Modern Applications News articles from May 2007

Modern Applications News archives from May 2007

The rise of the machines: as the native intelligence of the machines on the shop floor rises, employees have to keep up or be left behind.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
May 1, 2007... There are two trade show sections in this issue, one reviews the Society of Manufacturing Engineers' WESTEC show, the other previews SME's EASTEC show. Besides the obvious differences between these two shows--one in California, the other in...

An example of government priorities.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
May 1, 2007... Wow, good editorial on NASA [March 2007, Vol. 41, No. 3, Editor's Corner "Space: Too Important to be Left to the Government," p. 6]. In defense of your editorial I must say it is not just NASA that is looking to protect its jobs, hire for...

40 years ago in MAN.
May 1, 2007... Spray-on Lubricant, Rust Preventative Saves Manufacturer, Customer Time When a customer writes a manufacturer, requesting information on another company's product, that's news! The Auto-Soler Co., of Atlanta, Georgia, manufacturer of...

It can pay to change horses on the repeat job merry-go-round: a repeat job may seem good-to-go, but a second look can mean improving profits.(FROM THE SHOP FLOOR)
May 1, 2007... There is nothing that a job shop likes more than a repeat job. In our shop, it's almost like a "free spin" on Wheel of Fortune. A job where the engineering is done, the programs are proven, and your operators are familiar is a great way for a...

Romer and Faro announce settlement of all outstanding lawsuits.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... Romer, Inc., and Faro Technologies, Inc., reached agreement to settle all outstanding disputes between them. The two companies had suits pending in California and Florida over patent infringement and false advertising. Terms of the agreement...

Strong growth predicted for industrial wireless networking in the next five years.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... The global market for wireless infrastructure networking products is growing rapidly, according to Venture Development Corp., which published a six-volume study of global wireless markets. User requirements for wireless and wireline network...

Gibbs and CGTech announce collaboration agreement.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... Gibbs and Associates, developer of CNC machine tool software, and CGTech, developer CNC software simulation, announced a collaborative agreement between the two companies. CGTech's Vericut CNC simulation software will have a direct...

Kobe Steel achieves world's strongest aluminum alloy.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... Kobe Steel, Ltd., announced it created an aluminum alloy with a tensile strength of 780 MPa, using a spray forming process that it developed. The manufacturer claims it is the world's strongest aluminum. Kobe Steel is seeking applications that...

Seco announces customer-centric service offerings.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... Seco Tools Inc., unveiled its Seco Business Solutions portfolio, a customer profitability-improvement service. The Business Solutions Portfolio has a variety of services and strategies so customers can stay competitive in the global...

KMT forms Robotic Solutions company.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... The KMT Group has founded KMT Robotic Solutions. KMT Robotic Solutions was created from KMT Cutting Systems, a robotic waterjet trimming system headquartered in Sweden, and Robotic Production Technology, a North American robotic waterjet...

Fabricators & Manufacturers Association Foundation elects new members.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... Five new members were elected to the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association--FMA--at the association's annual meeting: Matthew Hotch, Bryan Hawkins, Cynthia VanderWaal, Marcia Arndt, and Jeffrey Knauf. Each will serve a two-year term on the...

Delcam sets sales record in 2006.(Industry News)
May 1, 2007... CAD/CAM developer Delcam again achieved record sales in 2006. Group sales for the year ending Dec. 31 rose 14 percent to [pounds sterling]26.7 million [$52.04 million] from [pounds sterling]23.5 million [$45.8 million] in 2005. Profit before...

Tighter tolerance EDMs pay off for medical manufacturer: World Class Technology is more than the company's name, it is its reputation. Maintaining that rep meant finding machines to match the company title.(MEDICAL MANUFACTURING)
May 1, 2007... While it never pays to be sloppy, manufacturing medical products sometimes calls for tighter tolerances than other production. For World Class Technology, McMinnville, OR, holding tolerances in the ten-thousandths-inch range was critical, and...

Cutting costs with cutting consumables: continuously looking for equipment to cut costs led a manufacturer to plasma cutting equipment with part commonality.(PLASMA CUTTING)
May 1, 2007... When Newton Crouch Sr. bought a cotton gin and warehouse business in rural south Georgia back in 1940, he had no idea the business would evolve into a nationally-recognized leader as a manufacturer of large industrial-sized liquid and granular...

