Modern Applications News articles from November 2006

Modern Applications News archives from November 2006

Continuous improvement=continuous chaos? "Change" is a roller-coaster ride. Some people enjoy it, for others it's white-knuckle terror. Using it properly means getting the traction to move ahead rather than futilely spinning wheels.(EDITOR'S CORNER)
November 1, 2006... Most of us keep doing the same old thing. It's a comfort to know that action X will always produce result Y. But for a business, remaining static is worse than standing still, it's creeping backwards. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Coffee...

Supplier adds Toyoda machines.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... Methods Machine Tools Inc., Sudbury, MA, is now selling Toyoda Machinery vertical machining centers: VMCs, bridges, and gantry machining centers. The company also will distribute Toyoda horizontal machining centers and cylindrical grinders...

July machine tool consumption down; Workholding shipments up.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... July machine tool consumption dropped compared with June results, according to the latest industry tool consumption report, but 2006 still outpaces the previous year. The Association for Manufacturing Technology--AMT--and the American...

Starrett bays Tru-Stone, a machine base manufacturer.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... L.S. Starrett Co., Athol, MA, has acquired Tru-Stone Technologies, Waite Park, MN. Tru-Stone produces custom engineered granite machine bases and accessories for inspection/measurement equipment and other industries. The Starrett Co....

Locating skilled workers is still a problem for Small Manufacturers.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... In an annual National Association of Manufacturers--NAM--survey, small and medium manufacturers say finding qualified workers to fill highly-skilled positions is still a problem. In the Small Manufacturers' Operating Survey, 43.6 percent...

Credit index strong despite economy weaknesses.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... The latest Credit Managers Index--CMI--from the National Association of Credit Management, Columbia, MD, shows the U.S. economy continuing its forward momentum but with pockets of weakness more evident. The manufacturing and combined...

Colorado biosciences receives Rising Star award.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... C5 Medical Werks, Grand Junction, CO, received the Rising Star award from the Colorado BioScience Association during the 2006 BioWest Conference, an annual bioscience and trade exposition in the Rocky Mountain region. C5 produces ceramic...

New cutting-jet website.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... Ultra high-pressure waterjet and abrasive jet manufacturer Jet Edge Inc., St. Michael, MN, has a new website, www.jetedge.com. The website includes customer access for on-line part ordering, regional sales and service contact information,...

Omron finalizes purchase of Scientific Technologies.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... Omron Corp., Kyoto, Japan, has completed its acquisition of Scientific Technologies, Inc., Fremont, CA., for $94 million. Scientific Technologies manufactures light curtains, laser scanners and other safety devices and services. It has been...

Mori Seiki USA offers shares in U.S.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... Mori Seiki USA, a manufacturer of machining centers and CNC lathes, has announced that it is now offering shares of the company in the United States. Mori Seiki Co, Ltd. has established an American Depository Receipt--ADR--program, which...

Delcam has record for first half of 2006.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... Delcam, a United Kingdom-based developer of CAD/CAM software, announced it had its best-ever half-year sales in the first six months of 2006. Sales from Jan. 1 to June 30 were $25.5 million, up 14 percent from the corresponding period in 2005....

President Bush visits Fox Valley Metal-Tech.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... President George W. Bush visited Fox Valley Metal-Tech, Green Bay, WI, and addressed the importance of the small business sector on the U.S. economy and its vitality to economic growth. The President explained the importance of cutting...

$1 million establishes welder program.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... The American Welding Society Foundation, Miami, received a $1 million pledge from Miller Electric Mfg. Co., Appleton, WI, and Hobart Brothers Co., Troy, OH, to start its Welder Workforce Development Program. The donation ensures additional...

Worker skill certification program introduced.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... The National Association of Manufacturers--NAM--along with several manufacturing industry representatives, in Washington, D.C., introduced a certification program, developed by the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council, for skilled...

Metal-finishing groups merge.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... Three metal-finishing trade groups agreed to merge into a single national organization. The American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society, the Metal Finishing Suppliers Association, and the National Association of Metal Finishers...

