Modern Applications News articles from November 2003

Modern Applications News archives from November 2003

Get the picture.(Editor's Corner)
November 1, 2003... The recent Wisconsin Manufacturing and Machine Tool Expo provided much more than a look at the latest technology. It provided what may be the answer to one of our industry's toughest challenges: recruitment. ********** In addition to...

July machine tool consumption 8% above 2002.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... July U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $157.06 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association, and AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in...

Northeast Region.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... At $19.03 million, July machine tool consumption in the Northeast Region was off 30.0% from June's $27.18 million, and off 20.7% when compared to July a year ago. Year-to-date consumption totaled $135.17 million, down 26.6% compared to 2002 at...

Southern Region.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... Southern Region machine tool consumption stood at $25.51 million in July, down 69.4% from June's $83.39 million, but 12.3% higher than the total for July 2002. At $248.64 million, year-to-date consumption was 8.6% ahead of the comparable figure...

Midwestern Region.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... July machine tool consumption in the Midwestern Region totaled $70.78 million, 13.8% less than June's $82.13 million but 53.9% higher than the total for last July. With a year-to-date total of $438.50 million, 2003 is 13.4% behind 2002 at the...

Central Region.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... Totaling $25.74 million, July machine tool consumption in the Central Region was off 3.3% compared to June's $26.62 million and off 31.0% when compared to July a year ago. The year-to-date total of $174.20 million was off 25.0% when compared to...

Western Region.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... Western Region machine tool consumption in July stood at $16.01 million, 9.1% less than June's $17.61 million, but 6.2% higher than the total for July 2002. At $106.20 million, year-to-date 2003 was down 30.8% from the comparable figure for...

Production, New Orders grow employment, inventories decline.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in September for the third consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the 23rd consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On...

PMI.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... The PMI indicates that the manufacturing economy grew in September for the third consecutive month. The PMI for September registered 53.7%, a decrease of 1% compared to the August reading of 54.7%. A reading above 50% indicates that the...

New Orders.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's New Orders Index grew in September with a reading of 60.4%. The index is 0.8% higher than the 59.6% registered in August, and it is the fifth consecutive month the index has exceeded 50%. A New Orders Index above 51%, over time, is...

Production.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's Production Index is 57.3% in September, 4.3% lower than the 61.6% reported in August, reflecting the fifth consecutive month of growth. An index above 49.9%, over time, is generally consistent with an increase in the Federal Reserve...

Employment.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's Employment Index remained below 50% in September for the 36th consecutive month. The index registered 45.7% in September compared to 45.9% in August, a decrease of 0.2%. An Employment Index above 47.8%, over time, is generally consistent...

Supplier Deliveries.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's Supplier Deliveries Index indicates delivery performance is slower when comparing September to August. September's reading of 52.4% is a decrease of 0.9% when compared to August's reading of 53.3%. A reading above 50% indicates slower...

Inventories.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... The rate of liquidation of manufacturers' inventories decelerated slightly in September as the Inventories Index registered 42.7%. This compares to 42.5% reported in August. The Inventories Index has been under 50% for 44 consecutive months. An...

Customers' Inventories.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... The Customers' Inventories Index is at 44.5%, an increase of 1.5% compared to the August reading of 43%. Respondents indicate that their customers do not have sufficient inventories on hand at this time. This is the 28th consecutive month that...

Prices.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's Prices Index indicates manufacturers continued to pay higher prices in September. This is the 19th consecutive month the index has registered higher prices. September's index is at 56%, 3% higher than August's reading of 53%. In...

Backlog of Orders.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's Backlog of Orders Index (not seasonally adjusted) registered 52.5%, indicating manufacturers' backlogs in September were higher when compared to August. Of the 89% of respondents who report their backlog of orders, 23% reported greater...

New Export Orders.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... ISM's New Export Orders Index for September registered 52.9%, a decrease of 2.4% when compared to August's index of 55.3%. This is the 21st consecutive month of growth in export orders. The eight industries reporting growth in new export orders...