Lathe turns into a cost saver: a Wisconsin shop saw a significant time-to-part reduction with a new lathe.(TURNING CENTERS)
May 1, 2007... Rotating Equipment Repair, Inc., Sussex, WI, took a step forward in its machining technology with the use of a CNC cycle-controlled lathe. By adding the lathe for turning pump shafts and other long, heavy workpieces, RER realized a 33 percent...

Cutting tool management leads to increased profits: managing cutting tools and consumables as they move around the shop floor can have as big an impact on cost-savings as using the right tool in a machine.(CUTTING TOOLS)
May 1, 2007... Effective competition is more than pushing parts out the door. Increased machining productivity is critical to any shop's survival, but, what Avon Gear Co., Rochester Hills, MI, discovered is that cost savings can present itself in some...

Getting estimates right the first time: responding to requests for quotes with manual estimates was costing a shop specializing in high-tech jobs profits with under-bids. Moving to a cost-estimating system not only made their bids closer to actual costs, but offered customer benefits as well.(SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS)
May 1, 2007... Despite job estimating experience, Northeast Manufacturing, Inc., Stoneham, MA, found it would sometimes contract for a job that became a "loser," not hitting profitability estimates. It turned to a cost-estimating software and found it not...

Software turns a 100-year-old idea into reality: keeping things simple doesn't mean keeping them stupid, for a one-man shop, a CAD/CAM package allowed fast prototyping.(CAD / CAM)
May 1, 2007... Rapid prototyping is critical for inventors. Waiting three weeks to have a wireframe drawing turned into metal, and then finding errors and having to repeat the process was wasting Chris Gamble's time. He turned to a 3D solid CAD/CAM package...

WESTEC wrapup: sunny Los Angeles hosted the WESTEC show and conference and manufacturers took advantage of the weather and location to show off.
May 1, 2007... The American Society of Mechanical Engineers annual conference and trade show, WESTEC, pulled the majority of its attendees from west of the Mississippi to Los Angeles, but if the number of people walking the aisles was any indication, the show...

Robot cell software cuts programming time: finding the process automation to streamline robot programming reduced instruction time by half.(PROCESS AUTOMATION)(Company overview)
May 1, 2007... D&S Manufacturing, Black River Falls, WI, is a metal fabrication and manufacturing facility faced with the strains of a growing business. Founded in 1965, D&S supplies parts and assemblies for OEM clients in the agricultural and construction...

Ultrasonic machining found to be a sound idea: when machining one of the world's most expensive materials, there's no room for mistakes.(MACHINING)(Cover story)
May 1, 2007... Through the use of ultrasonic machining on various glass ceramic composites, including Zerodur, the ASML Optics Group, Richmond, CA, improved its productivity. The firm supplies its parent company, ASML, Veldhoven, The Netherlands, with...

Turnkey solutions offer productivity boost.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Productivity in Motion is the focus of the presentation about turnkey solutions for the job shop, medical, and aerospace markets. Siemens will exhibit the newest innovations in CNC, motor, and drive technology as well as new value-added...

EDM performs 20 percent faster.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The FA20VS EDM machine provides automatic threading capabilities of wire sizes 0.006" to 0.014" using the machine's high-speed roughing, as well as fine finishing abilities. The V500 power supply provides the proper combination of voltage and...

Round insert cutters are part of a new line.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... A new line of round insert cutters is suitable for roughing and semi-finishing in face and copy milling applications. The new cutters feature a hard nickel coating--700+ Vickers--on the cutter body, which offers protection from chip wear,...

One insert performs multiple operations.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The Tormill is designed to perform facing, plunging, and undercutting using the same insert. The peripherally-ground insert features a clearance angle so it can perform a number of operations on a variety of materials. The small corner radii...

Twin-wire EDM for precision.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The Charmilles Robofil 2050TW EDM has an twin wire design for precision and accuracy. It features a fully-digital generator that offers control over the spark. The generator provides a surface finish as fine as [R.sub.a] 0.05 [micro]m in...