Metalcasting Congress set for May 2007.(Industry News)
November 1, 2006... The 111th Metalcasting Congress is set for May 15-18, in Houston, by the American Foundry Society and the North American Die Casting Association. During the event, more than 140 technical and management presentations will be held to give...

The impact of raising the minimum wage.(Letters to the Editor)(Letter to the editor)
November 1, 2006... About John Mullally's September article [Vol. 40, No. 9, "Minimum Sense on Minimum Wage," p. 58], I have some thoughts about minimum wage's economic impact, even though it does not directly affect my business. I agree job classification...

At IMTS, the fun may be upstairs, but the money is made in the basement.(FROM THE SHOP FLOOR)
November 1, 2006... This is the first column in a new MAN department: From the Shop Floor. These are observations and opinions from someone working in the job shop. There was money to be made at the IMTS show, not just by exhibitors and soft pretzel vendors,...

MAN editors survive IMTS with lots of information and just a few blisters: from all accounts at IMTS, things are looking up for the machine tool industry.(IMTS REVIEW)
November 1, 2006... Depending on the source, there were 57 or 64 miles of carpet in the aisles of the International Manufacturing Technology Show 2006 held at McCormick Place, and we walked every inch of them--twice, or so it seemed. There was a lot to see and do...

Ahead in the clouds: after 30 years, Alexander Calder's Mountains and Clouds kinetic sculpture needed refurbished. Simulation software helped create a down-to-earth solution to get the art online again.(SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS)
November 1, 2006... It wasn't a case of "The sky is falling!" but the clouds in Alexander Calder's Mountains and Clouds kinetic sculpture were broken and needed fixing. Calder designed the work of art for the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. The...

Laser cutting is the shining factor in an Oklahoma job shop's success: like many job shops, Midwest Precision started in a garage and grew by remaining flexible, but it was the inclusion of laser equipment that brought it prosperity.(JOB SHOP SHOWCASE)
November 1, 2006... Sometimes staying ahead of the competition isn't enough; a company has to stay abreast of its customers, too. Midwest Precision--MPI--of Tulsa, OK, brought laser-cutting technology in-house to keep up with customer demands. With the right...

Making every minute count adds up to a $12,000 savings: Dayton Forging & Heat Treating already knew the "rough," what it needed was the "ready." Second lathe set-ups on large stock ate minutes the company didn't want to lose.(WORKHOLDING)
November 1, 2006... "Bellying up to the bar," for Dayton Forging & Heat Treating, Dayton, OH, means making 1" width cuts in a steel bar 10' long and 28" in diameter. The company needed to increase efficiency in its lathe operations. That meant cutting an entire...

Machining moves production along swimmingly for jet boat builders: moving from mid-town Manhattan to an entrepreneurial shop floor, a couple of kayak enthusiasts learn the lesson of selecting the right machine for the right job.(MACHINING CENTERS)
November 1, 2006... Sometimes the only way to get what you want is to make it yourself. That's the lesson Rick Murray and Marie Sprock learned when they struck out on their own to build and sell "Mokais," motorized kayaks. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Murray...

Waterjet technology keeps Wisconsin tool and die firm on the cutting edge: using the same old process may get the job done, but investigating and incorporating new capabilities can be rewarding.(EDM/PLASMA/WATERJET)
November 1, 2006... Outsourcing may offer an alternative to an in-house investment in machines and employees, but it puts a firm at the mercy of another company. That's what Reich Tool & Design, Menomonee Falls, WI, found. Company management decided to buy the...

For hole-cutting, a company has seen the light and switched to lasers: CNC machining centers and lasers help reduce waste and increase efficiency.(LASERS)(Cover story)
November 1, 2006... Production Cutting Services, East Moline, IL, has seen the light--the laser light. The company--PCS--began in 1985 with founder Bill Duy and two other employees. It's become a multi-million dollar operation specializing in fabricated metal...

Programmable controls spotlighted on lubricator.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS: COOLANTS/LUBRICANTS/FILTERS)
November 1, 2006... SureFire automatic lubricators feature programmable controls that include one that permits operators more control over several functions, such as prelubrication cycles, run times, and error alert times. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The...

