Modern Applications News articles from May 2002

Modern Applications News archives from May 2002

It's all about cash flow! (Editorial Viewpoint).
May 1, 2002... Multi-tasking = Accelerated Throughput = More Cash Flow The sooner our customers invoice their customers the faster they collect their money. Cash is king! Businesses run on cash... all common sense stuff, but how can we help our customers...

Big Brother could mean big business: the most dominant memory most readers have of the novel "1984" is Big Bother. (Editor's Corner).
May 1, 2002... A non-entity that takes form as the darkest fear of the true individualist, Big Brother never made his scheduled appearance in 1984. Although some blame the music for his failure to emerge at that time, now we know it was only technology that...

Durable goods orders continue their climb. (Industry News).
May 1, 2002... For the third straight month, orders for durable goods have increased, according to the U.S. Commerce Dept.'s latest numbers for February, 2002. Main drivers for this most recent increase, reported March, 27, are aircraft and aircraft parts...

January machine tool consumption off by 40%. (Industry News).
May 1, 2002... Domestic machine tool consumption totaled $149.63 million for the month of January, 2002, according to numbers released by both the AMT -- Association for Manufacturing Technology and AMTDA -- American Machine Tool Distributors Association....

2001 Domestic workholding shipments down 23.5%. (Industry News).
May 1, 2002... U.S. shipments of workholding equipment are at $194 million for 2001, according to the workholding Product Group (WPG) of the AMT -- Association for Manufacturing Technology. Workholding shipments within the U.S. by the 44 companies...

Esab Cutting Systems. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... The FSW (Friction Stir Welding) article by Esab Cutting Systems created a great deal of interest in our readers concerned with welding aluminum alloys. This process for welding aluminum alloys without consumables, fumes or distortion, produces...

Coherent Photonics Group. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... Readers responded to the Coherent Photonics Group story that focused on modern compact laser machining stations that use sealed [CO.sub.2] lasers. These workstations take up less room and minimize material waste for the cutting tool industry....

Techniks, Inc. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... The story featuring Magnetic Deburring Small Parts Automatically from Techniks, Inc. received the most inquires in 2001. The Earth-Chain magnetic deburring and polishing system (sPINer), as featured in the story, enables companies that use the...

Adron Tool Corp. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... Cover Of The Year Our all-around winner for MAN Modern Applications News Cover of the Year went to November's interview with Brian Hagmayer, president, and Dave Carlson, vice president -- sales, of Adron Tool Corp. Key features of Adron's...

Carpenter Technology Corp. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... The feature story on Strum Ruger and Co. changing their usual stainless steel alloys to new steel developed by Carpenter Technology Corp. caught the attention of the most readers involved in the use and development of new alloys. With the new...

Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... An article featuring OpenCNC[R] software from MDSI -- Manufacturing Data Systems, Inc. interested the largest number of readers looking for ways to cut costs by using PC-based controls offering to improve production by as much as 30%. This...

Bahco Tools, Inc. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... The feature story from Bahco Tools, Inc. prompted the largest response to a sawing editorial item. Their method of producing bandsaw blades for quicker throughput, higher production, and up to 97% longer blade life caused a great deal of...

GEI International, Inc. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... Flashlight Magnifiers from GEl International, Inc. received the most number of inquires from our readers looking for light and magnification all in one handy unit. These magnifiers come in five different models and all use two standard C-size...

George T. Schmidt. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... The l.D. marking cover story by George T. Schmidt, featuring their MicroLase System generated the most inquires from our readers interested in laser marking systems. The diode-pumped laser system delivers power levels up to 20W [TEM.sub.00]...

The United Soybean Board. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... The lubricants feature story from The United Soybean Board attracted a lot of attention from our readers looking for an alterative to petroleumbased lubricants. Soy based lubricants offer biodegradability, nontoxicity, low volatile organic...

Benex Corp. (Readers' Choice Awards).
May 1, 2002... Readers involved in farming and fabricating responded the most to the story from Benex Corp. about controlling straightness of shaft-like parts during manufacturing. The Benex model CSM48 centerless straightening machine was originally...

Deep-hole drilling in turbine alloys leads to 6-axis controlled EDM machine. (Spotlight).
May 1, 2002... Deep-hole drilling to 12" or more in high-strength aerospace alloys, with EDM recast as low as 0.0005" and hole diameter tolerance to + to - 0.005" throughout, is a common requirement for douglas machine (Cincinnati, OH). Douglas is an...