Module has multiple 5-axis CNC capabilities.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... A new CNC machine tool programming option which supports 5-axis simultaneous milling, will be demonstrated. The new option extends existing machining capability. The module is capable of multi-surface 5-axis roughing and finishing; flowline...

Turning center weighs in at 7,820 lb.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Debuting is the Elite 27 MS turning center. The turning center has a 27mm bar capacity spindle. It comes standard with the manufacturer's jaw chuck/collet-ready spindle, a 16-station turret top plate with live tooling, C-axis contouring, and a...

Portable surface finish gage measures 24 finish parameters.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Pocket Surf PS1 is a portable surface finish gage weighing 14 oz and can measure more than 24 surface finish parameters with its high-resolution inductive probe. The PS1 has USB connectivity, optional PC software, and other features. The unit's...

Toolholder has automatic coolant system.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The Victory Tool Post has a built-in automatic through-coolant system that is activated when the toolholder is locked on the tool post; it is automatically deactivated when the toolholder is removed. When turn, thread, cut-off, drill, and bore...

CNC Tool Storage Cabinets are forklift moveable.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... CNC Tool Storage Cabinets and Transporters are available in a variety of sizes, heights, and drawer configurations. The cabinets are equipped with toolholders frames and toolholders to accommodate a variety of standard-sized CNC tool holders....

Coordinate measurement machine modular fixturing system aids repeatability.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Fixture plates, fixture towers, standoffs, pin rest pads, magnetic rest pads, and soft touch clamps are part of the line of modular CMM fixturing. Black, anodized aluminum CMM fixture plates have 1/4-20 tapped holes on 1/2" centers and are...

High removal rates with roughing end mill tools.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Multi-Cut Tools are a line of high-performance, solid-carbide roughing endmills engineered for materials such as cast iron, titanium, titanium alloys, and steels up to 44[R.sub.c]. With a progressive edge profile and variable helix technology,...

Video demos show turning center.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Video demonstrations of the STC 400 Superabrasive Turning Center outfitted with an automatic loader for automotive drive sprockets with five-second part exchange time will be presented at the show. Without an optional auto loader, the STC 400...

Toolholder line provides simplicity and fast changes.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The swissQuick toolholding system is the newest innovation to join the company's family of products. Providing a wide range of models, the swissQuick toolholders come in various types--ER 8 to ER 25--and clamping ranges - 0.5mm to 13mm....

Horizontal machining center pallet handles 1,000 lb.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The new EC-400PP HMC expands the production capability of the EC Series of horizontal machining centers. The six-station pallet pool has a 20"x20"x20" work cube, with 400mm pallets, and a 1[degrees] pallet indexer. Other standard features...

Software offers collision avoidance and other features.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... FeatureCAM 2008 offers a variety of methods for controlling the tool axis in 5-axes. The user can set a specific lead and/or lean angle. This can be done either to access areas unreachable with 3-axis machining or to provide better cutting...

Tilting waterjet compensates for taper.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... The 2652 JetMachining Center can be equipped with a Tilt-A-Jet nozzle, a cutting head that allows for virtuallv zero taper in most materials. Known for its quick turnaround, the 2652 can be used for short-run part production, prototype...

Action clamps exceed legacy model capacity.(EASTEC)
May 1, 2007... Horizontal Handle Hold-Down Action Clamps are the latest generation of manual toggle clamps. The clamps offer an average of twice the holding capacity of legacy models in the same envelope. Maximum holding capacity of the clamps range from 295...

Using the right drill lets a department keep on trucking: when 200 holes have to be drilled into a truck chassis to customize it for heavy-duty work, time can't be wasted fussing with a lot of tool changes or dealing with cranky equipment. Finding the right equipment decreased drilling time by 80 percent.(SPOTLIGHT)
May 1, 2007... Customizing a heavy-duty work truck chassis for specialty use means drilling holes to accommodate added axles, fit beefier suspension components, add cross members, install electric braking systems, and create other modifications. Putting those...

Oven arrives good to go.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... Model 4GT-T30 is a large, heavy-duty, inert atmosphere gas-tight recirculating oven capable of operation from 200[degrees]F to 1,400[degrees]F. Featuring a welded and gasketed heavy-gauge outer shell, double-pivot gasketed door, and a rear wall...

