlight Products).
March 1, 2002... The BTM 30-5 CNC bed mill is a 5-hp machine with an 11" x 52" table, travels of 30" x 20" x 24" in the X-Y-Z axes, and a 1,500 lb. load capacity. Powered by an Anilam 3300MK DLX CNC control with 31 in.-lb. servos, M functions, and Anilam's...

VMC features Ultimate Performance. (Spotlight/Products).
March 1, 2002... The Arrow Series VMC-750 vertical machining center, featuring Ultimate Performance [TM] technology, has a performance package that includes digital vector servos and state-of-the-art Profibus I/O interface technology. The machine's digital...

High-Speed 50-taper machining center. (Spotlight/Products).
March 1, 2002... The HSP550 50-taper machining center offers cutting and positioning speeds up to 25% faster than comparable models. In the X and Y axes, it achieves 1,890 ipm rapid traverse and cutting rates with low-friction linear guides. Special...

Multipurpose machining cell. (Spotlight/Products).
March 1, 2002... Off-center drilling, cross milling, and cross rigid tapping at an angle are possible with the Super HiCELL 400 turning center. It incorporates a triple-station turret head capable of B-axis rotation in 5[degrees] increments. Its design...

Four-axis turning center. (Spotlight/Products).
March 1, 2002... The Super Quadrex 250M turning center offers simultaneous four-axis turning for high-volume shaft production. Plus, it offers multitasking capability to perform drilling, tapping, and milling in a single setup. The Super Quadrex series doubles...

VMC for high volume material removal. (Spotlight/Products).
March 1, 2002... The VMC 6535 with 50-taper spindle is built for efficiency in removing large volumes of material from deepcavity steel molds and large automotive parts, including forgings and castings. Weighing 32,000 lb., the castings of the machine have been...

Multitasking CNC lathe. (Spotlight/Products).
March 1, 2002... The QUEST 6/42 high-performance, multitasking CNC lathe can quickly accept a 6" jaw chuck or 16C collet with a 1-5/8" bar capacity. It performs from basic machining operations to multitasking in a single setup with a wide range of options,...

Aircraft brake maker cuts total turning costs on hardened parts by 58%. (Turning Centers).
March 1, 2002... High-feed cermet inserts made it possible to reduce turning cycle times for the finishing cut by 56%, while increasing tool life with slower cutting edge deterioration and better chip formation. When Goodrich Wheel and Brake Systems sought...

CMM maintenance application saves $500,000 annually for United. (QC/Measurement/Inspection).
March 1, 2002... To achieve optimum performance at 35,000', United Airlines uses CMMs to check a variety of airliner components from compressor blades to food service trays. At its Maintenance Operations Center in San Francisco, United employs five CMMs...

Marking system change eliminates downtime on high-speed production line. (ID Marking).
March 1, 2002... More consistent, legible marking and a reduction of routine maintenance time from hours to minutes convinced this automotive parts manufacturer to switch marking machines. The TRW Automotive facility (Greenville, NC) makes steering...

Intelligent marking choices are application-driven: a laser system able to provide alphanumeric, 2-D, and logo marking on a variety of metal and plastic surfaces is just one alternative. (ID Marking).
March 1, 2002... In considering a variety of direct part marking and reading applications, several options are available from Telesis (Circleville, OH): * Telesis PINSTAMP[R] dot peen marking systems; * Telesis ProScript[R] laser marking systems; and...

Robotic routing cell optimizes quality, increases throughput 200%: In manufacturing, simplicity is the key to efficiency. (Robotics).
March 1, 2002... When you are in the hot tub business, simplicity is often an elusive goal. One such manufacturer, Jason International, Inc. (North Little Rock, AR), restored order from an endless list of detail work by integrating an industrial robot into...

Free TiCN coating on cobalt fine-pitch roughers. (New Products).
March 1, 2002... This company offers a free upgrade to TiCN coating on its line of fine-pitch roughers. These 8% cobait fine-pitch roughers have a sinusoidal chipbreaker that produces small chips, allowing them to run at faster feed rates than conventional...

Solution for stainless steel threading. (New Products).
March 1, 2002... The Snap Tap[R] family of threading products includes the A2 chipbreaker in CP500 grade, featuring the wear-resistant PVD coating, for stainless steel threading. Its high positive cutting geometry increases productivity. The A2 is optimized for...

Robotic press brake. (New Products).
March 1, 2002... This robotic press brake unit provides unmanned bending at maximum speed, quicker setup and changeover times, and produces consistent parts. Models are available for 5 - 176 tons and working lengths of 8- 13'. The robot is independent from the...

Digital clinometer. (New Products).
March 1, 2002... This digital clinometer is practical for a wide range of applications. Battery power, sturdy construction, and compact size (4" x 3" x 1.3') make it suitable for use anywhere. Measuring range is n 45[degrees] with 0.01[degrees] degree...

Long-reach endmills for molds & dies. (New Products).
March 1, 2002... These long-teach solid carbide endmills ate manufactured in two- and four-flute configurations, available in diameters from 3/16" to 1" in nine sizes. Shank diameter tolerance is -0.0001" to -0.0003". Maximum TIR is 0.0005" for all sizes....

Spring-type live centers. (New Products).
March 1, 2002... These spring-type live centers compensate for thermal expansion of the workpiece by incorporating a point that is able to slide axially along the Z-axis. As heat from the machining process causes the workpiece to grow, the rotating point is...

Auxiliary equipment -- fork truck powertrains. (Mike Breen on Preventive Maintenance).
March 1, 2002... Last month we discussed hydraulic systems on fork trucks and touched on the control system. We will continue our look at fork trucks this month with PM for the powertrain. Gas-Powered The gas system on a fork truck is like any other...