Machine Tools & Metal Working News

The notion of companies sharing global networks of computers to drive their IT processes may sound a long way from the realities of shopfloor machining operations. But, argues productionmachining.com, that concept — known as 'cloud computing' — is absolutely relevant to all manufacturing companies from multi-nationals to job shops and will become increasingly important. That is because the promised benefits — most notably the precise matching of computer usage to actual requirements and freedom from localized glitches — are available to users of every size. Any manufacturing company that uses the approach stands to gain a competitive advantage over rivals that do not.

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GlobalSpec's Industrial Automation & Robotic Systems Event — January 12, 2011

Join your peers and leading manufacturers for this free, informative, and interactive ONLINE conference and trade show — right from the convenience of your desktop. Participate in any or all of the educational sessions, network with peers, and meet with manufacturers eager to showcase their latest products, services, and new technology offerings. Learn more about the educational sessions offered to meet your information needs, and register today!

The new MK-Z from SMC Corporation of America combines the compact overall length and high strength. This combination gives you more work piece mounting and fixture design flexibility. The MK-Z is a great solution for work piece clamping.

Why go offshore for precision machining? Central Components, a female minority owned business, provides economically feasible precision machining options for North American customers. From concept to finished product, they have streamlined their processes to get it right the first time, eliminate expensive rework, minimize waste and save the customer money! View video...

Parker's extensive Global motor offering includes: electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic technologies. Applications are virtually unlimited and Parker application experts assist you in selecting either standard products or custom designed solutions.

Featured product:

MaxPlusPlus (MPP and MPJ) brushless servo motors feature segmented lamination technology, yielding up to 40% higher torque than conventionally wound servo motors.

Greenerd Press & Machine Co. is a leading manufacturer of hydraulic press solutions with product capability to 10,000 tons, bed sizes exceeding 240 in., and a variety of press styles. Equipped with the latest controls and technology, Greenerd presses can be custom designed for a wide range of applications. Learn more at http://www.greenerd.com

Before EDM operations begin, a start hole is needed to insert the electrode wire. That once required a separate drilling machine, but the two operations are increasingly being integrated. The result, illustrated in americanmachinist.com by a detailed analysis of a typical current product, is a breed of compact, efficient machines delivering consistent quality levels.

Medical equipment frequently requires extremes of precision at very small scale. Engineers at a German med tech plant sought to drill holes 35 mm deep by 0.8-1.2 mm wide in screws that were only 3 mm in diameter. Learn how they achieved a solution through close cooperation with their machine tool supplier.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Medical Equipment Design.

When do attempts to repair dated transfer systems used in metal stamping operations become self-defeating? When is it better to buy new? Find some answers to those questions in this ameritooldie.com article, which uses the experience of a Tier One automotive supplier in the southeastern U.S. to underscore the lessons.

Here's a tale about partnership and innovation from fandmmag.com relating how an architectural firm and a metal former linked up in California to produce innovative railing systems from sheet materials. The rails look good, are easy to make, and are 100% recyclable. Yet neither company had worked with the other type before.

Bluco's modular fixturing speeds up the time from the drawing board to the racetrack. Prototype and production versions of this go cart frame are built using a standard set of modular tooling components. Our fixture design engineers are able to create customized modular fixturing solutions for your specific applications.

CIMCOOL assures your satisfaction with complimentary product trials and a No-Hassle Performance Guarantee. Add exemplary customer service, you have a partner that helps increase productivity. For product information or a complimentary trial go to cimcool.com

If you are having problems finding a hard chrome plating supplier that can handle complex part geometries, small to extremely large items, ID/OD plating, or other issues, Hartchrom Inc. is in the business of solving those issues for you. Learn more...

Choose Norton SG Blaze® F980 Fiber Discs for metal removal, weld grinding, light deburring and finishing. Norton SG BLAZE F980 ultimate-performing, ceramic fiber discs, last 50% to 200% longer on alloys, mild and carbon steel, and stainless with the highest productivity and lowest total cost.

Phacos are ultrasonic tools that vibrate up to 40,000x/second when employed during cataract surgery. One company that makes their titanium tips is American OptiSurgical of Lake Forest, CA. Find out from cncwest.com how a recent change of cutting fluid increased cutting tool life by 15-20% and enhanced product quality.

A California company looks to market carbide-grade cutting tools with a melting temperature of around 2,870 C — double that of conventional counterparts that use cobalt as a binder. Instead, as ctemag.com notes, the Hyper-Carbide material is based on a patented formulation that enables it to survive conditions that would literally destroy other tools.

The world watched as the Chilean miners trapped underground last year were brought to the surface one by one. The rescue was effected, in part, by Center Rock of Berlin, PA, supplier of the drill that made the final breakthrough. Read about the machining and CAD/CAM set-up that helped make the great escape possible.

Cutting through the corners of concrete structures is a tough and potentially dangerous task. But Western Saw of Oxnard, CA, made the job significantly safer with a new chainsaw attachment that reconciles low cost with automatic operations. CAD and CAM software programs helped move it from concept to prototype in six months.

For more on this subject, subscribe to GlobalSpec's e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Design & Analysis Software.

Acme Wire Products provides formed and welded steel and stainless steel wire and metal components to exacting tolerances. Custom fixturing and proprietary equipment ensure that dimensional accuracy and superior weld integrity are consistently provided.

When a standard item won't work; call Acme Wire Products for assistance. Design for manufacturability reviews provided.

Get more uptime from the 5-Axis Quick Change fixturing system.

The Jergens 5-Axis System raises your part off the table and rigidly .clamps it for full 5-Axis machining. Our quick change pallet allows for parts to be rapidly changed out for maximum efficiency.

• Precision
• Speed
• Adaptability

It is the ultimate question for all manufacturers — how do you ensure there is a market for new products? Part of the answer, as industryweek.com explains, is to recognize that by themselves good ideas are not enough. So don't be mean about market research. When a new product gets the go-ahead think about 'twinning' commercial and technical people in the development team to foster real linkage between the two parts of the business.

Seeing around corners without actually looking sounds like fantasy. But, as this report from bbc.co.uk explains, MIT scientists have worked out how to do it. By firing short bursts of laser light toward the open door of a hidden room some light will be reflected through the opening and back out again after bouncing off objects beyond the immediate line of sight. The light will then pick up enough information to enable a 'transient imaging' camera to construct an approximation of the room's contents. One possible application might be as a navigation aid for autonomous vehicles.

Are Bar-fed Machines Leading the Way?

Are bar-fed mills going to become the predominant type of machine tool for the manufacture of complex, small parts?