Modern Applications News articles from March 2009

Modern Applications News archives from March 2009

Cold cash recovery and the soft side of business: MAN welcomes a new columnist and we wonder if a trillion dollars worth of pork can fix things.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
March 1, 2009... Modern Applications News has a 42-year history of providing solutions to metalworking challenges through case histories that highlight--with real-world numbers--how a product or process has saved job shops and contract manufacturers time,...

A new horizon in high-speed cutting: what once seemed a far-off goal for mold and die work, as well as medical parts, is now a reality.(CONTROLLING INTEREST)
March 1, 2009... The challenge had always been threefold for mold and die work and medical parts machining, especially those medical parts in the competitive and material cost-intensive orthopedic markets. All the programming, setup, and machining time needed...

Formulating success part I: dealing with offshore competition, and winning, means examining what a company does best and then formulating a strategy to play to that strength. This is the first of a three-part series.(GROWING THE JOB SHOP)
March 1, 2009... Editor's Note: It is important today, especially in light of the current economic downturn, to learn what successful businesses are doing to remain prosperous. Mike Collins is president of MPC Management, a consulting company that focuses on...

Methods turns 50.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... Methods Machine Tools Inc., Sudbury. MA, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Founded in November 1958, with three employees and a few refurbished machines, it now has more than 300 employees, seven facilities and technology centers, and more than...

Hurco net income up for FY08.(Industry News)(Financial report)
March 1, 2009... Hurco Cos., Inc., Indianapolis, reported a net income of about $22.5 million for fiscal year ending October 31, 2008, an increase of eight percent compared to kcal 2007's net income of about $20.9 million. For the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008,...

Air Force buys 16 waterjets.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... Omax Corp., Kent, WA a manufacturer of abrasive waterjet machining, sold 16 of its 55100 JetMachining Centers to the U.S. Air Force. The sale. estimated at $3.75 million. was completed in partnership with Phillips Corp., Federal Division....

Dreamliner schedule delayed.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... Boeing, Everest, WA, announced an updated schedule for its 787 Dreamliner program that moves the commercial jet's first flight into the second quarter of 2009 and first delivery into the first quarter of 2010. The new schedule reflects the...

Workholding shipments drop.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... At $245 million for 2008, shipments of workholding equipment from the U.S. were down 5.7 percent from 2007, according to the Advanced Workholding Technology--AWT--Group of the Association for Manufacturing Technology--AMT. Workholding equipment...

The bull of the woods.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... WAIT-HOLD TH' LINE. HE SEZ--FIRST YOU GET AN' OIL CAN AND OIL TH' MACHINE THOROLY--THEN YOU WIPE OFF TH' EXCESS OIL AND-- WE KNOW ALL ABOUT THAT PART! TELL THAT FAT HEAD WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU DO TO CUT TEETH IN A GEAR. SAY--DOES HE...

Manufacturing technology consumption falls in November.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... November U.S. manufacturing technology consumption totaled $185.57 million, according to the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association--AMTDA--and the Association for Manufacturing Technology--AMT. This total, as reported by companies...

Job losses could top 3 million.(Industry News)
March 1, 2009... November figures for the Conference Board Employment Trends Index declined further. The index fell to 102.9, down 1.6 percent from the October revised figure of 104.5, and down over 13 percent from a year ago. The 16 month-long decline in...

From one "bull" with no bull.(Letters)
March 1, 2009... I supervise a maintenance and repair department for a major producer of food products in Battle Creek, MI. Thank you for Modern Applications News. I was reading MAN, and The Bull Of The Woods caught my eye. It brought back memories of my...

Computers are great, until they're not.(Letters)
March 1, 2009... I too am in awe of today's computers and their capabilities [see, "Kids and Their Newfangled Computers," Editor's Corner, MAN, Vol. 42, No. 12, December 2008, pg 6]; but my question is what would happen to our society if we woke up one day and...