Imports.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... Imports of materials by manufacturers grew during September as the Imports Index registered 60.7%. The index rose 5.6% when compared to August's index of 55.1%. The 14 industries reporting growth in import activity for September are:...

Vernon Devices catalog.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Vernon Devices has added three innovative tools that provide efficient means of counter-sinking, chamfering, and deburring holes. Vernon Devices is committed to assisting metal working professionals solve the complex problems of efficiently...

Hydraulic chucks for increased productivity.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... New 54-page four color catalog outlines Schunk's complete line of Tendo Hydraulic chucks providing superior clamping of tools. Complete manufacturing details are explained on the precision engineering involved in the manufacturing of the Tendo...

Improve your grinding efficiency.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Desmond dressers keep grinding wheels operating at peak efficiency. They remove the top layer of grit to expose fresh, sharp grain to improve grinding productivity. A free catalog featuring the complete line of diamond tool and precision...

McQuade Industries, Inc.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Dedicated to the design and production of highest value indexable carbide cutting tools since 1978. McQuade offers a wide variety of milling cutters, generating heads, draw bar style tools, boring bars, cartridges, and indexable boring systems....

Delivering predictability with 5-axis machining: the addition of 5-axis, high-speed machining allows a California aerospace shop to deliver what its customers demand in superalloy components: predictability.(Machining)(Cover Story)
November 1, 2003... Manufacturing for the aerospace industry demands systems, skills, and enduring attention to technology to not only manufacture for the present but to keep an eye on the future of the industry to develop and sustain an advantage in a highly...

New quill feed magnetic drills.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... Hougen Manufacturing, at FABTECH 2003, will exhibit the newest addition to its smooth action quill feed portable magnetic drills, the low-profile HMD150 for tight spaces and the HMD505 for heavy duty drilling. Also shown will be its full line...

Productivity-boosting technology.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... Miller Electric Mfg. Co. will display its Axcess[TM] 450 and Auto Axcess 450 multi-MIG welding systems at FABTECH 2003. Also being exhibited is the Maxstar[R] 150 Stick/TIG inverter, which offers more power-per-pound and is the only machine in...

In-Die Feeding System installs fasteners.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... The Pemserter[R] In-Die Fastener Feeding System will be exhibited by PennEngineering[R] Fastening Technologies during FABTECH 2003. This portable system installs self-clinching nuts, studs, and standoffs in workpieces during the stamping...

Springback compensation system.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... Bystronic, Inc. has announced that the PR Plus system option, exclusive springback compensation technology, is now standard on the full range of PR series press brakes. The Plus option eliminates test bending, checking, adjusting, and...

New additions to waterjet abrasives product line.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... Barton Mines Co., LLC is introducing the newest additions to its waterjet abrasives line, and will be exhibiting them at FABTECH 2003. From its comprehensive family of high performance waterjet abrasives HPX, HPA, and CG, the Barton 65 HPX and...

Two-speed Hydraulic Tapping Units.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... On display this year at FABTECH 2003 will be the FlexArm Hydraulic Tapping Units from Midwest Specialties, Inc. These units now come standard with a two-speed gearbox for tapping smaller sized parts at a faster rpm, and can be easily changed...

Fiber laser marking system.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... The Proscript[R] Zenith[R] 10F, a compact, portable, air-cooled, laser marking head from Telesis weighs just 8 lbs., and will be on display at FABTECH 2003. This unique laser features a fiber-coupled galvo head for remote controller input. The...

Welding tables with extended options.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... As part of its Demmeler modular fixturing system for welding, Bluco Corporation introduces an extended range of table options at FABTECH 2003. These tables are available in sizes from 20" X 40" (500mm X 1,000mm) to 6 1/2' X 13' (2,000mm X...

