Machining

Though more than 30 percent revenue share of the global laser cutting machine market went to North America in 2014, a new market research report suggests that the Asia-Pacific market will make some significant gains over the next few years. The North American market remains the largest for laser cutting machines globally, but the Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at a cumulative annual growth rate of 12.8 percent each year through 2020.

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker today announced 12 new communities that have received designations under the Obama Administration's Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership (IMCP) initiative. In May 2014, Secretary Pritzker announced the first 12 communities to receive the designation under this U.S. Commerce Department-led program, which is designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting the development of long-term economic development strategies. 

GF Machining Solutions, a Swiss-based machine tool company, and EOS, a German additive manufacturing (AM) company, announced on Friday that the two companies have entered into a strategic cooperation agreement bringing the technological expertise of both companies together to develop innovative solutions for mold and die customers.

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corp. has launched a new web-based machine selector tool at okuma.com/machine-selector. The tool is designed to take the guesswork out of selecting a machine by providing users with a convenient method of finding the Okuma machine tool that best suits their specific manufacturing needs, according to the company.

Tsugami/Rem Sales, Windsor, Conn., exclusive North American importer of Tsugami machine tools, will open a new Tsugami technical center in Fullerton, Calif. 

Machine tool builder Mazak Corp, Florence, Ky., will host a "Discover More With Mazak" technology and education event at its Southwest Technology Center in Houston, Texas, July 8 and 9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Intended for all manufacturing industry segments, the event will showcase the latest metalworking tools, technologies and techniques for enhancing productivity and versatility on the shop floor, according to the company.  

LNA has been appointed as a Fanuc Robotics Authorized Integrator to provide customers with automated laser marking solutions. Combined with LNA's experience with high-performance lasers and applications, customers benefit from lower manufacturing costs, vastly improved throughput, repeatability and resolution, according to the company.   

Machine tool supplier Methods Machine Tool, Inc., Sudbury, Mass., has expanded its Southern California operation, increasing the number of sales/application engineering and service personnel by eight and offering a full range of machine tool solutions from all of Methods' partner brands. In addition, Robert Serrano has been added to the leadership team as sales manager, bringing 25 years of machine tool experience to the position. 

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), a standards and certification body, and the Gene Haas Foundation (GHF), which provides scholarships to schools for students entering technical training programs, are partnering to provide scholarship funds directly to select SkillsUSA students. 

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corp. and machine tool distributor Morris South have partnered to host Southern Tech Fest, June 24—25, at Morris South's Tech Center and Okuma's Partners in THINC facility in Charlotte, N.C.