Extended reach Rotabroach[R] cutters. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... Hougen Manufacturing introduces a new group of extended reach "12,000 Series" Rotabroach[R] cutters made of M2 HSS for frilling applications where extended reach is required, such as through the top and bottom flanges of I-beams from the same...

Convert hand-held drills to portable drill presses. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... Drillmate[R] adapts quickly to convert most hand-held air, corded electric, and battery powered drills into portable drill presses. Its rack and pinion design generates 14 lbs of feed-force for one-pound exerted by the operator, eliminating...

Ultra-sensitive Microdrilling Attachment. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... The Millmate Micro drilling Attachment is an ultra sensitive drill press for microdrilling and a natural extension of the conventional milling machine. Mounting on a standard R-8 spindle, the unit offers an inline spindle, simplifying set-up...

Drill and tap brochure. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... The Govro-Nelson Co. has released a new 8-page brochure with complete product specifications for its drilling and tapping units. The units have a concentric construction with air thrust, hydraulic control and positive stop, all on the spindle...

Right Angle drillhead variable up to 90[degrees]. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... The Royal Workholding special "Right Angle" drill head is engineered to reduce overall manufacturing time by eliminating costly handling and set-up time. U.S.-made, the drillhead improves product quality by avoiding tolerance stack-ups...

Tension/Rigid Tap Holders eliminate breakage. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... A line of Tension/Rigid Tap Holders from Procunier are designed to eliminate tap breakage caused by machine reversal during operation. Compact and economical, they are ideal for use on CNC machining centers, screw machines, automatic lathes and...

Solid carbide thread mills help to lower costs. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... The new Demon[TM] line of solid carbide thread mills from NETCO are TiALN-coated for higher performance through higher penetration rates and increased wear-resistance to reduce production cycle times. Made in the U.S., the new thread mills are...

New boring inserts take bigger bite in tough materials. (Spotlight Products).
May 1, 2002... Mini Bore[R] Trigon[TM] six-sided inserts and special boring bars from Kaiser Tool Co. are designed for boring tougher materials and able to take bigger cuts without chipping or breaking. Trigon boring bars are made of steel and vibration...

Faster cutting and elimination of secondary operations with new waterjet gain business and markets or shop: every machine teal technology is under continuous development to improve shortcomings. (Cover Story).
May 1, 2002... Waterjets are no exception. For waterjets, cut-part geometry errors caused by the bending of the stream are the telltale signs of waterjet cutting. The faster a waterjet cuts a material, the more the stream exit point lags (bottom of the cut)...

Advanced features make grinder flexible, accurate, operator-friendly: grinding a variety of tapers is quick and easy with an infinite B-axis that enables the operator to position the wheel at any angle. (Abrasives / Software).
May 1, 2002... Rineer Hydraulics manufactures four different sizes of hydraulic motors. The company has about 70 employees and has been in business for about 30 years, with its main office in Corpus Christi, TX. Rineer's hydraulic motors operate in a wide...

Hydroforming: concepts to parts 90% faster. (CAD/CAM/Shop Control Software).
May 1, 2002... When theory and practice come together, as in the case of hydroforming during the last few years, one company's commitment to the process is revolutionizing the way prototypes are made. Just a few years ago, a lot was being written about...

User-friendly programming increases forging die production 500%. (Machining / Turning centers).
May 1, 2002... For complex shapes, surfaces, and details in premium brass hardware, high-speed machining and rapid programming open the door to increased production for Baldwin Hardware. "People who buy our products are not just interested in locking the...

Full line of Micro-Percussion[TM] marking units. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... The Technifor M120 is a completely portable marking unit with integrated processor, built-in keyboard, LCD screen with battery pack for full mobility. This is one of the units that features Micro-Percussion indent and indelible marking...

The APPLIX[R] MX Series DIN overall length production taps. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... The Union Butterfield Roughing End Mills offer high stock removal with less chatter and vibration. Manufactured from premium M42 Cobalt steel, they feature an all-ground roughing profile with a center cutting end tooth geometry that allows for...

Heavy duty NC tool storage cabinets and transporters. (Eastc Products).
May 1, 2002... Cabinets are available in five different sizes and are equipped with tool holder frames and tool holders to accommodate a variety of standard-sized NC tools. Lista Tool Transporters feature a rigid steel frame and steel sheet side panels...