Compact RMT offers precision shearing.(Spotlight Products)
November 1, 2003... The RMT Shear, from Foremost Machinery Corporation, will be featured at FABTECH 2003. Features include precision back gauge with fine screw adjustment, built-in squaring bars for shearing full sheets or narrow strips, automatic sheet hold-down...

Lasers make the cut, add flexibility at Toro: three lasers and two press brakes from Cincinnati Incorporated perform one-stop cutting and bending on sheet metal components for complex golf course gang mowers.(Lasers)
November 1, 2003... A "one stop" laser cutting and bending cell at Toro's fabrication plant (Shakopee, MN) is bringing high-flex processing efficiencies to its most complex grass-cutting machinery--large "gang" mowers for golf courses and public green spaces. ...

Height gage replaces CMM, simplifies inspection process; To speed inspections, a shop replaced its CMM with a simple to use electronic height gage.(QC/Measurement/Inspection)
November 1, 2003... When it explored how best to up-date its in-process and final inspection programs for the microwave components it manufactures, Lorch Microwave (Salisbury, MD) knew that it had to abandon its CMM (coordinate measuring machine) and turn to an...

Cutting Tools Buyers Guide.(Cutting Tools Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... MAN-Modern Applications News presents its annual Cutting Tools Buyers Guide, an alphabetical guide to manufacturers and distributors of Cutting Tool equipment and supplies for the metalworking industry that have responded to requests for...

Sawing Buyers Guide.(Sawing Buyers Guide)
November 1, 2003... MAN-Modern Applications News presents its annual Sawing Buyers Guide, an alphabetical guide to manufacturers and distributors of Sawing equipment and supplies for the metalworking industry that have responded to requests for company and product...

When is material too hard for conventional sawing? It is commonly accepted among metal sawing technologists that cutting steel hardened to Rockwell numbers in the 60s is a job for a diamond grit-edge blade, not a regular band saw blade.(Sawing)
November 1, 2003... Such hard metals are exceedingly difficult to cut, even with the best carbide tooth blade. However, the Saw Division of L.S. Starrett Company (Athol, MA) has done just that following a challenge at a metal cutting specialist customer. ...

Squaring tool speeds turret mill alignment: the vertical turret mill is one of the most versatile pieces of equipment in a machine shop, because it is easy to set-up and the head of the machine can be moved in an infinite number of simple or compound angles anywhere on the work plane.(Machining)
November 1, 2003... This versatility, however, comes with a price. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] These machines exhibit inherent weaknesses due to the fact that there are numerous articulated joints that facilitate the movement of the head. The primary...

From design to production, how a machine tool evolves.(Machining)
November 1, 2003... Bringing a new product, even a commodity product such as a tool room mill, to market is no easy task. The "beta testing" of a tool room mill in Fadal's machine shop resulted in several substantial improvements to the initial design before its...

Cheaper mini cylinders replace die springs, nitrogen cylinders.(Metalforming/Bending/Fabricating)
November 1, 2003... Press tooling that runs without failing is what every stamper wants. Especially when the runs are high volume. ********** Logghe Stamping Co. (Fraser, MI) is an award-winning supplier to DaimlerChrysler producing types of parts few...

New literature release.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... A new brochure, from Heatbath, overviews the various metal cleaning and metal treatment products, which are used before and after heat treating processes. Included are biodegradable cleaners, rust preventatives, black oxide, zinc plating, high,...

Integrated coolant recovery system.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... Sanborn Technologies offers the Patriot integrated on-site recovery system for coolants and cutting oils. This system removes solids to one micron, tramp oil to 0.25%, and reduces bacteria levels to the levels found in freshly mixed coolant....

Helical coil heating elements replace plug/rack heaters.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... Helical coil elements provide consistent performance over a broad temperature range without the costs associated with rack construction and maintenance. Custom Electric Manufacturing Company, manufactures replacement helical coil heating...