Magnetic coolant cleaners.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS: COOLANTS/LUBRICANTS/FILTERS)
November 1, 2006... The manufacturer's magnetic coolant cleaners remove grinding swarf and fine turnings from coolants. They work with face, surface and gear grinders; honing and lapping machines; broaching machines; and oil reclaiming machines. [ILLUSTRATION...

Coolant monitoring.(SPOTLIGHT PRODUCTS: COOLANTS/LUBRICANTS/FILTERS)
November 1, 2006... MyCoolant.net[R] brings together the power of the Internet and Embedded Sensors technology for monitoring industrial coolant systems. Concentration, temperature, and pH can be monitored 24/7. When parameters are outside of control limits,...

Tool and insert catalog update.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
November 1, 2006... A new 156-page supplement catalog is stuffed with innovations in inserts, milling-, boring-, and turning-tools for problem solving. It also includes the latest developments in the Xtra-tec-tool line and the new boring line, grooving line,...

Wire EDMs for medical manufacturing.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
November 1, 2006... The Robofil 240 Med-Pack wire EDM has an array of options for adapting to manufacturers' operations, including smart wire threading, integrated collision protection for workpieces, and linear glass scales for accuracy. The machine uses titanium...

EDMs produce deep holes.(NEW PRODUCTS AND LITERATURE)
November 1, 2006... High-speed CNC Hole Driller EDMs use rotating brass or copper electrodes to produce deep, small-diameter holes, 0.004" to 0.256" diameter. Automatic Smooth Start[TM] decreases current-at-hole starts to reduce burr formations. The 21-station...

100-page catalog of ovens and furnaces.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... Over 400 standard ovens and furnaces, with temperatures to 2700[degrees]F, as well as custom-designed heat processing systems are described in this catalog from Grieve. Grieve offers laboratory, bench, cabinet, truck, walk-in and conveyor...

Turnkey equipment *design* large machining.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... Ascension Industries offers design fabrication of turnkey process systems. Products and services include: vessels, instrumentation, sanitary, polishing, CNC boring, milling and drilling, CNC laser cutting, and brake press and sheet metal...

Welding blog now online.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... Viewpoints at MillerWelds.com/Results is a welding blog with technical advice postings from welding experts on topics such as examining the overall manufacturing process, how to spend less on consumables, and others. It's designed to be a place...

Remove rust with X-RUST.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... PICOCLEAN X-RUST removes rust safely, quickly, thoroughly (no effect on dimensions), and economically. No acids, no fumes, no outsourcing machined parts or scrapping steel. Save money in house with PICOCLEAN X-RUST and then protect your...

Flexfinish[TM]--Axially Compliant Material Finishing Tool.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... ATI has just released the newest addition to its line of Robotic Deburring Tools. The Axially-Compliant Material Finishing Tool, also known as Flex-finish, is a robust, low-speed, high-torque air tool with an axially-floating spindle, suitable...

Clamps and tooling components.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... This 680-page catalog includes toggle clamps, modular fixturing, chuck jaws, drill bushings, pins, knobs, power workholding, handles, supports, feet, locators, vises, and threaded inserts. Carr Lane Mfg. Co.; MO; 314-647-6200; Fax 314-647-5736;...

Free 34-page marking equipment catalog.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... Numberall Stamp & Tool., Inc., has a free 34-page catalog outlining all types of metal marking equipment. Included with every catalog is a FREE Length Of Impression Ruler, a versatile aid in determining character size and number of characters....

Dimensional measuring instruments brochure.(Literature Marketplace)
November 1, 2006... 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,...

Conservationists? More like addiction enablers: by fostering a NIMBY attitude--not in my back yard--some conservation organizations are keeping the U.S. hooked on foreign energy sources.('BY JOHN')
November 1, 2006... As a nation, and as an industry, the U.S. is addicted to our daily fix of 20 million barrels of foreign oil. Although it's an addiction, there isn't that much wrong with it. Oil does wonderful things: It provides us with transportation,...