M 20 provides flexibility and large capacity. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... With a swing of 20", the M 20 combines high performance turning and large machining capacity within a compact 124.02" x 64.96" space-saving footprint. Rapid traverse rate of 394 imp (X axis) and 295 (Z axis) mean accelerated machine cycle time...

New developed permanent marking technology. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... The MicroLase laser system replaces traditional laser technology -- which utilizes a lamp to generate energy -- with a new diode-pumped laser. Compact and light weight, this laser system requires less plant floor space, and with no laser lamps...

S20 Turbo & S18 CNC tool & cutter grinders. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... The S 20 Turbo CNC 5-axis tool grinder has many features including 11 hp constant torque with integrated cooling system, and ultra-precise glass scales. S 18 5-axis CNC tool grinder is designed for grinding small to medium size tools and is...

Reaming, boring, burnishing, and recessing. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... Shefcut[R] single-bladed, guide padded precision reaming and boring systems, and burnishing tools and machines are some of the tooling solutions offered by Cogsdill Tool Products. Automatic recessing and grooving tools, generating heads, and...

Dimensional measurement gages. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... Edmunds Gages line of dimensional measurement gages include the [CAG.sup.QCM] computer amplifier, Accu-Setter[TM] microprocessor gaging column, Trendsetter[TM] analog column, 5" and 20" gage block comparators, air gaging tooling, and...

Simple flexible workholding system - System 5. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... The System 5 product line, from Chick Workholding Solutions, Inc. captures the essence of ease and versatility. Snap on machinable jaws, faceplates, jaw carriers, and a safe low profile jaw interface are just some of the new features of Chick's...

DIGMA, ESCO and K'MX. (Eastec Products).
May 1, 2002... DIGMA high speed vertrical machining centers are equipped with Heidenhain 530 CNC control with specially designed Digma Software. ESCO New Mach CNC 647 combines coil fed economy with CNC flexibility. K'MX "Swing" 1026 Swiss type turning center...

Maximizing indexable insert Drills' performance requires careful selection and application. (Cutting Tools).
May 1, 2002... In most medium-sized shops, drilling accounts for the majority of all machine time. Because of the high metal removal rates possible with indexable insert drills, they are becoming very popular, but it takes careful selection and application to...

New toolholder balancing system. (New Products and Literature).
May 1, 2002... The new PC-controlled ACURO balancing system combines an easy to setup graphical analytical software assuring that toolholders and cutting tools run true. It is available with a laser marking accessory. Designed to increase cutting efficiencies...

Battery-powered, Portable dot peen marker. (New Products and Literature).
May 1, 2002... The Heavy-Duty Portable Pro-Pen is a portable, battery-powered unit capable of marking a variety of materials and surfaces including machined, flat, concave, and circular either horizontally or vertically. It allows a maximum marking area of...

Value priced Studer CNC grinder. (New Products and Literature).
May 1, 2002... The Studer $3lcnc, designed for medium-sized workpieces, allows working with a considerably higher drive-spindle power of lOhp and with grinding wheels with a maximum diameter of 20.00" and a width of 3.15". The components, such as the...

CAM for Multi-Task Machining. (New Products and Literature).
May 1, 2002... The GibbsCAM Multi-Tasking Machining Module addresses the programming needs of the new breed of CNC multi-tasking machine tools, which employ tool groups/turrets and multiple spindles. The module offers "drag-and-drop" graphical user interfaces...

Ballbar system evaluates accuracy, process capability in minutes. (New Products and Literature).
May 1, 2002... Complete with diagnostic software and Zerodur calibration gage, Renishaw's QClO Ballbar System tests machining centers and lathes in minutes, to measure contouring errors that are only apparent when the machine is in motion. Affixing...

Sheet metal Flexible Manufacturing Cell. (New Products and Literature).
May 1, 2002... The Shear Genius Flexible manufacturing Cell (FMC) is designed to provide one machine capable of transforming a full-sized sheet into finished parts. It features an integrated turret punch press/right angle shear combination that allows...

Seals: simple but important; lack of PM can cause problems down the road. (Mike Breen on Preventive Maintenance).
May 1, 2002... This month I'd like to share a lesson that a customer recently learned about checking the seals on mating surfaces. This is one of the many tasks that should be carried out when performing a PM. I was called to a customer who was having a...