In praise of the little guys.(Letters)
March 1, 2009... Finally, someone with whom I can totally agree! If there was ever a true editorial written, you sure did so [see, "Pity the Little Guy," Editor's Corner, MAN, Vol. 42, No. 11, November 2008, pg 6]. Even though I am no longer directly tied to...

The velocity of change: a move to a new venue and a new controller proved a successful combination for a Canadian shop.(MACHINE CONTROL)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] There comes a point in the life of every business when it has to choose between investing in an advanced technology and staying with the tried-and-true--the potential big payback versus the safe status quo. When that...

Miniature models, maximum results: a 3D laser scanner helped a miniature modeler replicate large-scale parts in hours instead of weeks.(CAD/CAM)
March 1, 2009... When Freshwater Models, Rochester, NY, a shop that specializes in miniature patternmaking and spincasting of scale model parts and manufacturing of scale-model kits for hobbyists and collectors, was faced with a complex project that needed fast...

Ejection correction: a handheld scanner helps a model company reverse-engineer a jet fighter ejection seat for use in a simulator at a fraction of the cost of the real thing.(CAD/CAM)
March 1, 2009... Sometimes a "fake" is as good as the real thing. While this may not be true of a "Rolex" watch bought on the streets of Manhattan for $20, in the case of a U.S Air Force jet fighter simulator, a non-functioning duplicate of an ejection seat is...

Resurrection, Inc.: resurrecting a machine tool from the past and giving it a new, and useful, life has both challenges and rewards.(REPAIR SERVICE)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A company creating an axle for one of the world's largest dump trucks needed a machine tool to fit the job. The difficulty was that no one was building such a machine any more. A vertical turret lathe--VTL--from the...

Machining parts close to the heart: to keep up with an increasing demand for medical parts to repair defective hearts, a new machine was needed to keep up with production without skipping a beat.(CNC)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Artificial implants are stand-ins for an array of human body parts--knees, hips, shoulders, spinal discs--as a way of extending life and enhancing its quality. They range from stainless steel and exotic metals to...

Double duty: for this manufacturing shop, bringing in a coolant recycling system provided cost savings while reducing environmental impact.(COOLANT)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Cost control is an essential part of business competitiveness. At the same time, environmental compliance is also a business requirement. While on the face of it, they may seem competitive, but reducing waste,...

CNC: not just for breakfast anymore: machine tools are finding applications outside of the metalworking industry, in this case, adding to the bottom line of a sign company.(CNC)
March 1, 2009... CNC routers and laser cutters are most often found in shops dedicated to the metalworking industry. However, the speed and accuracy offered by such equipment is finding use outside of its usual domains. A shop specializing in creating signage...

Clear-cut leader: key factors to consider when choosing the right plasma cutting system.(SPOTLIGHT: PLASMA CUTTING)
March 1, 2009... The Declaration of Independence may state that all men are created equal, but manufacturing techniques and the tools that go along with them are not. For heavy duty cutting applications, Hypertherm, Hanover, NH, offers this information about...

Blow-back tech eliminates high-freq startups.(SPOTLIGHT: PLASMA CUTTING)
March 1, 2009... The PowerCut 1300 and 1600 offer high duty cycles. They have an external housing designed to resist damage, corrosion, and weather while remaining portable. Internal electronics are suspended from the aluminum frame, insulating them from shock...

Two portable systems round out series.(SPOTLIGHT: PLASMA CUTTING)
March 1, 2009... The Cutmaster 102 and Cutmaster 152 provide portable gouging and cutting capabilities for heavy fabrication and manufacturing. These two machines complete the launch of the manufacturer's True Series, a line of manual plasma cutting systems....

Cutting system offers digital controls.(SPOTLIGHT: PLASMA CUTTING)
March 1, 2009... The tru-kut heavy-duty 5'x10' plasma cutting system has a rigid heavy-duty fully-welded steel frame for a stable platform for precision plasma cutting. Single setup machining of the frame and mounting surfaces builds accuracy into the system...

