Machines/Accessories/Controls

United Grinding North America, the Miamisburg, Ohio-based provider of cylindrical grinding machine tools, has scheduled a six-city demonstration tour of the United States, as well as two open house events in Canada and Mexico, to demonstrate its STUDER S11 production workpiece.

On Jan. 1, 2014, GF AgieCharmilles, Geneva, Switzerland, will become GF Machining Solutions, underscoring the fact that parent company Georg Fischer AG (GF) is a unified company with three divisions. Along with the name change, a new design style on the GF Machining Solutions Web site and sales literature will be gradually implemented, according to the company. GF AgieCharmille's U.S. operation is based in Lincolnshire, Ill. 

Precision components provider ARCH Global Precision, Livonia, Mich., has acquired two cutting tool manufacturers. ARCH purchased Flushing, Mich.-based Ultra-Dex Tooling Systems, including the Ultra-Dex USA branded product line and the Beamer Laser Marking Systems product line (collectively "Ultra-Dex") from Mark and Sharon Birchmeier. Ultra-Dex is a manufacturer of tooling systems, including indexable boring, milling and drilling systems, as well as tool holders, custom designed tooling and laser marking systems. 

Threading and grooving toolmaker Tool-Flo Manufacturing, Houston, has added polycrystalline diamond (PCD) and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride (PCBN) tools to its product line. The ultrahard materials allow for longer tool life when cutting abrasive materials such as graphite, hard rubber, plastics, carbon, fiberglass components, ceramics, wood, copper, bronze, brass and aluminum alloys, and permit higher removal rates and faster cycle times. 

Okuma America Corp.'s Technology Showcase event, held December 10-12, 2013 in Charlotte, N.C., was the company's largest to date, both in attendance and the number of CNC machines shown, according to the company. Held annually, the event is designed to give attendees the opportunity to see and gain hands-on experience with Okuma's latest technology and discuss their individual needs with a variety of industry experts. 

Custom Window Systems Inc. (CWS), an Ocala, Fla.-based manufacturer of window and door products, has added a Lucifer RD7-KHE18 "Red Devil" bench model furnace to its  tool room. 

The opening of the new facility included a traditional Japanese Kagami-Biraki ceremony, where a barrel of sake is broken open with wooden mallets. Several customers, dealership representatives, city officials, Shigiya employees and other invited guests were present for the event. 

Toolmaker Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., and Osaka, Japan-based Sumitomo Electric signed a licensing agreement under which Sumitomo Electric will provide and support Kennametal's new KM4X spindle connection to its customers globally. Sumitomo Electric, a supplier of electric wire, optical fibers and cutting tools, has its U.S. headquarters in Torrance, Calif.

Machine tool manufacturer DMG MORI Manufacturing hosted its inaugural Manufacturing Days event, holding an open house at its Davis, Calif.,factory. The 4-day open house provided more than 1,300 attendees with a look into the 200,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility, as well as educational seminars and live cutting demos. 

United Grinding North America, Inc. welcomes manufacturers to its Fredericksburg, Va., facility on Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to experience the latest technology and trends in PCD tool manufacturing, featuring live demonstrations from its WALTER and EWAG brands.