Alan Richter

Articles • April 27, 2018 • Alan Richter

Studying the impact of climate change on machines

The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, Chemnitz, Germany, wanted to study the impact of climate change on machines without having to ship them to far-flung locales. Therefore, the institute developed a climate chamber at its newly inaugurated test lab in which it could expose machines to various climates around the world.

News • April 25, 2018 • Alan Richter

Exhibiting at IMTS 2018?

If you're an exhibitor planning to showcase a product or service at IMTS 2018, please click here to send a press release and image of the product or service to Cutting Tool Engineering Editor Alan Richter.

News • April 18, 2018 • Alan Richter

Training program provides paths to manufacturing jobs

It's no secret that many manufacturers are scrambling to attract skilled workers to fill openings. A host of training programs are available to provide job seekers with the skills needed to get hired, and one in my hometown of Chicago that caught my attention is the Jane Addams Resource Center.

News • April 11, 2018 • Alan Richter

Assisting manufacturers with augmented reality

Manufacturers are continually looking to improve workflows. To assist them in reducing the time to assemble products and worker errors, Cemtrex, Inc. offers Workbench XR, an augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) software application developed for the manufacturing industry. The Farmingdale, N.Y., company plans to release a beta version this summer.

News • April 4, 2018 • Alan Richter

Modernizing manufacturing with artificial intelligence

A sensei is a teacher or instructor, usually of Japanese martial arts. Sensai the company offers an augmented productivity platform for manufacturing operations, but transferring knowledge to help people make better decisions is at the heart of the company's concept, according to CEO Porfirio Lima. "We believe that the most valuable asset an organization has is the knowledge that comes from its people."

Articles • April 2, 2018 • Alan Richter

Shop credits growth to focus on machining large parts

OEMs and other manufacturers frequently require special machines for production and assembly purposes. About half of Coldwater Machine Co.'s business involves building those machines, but few off-the-shelf components are available. Therefore, Coldwater machines the components in-house at its 132,500-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Coldwater, Ohio. And, many of the parts are large.

Articles • March 21, 2018 • Alan Richter

A ‘liquid’ tool change

END USER: Backerworks Manufacturing LLC, (505) 342-2943, www.backerworks.com. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: Axis Machine Services LLC, (505) 206-2726, www.axismachineservices.com; Houghton International Inc., (800) 666-4684, www.houghtonintl.com. CHALLENGE: Reduce the amount of coolant makeup and the sticky coolant film that forms on machine surfaces. SOLUTION: A soluble-oil metalworking fluid for multiple-metal machining and grinding.

News • March 17, 2018 • Alan Richter

DMDII launches Cyber Hub

As the factories for U.S. manufacturers are increasingly becoming digitized and connected, the surface for cyberattacks is broadening. To allow experimentation on cybersecurity technology for the factory floor, the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute, Chicago, officially launched its "Cyber Hub for Manufacturing" earlier this month. DMDII reported that the U.S. Department of Defense contributed $750,000 in seed funding for the hub.

Articles • March 16, 2018 • Alan Richter

Advanced metalworking fluid filtration aids finer finish

As demand grows for finer surface finishes and tolerance specifications become tighter—and competition continues to intensify—parts manufacturers are adopting advanced fluid filtration technologies to achieve their machining and grinding goals.

News • March 14, 2018 • Alan Richter

Feeling queasy about automation?

Not only is automation continuing to displace workers at manufacturing companies, the thought of being ousted by a robot is making some workers at those plants feel sick. That's according to a study by three Ball State University researchers and a Villanova University professor.

News • March 10, 2018 • Alan Richter

Removing tramp oil from coolant offers benefits

After helping customers to remove tramp oil from coolant for more than 40 years, Jim Petrucci, vice president of Oil Skimmers Inc., has yet to hear from anyone that doesn't have at least some tramp oil present in an individual machine sump or large holding tank. When enough tramp oil seeps into coolant on a steady basis to justify the acquisition of oil-removal equipment, which is common, the Cleveland-based company offers oil skimmers to remove surface oil.

News • March 7, 2018 • Alan Richter

Honing to be featured in May

For the May issue's focus on abrasive machining, I'm writing a multiple-source article about honing. One of the sources is Lapmaster Wolters LLC.