Space-saving plasma-cutter.(SPOTLIGHT: PLASMA CUTTING)
March 1, 2009... The EdgeMax takes up less space than its larger cousin, the MetalMaster Plus. The unitized plasma-based machine is suited to various fabrication markets for HVAC, general fabrication, and precision plasma cutting with three basic models, the H,...

Energy-saving combination.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The LPe6 punch/laser combination is an integrated, flexible manufacturing cell. It includes a turret punch press with punching force of 200 or 300 kN; a 2.5 kW laser beam for maximum sheet size of either 120"x60" or 169"x60"; and a maximum...

Bending the rules.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Ercolina's Giga Bender mandrel model GB90 is for bending tube, pipe, square, and rectangular profiles to center line radius as tight as 1D center line radius. Model features include the ability to program multiple bend angles to 180 with...

Accuracy, rigidity and balance.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The HSK80F Shrink Fit Holders are designed for high-productivity machining of complex aluminum monolithic parts for aerospace. Used in combination with a Shrink Fit Machine, the tool holders heat up to expand the inside diameter of the holder....

High-speed stacker crane.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The rail-guided stacker crane system is a high-speed storage/retrieval unit that moves items in high-volume picking operations. The system is designed to help companies reduce overhead costs while improving productivity, inventory control,...

Marking tool for cylindrical parts.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The KwikTurn rotary fixture is designed for marking around multisided parts. The modular construction features a base with an adjustable head-stock and tailstock. It can accommodate both large and miniature products. A hand-operated chuck...

Scissor saw designed for shops.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The Model SM-15D dual swivel scissor-type saw is designed for fabrication shops, maintenance departments, and other areas where angle cutting and general purpose sawing takes place. It features a two-piece cast iron saw head that can swivel...

Laser cutter handles different-size cutting lenses.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The Axel 4020 provides advanced laser cutting capabilities, dynamic part processing, and can handle sheets up 157"x78". It incorporates advancements in linear drive technology, laser power, and control systems. The high-pressure cutting head...

Welder offers upgrade from previous model.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... With high-speed pulsing and advanced AC waveshaping controls, the Dynasty 350 AC/DC TIG inverter is designed to increase productivity in heavy industrial applications. It offers increased output and independent AC amplitude/amperage control. It...

Desktop 3D printer.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The Alaris30 is a desktop 3D printer that lets designers and manufacturers create models at minimal cost and with high accuracy and ease of use. The unit, small enough to fit on a desk, prints true-to-life parts with "finished-quality" smooth...

Chatter-free beveling.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The EscoLock Blade Lock System is a cutter head and blade design for welding end prep tools that provides chatter-free beveling, facing, and boring without cutting oils. It holds up to three blades at once to permit simultaneous beveling,...

No return-to-zero after power failure EDM.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The BA24 is a large-capacity wire EDM designed to accommodate a variety of machining needs, from parts to dies. The BA24's compact head design increases nozzle accessibility to stepped workpieces and clamping fixtures. The machine offers X, Y,...

Right on track.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The TRAK K3SX knee mill with the ProtoTRAK SMX control is available as a 2-axis machine or with a quill drive for automatic 3-axis CNC machining. Precision-ground ballscrews are installed in the table and saddle of the K3SX. The knee mill wide...

The next generation.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... Hanita VariMILL II solid-carbide end mills are the next generation of high-performance vari-style end mills. They are effective in roughing and semi-finishing applications in stainless steels, high-temp alloys, nickel- and carbon-based alloys,...

Steady rests from small to large.(New Products)
March 1, 2009... The Richter manual steady rests come in standard, special, and large ring-style, with diameters from 0.788" to 59.1" and load capacities ranging between two to 30 tons. Steady rests turn long shaft-type workpieces where cutting can create...

Maintain the basics during tough times: as the economic turmoil continues, each business must look to its core strengths for survival.(THE LAST WORD)
March 1, 2009... Scale down. Pare back. It's a mantra with which manufacturers are, unfortunately, all too familiar these days. However, focusing only on retrenchment tactics during a recession is shortsighted. A company's long-term survival requires a...