Modern Applications News articles from October 2003

Modern Applications News archives from October 2003

The enemy of my enemy ...(Editor's Corner)
October 1, 2003... Old sayings and adages owe their longevity to the fact that they contain a basic truth, usually stated in a way that requires one to pause and think. One of my favorite adages was told to me by my father, and it has served me well. So...

June machine tool consumption up 3%.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... June U.S. machine tool consumption totaled $244.55 million, according to AMTDA, the American Machine Tool Distributors' Association, and AMT--The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating...

Production, new orders grow employment, inventories decline.(Industry News)
October 1, 2003... Economic activity in the manufacturing sector grew in August for the second consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the 22nd consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On...

Flexible robotics handle job shop's pressing problem: by choosing robot handling over dedicated transfer systems, a job shop gained significant stamping contracts and a flexible for future jobs.(Robotics)
October 1, 2003... In 1997, an automotive manufacturer approached a job shop with a contract to produce four different seat rail parts--a combined total of 800,000 parts per year. As a job shop, Kapco, Inc. (Grafton, WI) manufactures component pieces for Tier 2...

Threadlocker sticks.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... The Henkel Loctite Corporation has introduced two threadlocking products in a semi-solid stick form. Loctite[R] 248, and Loctite[R] 268 deliver the same proven performance as Loctite[R] liquid threadlockers, but will not leak or drip and can be...

Assembling non-rounds.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... The ability to flare oval, square, retangular, D- and Double-D shaped pins, posts, and shafts is an advantage of an Orbital Forming Machine. The Taumel Bench top model T-132 forms a double-D shaft to secure the latch, providing its specific...

One part adhesive bonds polyethylene/polypropylene.(Assembly / Joining
October 1, 2003... Master Bond X17MED is a new one part adhesive for bonding polyethylene and polypropylene available from Master Bond Inc. This adhesive is USP Class VI certified, durable, water resistant, and cures readily at room temperature. Traditional...

New Clinch Fasteners.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... The Semblex Corporation offers specification literature on their Strux[R] Clinch Fasteners. These fasteners provide an alternative to traditional clinch and welded studs, nuts, or pins. Some of the benefits include elimination of welding and...

Two-piece anchor rivets.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... Micro Plastics, Inc. has extended its line of all plastic "Truss Head Anchor Rivets" to include lengths of 3" (76.20mm), 4" (127.0mm), and 6" (152.4mm). The Nylon anchor body provides high thermal, electrical, corrosion, and vibration...

New Activated Epoxy.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... The new Bond-It[TM] 7050 Activated Epoxy, from Cotronics Corporation, provides adhesion to most plastic surfaces producing bonds in many cases stronger than plastic substrates. These formulations incorporate adhesion promoters directly into the...

Self-locking fastener withstands heat to 450[degrees]F.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... The orange-colored Nytemp[R] from the Nylok Corporation, frees designers from the 250[degrees]F maximum of traditional materials and allows then to use self-locking fasteners with multiple cycle reuse capabilities. It is made of a high...

Hot Melt adhesive system.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... Spraymation, Inc. introduces the 3910 Series Thermopulse Hot Melt Unit that includes a large 10 gallon (80 lb.) "melt on demand" reservoir and positive displacement DC motor driven gear pump. This unit is an upright, free standing, space saving...

One side accessible blind threaded inserts.(Assembly / Joining / Fastening)
October 1, 2003... Atlas[TM] SpinTite[R] blind threaded inserts are designed for use in "blind" attachment applications, where only one side of a workpiece is accessible for fastener installation and final component assembly. These aluminum, brass, steel, and...

Easing the transition to CNC grinding: in the rush to acquire CNC grinding technology's significant advantages--quicker throughput, faster changeover, greater repeatability, etc.-, the danger often can be in rushing in too fast.(Abrasives / Grinding Machines)
October 1, 2003... As in all strategic decisions, the move to CNC from manual must be made with calculation, taking into account all areas likely to be effected: machine cost, operational impacts, quality, inventory, through-put, etc. Here's how a "splinter"...

Leading the pack in racing heads: M2 Race Systems is a niche player in a very fast-paced industry. As a supplier to cylinder head designers and manufacturers, primarily in the racing business, this Farmingdale, NJ shop produces CNC ported cylinder heads.(CAD / CAM / Shop Control Software)
October 1, 2003... M2 uses a variety of Fadal multi-axis machining centers that have rotary tables for 5-axis part articulation. As Ron Mielbrecht, M2 president, explains, "Most of our customers are either race engine builders, racing teams or the drivers...