Clamping for 5-axis machining.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The VB 5 AX 100 clamping system provides a clamping force up to 8,992 lb for obstruction-free, high-speed machining in all five axes. The clamping system extends the operating range of the machining center to its full output potential. The...

CAD/CAM tested, Mori Seiki approved.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... PartMaker CAD/CAM software provides users a seamless programming solution for the Mori Seiki NT Turn-Mill center. The software supports the full line of the machine manufacturer's multi-axis lathes including the ZT, MT, NL, DL, and SL models...

The reel deal.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The LG series of hose reels is designed for tubing, air, and water applications. The reels are equipped with a continuous radius grommet-style tubing guide. They have no corners or rollers to pinch or catch the tubing, and a slick surface for...

No-center indicating heads offer faster Swiss setup.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... Rotary Broach heads have "no center indicating" allowing for faster and easier setups for CNC Swiss-type machines and gang-style lathes. Specifically designed for Swiss turning, the model 2160 has application in medical and dental implant...

Torque-controlled DC screwdrivers for precision work.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The Torq2 TL-6500 and TL-3000 drivers are torque-controlled, low-voltage DC screwdrivers for precision assembly work. The clutches automatically stop when a work preset torque is reached, eliminating over-and under-tightening. The drivers each...

Sump vac has twice the suction.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The ZVAC II Sump Assistance Vacuum System has twice the power of the ZVac I for cleaning machines and sumps. It features a 40 gpm intake and discharge for machine sump and shop floor maintenance, an easy-lift particle filtration basket, and an...

Short-run fastener operates on shop air.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The Pemserter Series 4 manual press is designed for short production runs and installs self-clinching fasteners in applications where automated systems would be impractical. It uses pneumatic power driven by shop air. It has an 18" throat depth...

Explosion-proof manual motor starters with lock-out provision.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... A line of explosion-proof manual motor starters is available to complement a growing line of motor control products for hazardous and industrial areas. The MS2000 line of explosion-proof manual motor starters include the Cutler Hammer A302...

Laser sintering system for prototyping and manufacturing.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The Formiga P 100 is a laser-sintering system designed to be fast, efficient, compact, and affordable. It offers shops a cost-effective and flexible entry into laser-sintering. It has a build envelope of 8"x10"x13" housed in a 52"x42"x77"...

Lathe offers a 22 lb gantry loader.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... Designed for contract manufacturing and OEMs, the TNW-3500R automated lathe provides turning, drilling, and milling operations. It has twin spindles, a gantry robot, and a slant bed. A live tool turret performs secondary operations. Live tool...

Improved protection for live centers.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... Roto-Shield can increase a live center's operating life up to 300 percent, according to the manufacturer. It consists of an oversized steel coolant slinger machined into the center's rotating point, combined with a spring-loaded neoprene seal...

Lock out moisture and corrosion with an odorless coating.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... Dri Touch Amber blocks rust and corrosion on metals without affecting part operation. Producing a colorless, odorless barrier film, it is dry-to-the-touch and highly resistant to humidity and corrosion. It will not drain off parts or wick off...

Wire Marker for imprints with foil.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The Hz2.1 Portable Hot Stamp Wire Marker permanently marks wires where large, pre-planned batches based on automated equipment is not practical. The marker operates on 120VAC. It uses heat with imprint foil to emboss user-selectable...

Non-sparking brushes of brass or bronze.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... Brass or bronze brushes are available in a wide range of sizes for non-sparking and metal-finishing applications. Popular styles include wheel and cup brushes in both crimped and knot wire, wheel and end brushes with 1/4" stems, and power tube...

Additional die lube availability.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
May 1, 2007... The Low Volume Spray System--LVSS--is designed for metalforming die lubrication. The LVSS can lubricate parts and tooling with unique requirements or those needing more lube than the coil stock lubrication process provides. The scalable,...

Feature attraction: a "feature" by any other name may be machined as neat. Before a discussion of "feature recognition" can take place, there has to be an agreement on the definition.(THE LAST WORD)
May 1, 2007... "Feature recognition" is a CAD/CAM buzz-phrase. What's a "feature" and how is it "recognized?" To understand features we have to understand how they are used. Features are introduced as part of CAD modeling. It's shorthand for...