Industrial hardware components catalog.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... The Fall 2003 Reid Tool Supply catalog is now available offering 45,000+ different industrial hardware components. Items available in the catalog include handwheels, handles, knobs, springs and ball plungers, leveling pads, clamps, fasteners,...

V-flange/HSK tool holder adapters.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... T. M. Smith Tool increases its product line to include a wider variety of V-flange and HSK tool holder adapters, available in both ANSI B5.50 and DIN 69893 standards. These tool holders are designed for use with both carbide and HSS cutting...

Turning center redefines productivity/value.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... The Quick Turn (QT) Nexus 250 From Mazak Corp. is a new version of the widely used turning center with new levels of speed, precision, and efficiency. The headstock features a new advanced integral spindle/motor capable of handling heavy-duty...

New coated cermet for steel turning.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... The new T2000Z, from Sumitomo Electric Carbide, Inc., is a grade for high-speed finishing in steel applications where cermet is too brittle and carbide wears rapidly. This grade possesses high heat resistant properties and is coated with the ZX...

Single-roll burnishing tools.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... The versatile UBT-B Universal[TM] boring bar-style burnishing tool, from Cogsdill Tool Products, Inc., generates low surface finishes on shafts, faces, tapers, contours, and larger ID's (>2.750"). This tool utilizes a single burnishing roll,...

New flexible tooling system.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... Exsys Tool Co. announces the availability of their Preci-Flex[R] System, the first to use a single base holder for collets and multiple tooling adapters. This new system is designed to make lathe tooling changeovers quick, accurate, and...

New weld shaver.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... Heck Industries has added a new hand held weld shaver to their line of fabricating equipment. The two horsepower Model WS-625 uses standard carbide inserts in a milling cutter to shave weld beads flush to a workpiece. Used for cleaning butt and...

Indexable hollow mills boost productivity.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... Genesee Manufacturing Company, Inc., introduces the new GEN-DEX[R] Indexable Hollow Mill. This adjustable, positive rake, indexable insert hollow mill enables operators to hollow mill from the end of a part with multiple indexable inserts. The...

New catalog covers expanded line.(New Products and Literature)
November 1, 2003... The new edition of the Minute Man Stock Broach Catalog is now available from the DuMont Corporation. The catalog has a pictorial index and describes a complete line of standard keyway and hole broaches; broach sets available off-the-shelf from...

Extend cutting fluid life.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... HaloFresh[TM] Coolant Xtender destroys odors, extending the life of cutting fluids. The drastic reduction in fluid turnover translates to significantly lower coolant purchase costs and disposal fees, reduced machine downtime and decreased...

CNC and robotic edge deburring.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Speedeburr's family of robust, high-speed air tools incorporates a floating head for edge deburring and chamfering of aluminum, plastic, steel, and other materials with a robot or CNC machine. The tools enable the operator to maintain a...

Platenize Your Plant with Acorn Platens.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Wherever metal is formed, shaped or welded, Acorn platens are standard equipment. The gray iron castings may be used singly or in multiple groupings. Their sizes range from 9 sq.-ft. to 40 sq.-ft. The top surface and side ledges are machined to...

Spin Roll features.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... St. Mary Spin Roll Fixtures feature a patented design that uses three intermeshing contact rolls. This ensures precise, repeatable, automatic linear positioning and concentricity up to 0.0002" during precision cylindrical grinding or machining...

High Performance TAPS.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The YG-1 Co. offers a full color catalog on its high performance taps, which reduce galling and seizing, extend life with minimum coolant, and reduce tap inventory. This catalog includes all styles and sizes listed in easy to follow charts, and...

Vibratory finishing equipment.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... C & M Topline manufactures a full line of affordable finishing equipment ranging from rotary tumbler bases with five sizes of rotary tumbling barrels. Three sizes of vibratory bench top bowls, along with 3 and 6.5 cubic foot rectangular...

Clamps and tooling components.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... This 640-page catalog includes toggle clamps, modular fixturing, chuck jaws, drill bushings, pins, knobs, power workholding, handles, supports, feet, locators, vises, and threaded inserts. Now on CD. Carr Lane Mfg. Co.; MO; 314-647-6200; Fax...