How to efficiently saw bundled shapes: bundled side-by-side or top-to-bottom, thin-walled structural metal shapes pose a productivity dilemma for sawing shops.(Sawing)
October 1, 2003... Bandsaw efficiency is typically measured in cubic inches of stock removed per minute, and the most efficient cuts are those made in large, solid pieces. While bandsaw users bundle stock to cut more pieces per shift, they lose 40 to 50% of their...

High-temp alloy drilling costs slashed by 80%: switching to a new carbide drill with a special geometry designed to reduce cutting thrust has helped an aerospace components manufacturer reduce the cost of drilling a high-temperature alloy part by better than 80%.(Holemaking / Drilling
October 1, 2003... Three operations--center drilling, drilling, and reaming--were originally required to make a 0.1875" hole in an Inconel 718 component. Surface speed on the drilling operation was limited to 28 surface feet per minute (sfm) and an average of 18...

New concept in five-axis machining.(Wisconsin Tool Show Products)
October 1, 2003... Hermle Machine Company will present a new addition to the product line for applications requiring full simultaneous five-axis and/or five-sided machining at the Wisconsin Machine Tool Show. The C 30 U Dynamic utilizes a patented gantry design...

LED light is stationary/bright.(Wisconsin Tool Show Products)
October 1, 2003... The Loc-Lite, from Mitee-Bite Products, is a waterproof, bright LED light that will stay put during use. The batteries last for more than 100 hours, and the strong rubber coated magnet will not scratch painted surfaces as it holds the light in...

EDM machine ideal for plastic injection mold.(Wisconsin Tool Show Products)
October 1, 2003... The EDGE2S machine is specifically intended to facilitate safe unattended operation of entry-level EDM applications. This machine includes HQSF[TM] (High Quality Surface Finish) additive technology. This technology combined with the new...

Automated single spindle lathe.(Wisconsin Tool Show Products)
October 1, 2003... Fuji Machine America Corp. introduces an entry level, automated single spindle with built-in robotics. The TN-35TL is a high performance, fully automated 8", slant bed CNC lathe, designed as an alternative to aftermarket automation integration....

New version expands CAD/CAM capabilities.(Wisconsin Tool Show Products)
October 1, 2003... Shopware, Inc. joins CNC Software, Inc. in announcing the release of Mastercam[R] Version 9.1. The new features are designed to simplify complex processes, improve speed, and expand shops' capabilities. Among the improvements are increased tool...

New real-time Laser Scanning Inspection System.(Wisconsin Tool Show Products)
October 1, 2003... Romer CimCore is introducing a portable Laser Scanning Inspection System allowing real-time inspection of parts against CAD models and point-cloud generation for reverse engineering applications. The new system includes six- or seven-axis...

Shops taking advantage of new tax incentives: with most economic news being grim, the recent package of tax incentives for business, especially small business, is beginning to have positive effects on the metalworking industries.(Machining)
October 1, 2003... For manufacturing companies, 2003 remains one of the toughest economic periods in recent memory. Entire industries are consolidating, closing plants and shrinking capacity or moving it offshore. More than two million U.S. manufacturing jobs...

Correction.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... The CMI 100 Series, from Oxford Instruments, is their smallest coating measurement gage and weighs 2.3 ounces, not 3 lbs. as stated in our August 2003 issue. Oxford Instruments www.rsleads.com/310mn-174 or Circle 174 for more information ...

PCD inserts for non-ferrous materials.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... Sumitomo's NF-DA2200 Polycrystalline Diamond (PCD) insert NF-DA2200 is designed as a highest strength and wear resistant combination diamond, non-ferrous cutting tool grade. With a transverse rupture strength equal to that of C7 cemented...

Tap aligning center makes hand tapping easy.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... Millmate introduces a new tap aligning center for hand tapping applications. This spring center is used to align taps when hand tapping in lathes or drilling machines. The tool features a hardened 5/16" diameter center, a 1" plunger travel, #2...

Manufacturing services expanded.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... Guhring Inc., is utilizing its newest CNC grinding machines and advanced coating equipment to offer its customers reconditioning and coating services to restore standard and special tooling to the original factory quality, condition, and...

Flexible manufacturing unit available.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... The Finn-Power Express[R] is a Flexible Machining Unit (FMU) which allows full sized sheets to be automatically loaded onto the table of a turret punch press, punched, formed, and unloaded. These units are available with a 25-ton machine with a...