The World of Clamping.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... DE-STA-CO, the worldwide leader and innovator in toggle clamping technology, introduces its revised 2003 World of Clamping catalog. The catalog includes 60 new product releases and dozens of product enhancements highlighted as our "Design...

High-speed steel furnaces.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The HS Brochure describes the line of high-speed tool steel furnaces. Designed with silicon carbide heating elements for operation to 2,450[degrees] F. These furnaces feature an SCR power supply and ceramic fiber insulation for fast heat and...

Workholding, positioning components.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... A new catalog from Fairlane Products features more than 2,000 size and pattern variations of serrated grippers, encompassing hardened high-speed steel or solid carbide diamond, straight, single-point, and edge grippers. Other products include...

GibbsCAM[R] interactive tour.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... This multimedia CD-ROM introduces the GibbsCAM product line and shows why GibbsCAM is your best choice for CAM software. Actual customers tell how GibbsCAM addressed their manufacturing problems and improved their company's productivity and...

Super ChipMaster[R] Vacuums.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Goodway Super Chip-Master Vacuums recover and separate chips and coolant, then pump filtered coolant back into machine tools. Each unit features an internal chip collection basket to trap metal shavings to 0.05". An optional polypropylene...

Program Mazatrol with CamLink for Windows[R] software.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Support Mazatrol offline with CamLink for Windows. With CamLink, you can program in Mazatrol, link to CAD, print, and store programs off-line. CamLink supports all Mazak controls, and features 3-D solid tool path verification, drag-and drop...

More room to blast.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Empire's latest ProFormer[TM] blast cabinet combines a large, 46" X 52" working area and all operating components within a single enclosure. Designed to conserve space, the self-contained cabinet is easy to hook-up and simple to move between...

New brochure available.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... M.A. Ford Mfg. Co., has a new brochure available featuring the new high-performance 3-flute end mills, TuffCut[TM] X-AL, for extreme aluminum milling. Stub, standard, and long lengths, along with Gem Coat (A-DLC), Fordlube, and uncoated tools...

Tombstones ready-to-ship.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Mid-State Machine is a premier supplier of workholding technology to leading machining center OEM's. A large inventory of fixtures, both machined complete and raw castings, speeds delivery. Choose from the catalog of standard items or design...

Dimensional measuring instruments brochure.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... This brochure details digital indicators; linear gage sensors with ranges of 1" - 4" and accuracies up to 0.00002". These gages measure dimensions, thickness, curvature, eccentricity, displacement, height, depth, flatness, variation, run-out,...

Free catalog of 45,000+ different tooling components.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The Fall 2003 Reid Tool Supply catalog is now available offering over 45,000 items of popular and hard to find components. The 512-page catalog includes hand-wheels, handles, knobs, spring and ball plungers, leveling pads, clamps, bearings,...

Operate 3-phase equipment from 1-phase power.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... ROTO-CON[R] rotary phase converters allow metalworking equipment that requires three-phase electric power to operate from single-phrase power sources. Ideal for applications such as drills, lathes, mills, presses, and saws. Can also operate...

New turning tools catalog.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Sandvik Coromant's new catalog presents its wide variety of turning tools. This 800-plus page catalog groups tools into sections based on functions. Information and specifications are presented in an intuitive layout including multiple guides...

New x-ray diffraction system.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... The TEC 4000 x-ray diffraction system non-destructively measures stresses created by processes like welding, bending, heat treating, rolling, and shot peening. Residual stresses can either enhance or degrade component lifetime, performance or...

New Product Guide.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2003... Telesis Technologies, Inc. presents their new Product Guide which includes the following new items; Zenith[R] 10 F Pulsed Fiber Laser--for unattended, factory integrated applications and the Zenith[R] 10G Laser--for high resolution, photo...