High performance end mill for aluminum.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... New from M.A. Ford, is the TuffCut[TM] X-AL, three-flute solid carbide high performance end mills, for extreme aluminum milling. Three flutes provide smooth cutting action at aggressive feed rates. The maximum strength required for heavy feed...

New ergonomic Tool Pro "Spin" fixture.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... A new version of the Tool Pro tightening and maintenance fixture from Big Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. is now available. The Tool Pro "Spin" features a versatile head that permits a full 360[degrees] tool rotation freely or can be locked in...

Continuous in-line blast system.(New Products And Literature)
October 1, 2003... The SP-900, designed and manufactured by Guyson Corporation, is a direct pressure blast system for processing continuous tubular material up to 1" in diameter. This through-feed blast system is specially adapted for surface treatment of tube,...

Precision optical instruments and micro-finishing products.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Titan Tool Supply's complete 116-page catalog of optical metrology and viewing instruments, general inspection tools, micro-finishing equipment, and video viewing systems is now online. Also included is information on a variety of miniature,...

Self-feed drilling.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... AutoDrill self-feed drilling equipment and multiple spindle heads can increase your production hole drilling for a reasonable cost. Operations that are difficult to perform by other methods can be setup for automatic trouble free production....

Super Chipmaster[R] Vacuums.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Goodway Super Chip-Master Vacuums recover and separate chips and coolant, then pump filtered coolant back into your machine tools. Each unit features an internal chip collection basket to trap metal shavings to 0.05". An optional polypropylene...

ATTC Product Source.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... The Product Source has been produced to show a sampling of the products produced by the American Torch Tip Company. ATTC produces over 16,000 different consumable parts as well as a range of MIG and plasma torches. The company makes consumables...

Broaching tools.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Horn USA has introduced a new line of inserted broaching tools for lathes and mills. Based on the concept of reciprocating broaching, these tools allow keyway broaching on existing machine tools. Available in standard widths from 2mm-12mm and...

Machine tool retrofits.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... CNC Engineering is leading the way in technology integration by providing customers with control solutions that tie together manufacturing processes such as CELLcontrol, tool monitoring and part acceptance. Utilizing Open Vision[TM] HMI...

New pulsed laser product brochure.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... GSI Lumonics has released a new brochure covering its JK700TR Series of pulsed laser products. Information included describes the product line's TR (twin-rod) technology, which improves beam quality, average power, and peak powers, as well as...

Dimensional measuring instruments brochure.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 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,...

Platenize your plant with Acorn platens.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 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...

New sales flyer.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... A new technical sales flyer describing Guhring's new Reconditioning and Coating services is now available. These services utilize the newest CNC grinding machines and advanced coating equipment to offer customers services to restore standard...

New catalog.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Scientific Cutting Tools new catalog now features more boring bars, thread tools, groove tools, thread mills, port tools, and tool holders. Also included are new product lines of diamond tipped boring bars, Single Profile Thread Mills, and...

Operate 3-phase equipment from 1-phase power.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 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 custom workholding capabilities brochure.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... The new brochure from Hardinge, Inc. includes photos of custom manufactured collets, step chucks, expanding collets, mill assemblies and fixturing devices. This brochure offers ways to get around obstacles like end-for-ending the part, holding...

Micro 100[R] super carbide tools.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Micro 100[R] super carbide tools will not chip or break under normal machining conditions. More than just a micrograin carbide of excellent quality, Micro 100[R] is in a class of its own, resulting from the Micro 100[R] treating process. The...

Tombstones ready to ship.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 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 they can...

High precision tooling systems.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Tecnara Tooling Systems introduces Catalog 603 with specifications for a wide range of precision toolholders, workholders, and accessories. Kitagawa's economical new MR and 5C Series rotary tables are featured. The new catalog includes...

Fast hole EDM systems.(Literature marketplace: free brochures & catalogs covering metalworking equipment)
October 1, 2003... Beaumont Machine provides fast hole EDM systems to a customer base that EDM's 0.018" diameter and larger holes in aircraft engine and land based power generation parts. The open architecture and unique motion allows handling of large and heavy...

Computer numeric controls: revisited: direct measurement systems for manual machine tools became popular during the 1970's because they provided easily read, accurate, repeatable measurement, and helped reduce setup time.(Ron Loeffler On The Three "R'S")
October 1, 2003... In spite of their benefits, production speed and part quality were still heavily operator skill dependent. They can't transform machine tools from manual to automatic operation and machine tools equipped with them can't approach the performance...