Manufacturing Engineering

Flow International Corp., Kent, Wash., a developer and manufacturer of industrial waterjet machines for cutting applications, released an analysis on how ultrahigh-pressure pumps drive cutting efficiency through waterjet velocity. 

College students with an interest in bringing together software and hardware solutions to improve manufacturing operations now have an opportunity to leverage their creativity through the MTConnect Student Challenge, a competition that invites submissions for both ideas and applications utilizing the MTConnect standard. 

U.S. military veterans are finding post-service success at machine tool builder Fives Machining Systems, putting their troubleshooting skills and technical experience to work in field service and customer support positions. Since 2014, the company has hired nearly 20 former members of the various military branches at 10 field service locations throughout the U.S., as well as accepting veterans into its apprenticeship program. 

Stratasys Ltd., a leading global provider of additive manunfacturing (AM) solutions, this week reported that Italian Service Bureau, ZARE, has halved production costs for its direct manufacturing customers in automotive and aerospace since purchasing a fleet of Stratasys Fortus 3D Production Systems. In a July 22 news release issued by Stratasys, which is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., and Rehovot, Israel, the AM company underscored ZARE's decision to use 3D printing for production parts. 

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. 

The Alamo Manufacturing Partnership (AMP), led by the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), last week was among 12 groups to receive designation as a manufacturing community through a federal initiative designed to accelerate the resurgence of manufacturing in communities nationwide by supporting long-term economic development strategies. 

Northshore Technical Community College, Hammond, Ind., offers a machinist training program that it hopes will offset the gap in manufacturing job openings and qualified people to fill them, according to the school. The 2-year program acts as an introduction to a machining career, with students getting an associate degree in applied science with a concentration in machine tool technology, said Bridget LaBorde, dean of the campus. 

Engineering products and service provider Nasmyth Group announced the opening of its new regional North American headquarters this month. The Group has acquired a 25,000 sq. ft. facility in Burbank, Calif., adjacent to its subsidiary, Nasmyth TMF. The new facility will become the focal point for Nasmyth Group and its corporate activities in the U.S. 

Machine tool builder Okuma America Inc., Charlotte, N.C., has joined forces with 5ME LLC, Warren, Mich., to demonstrate the advantages of cryogenic machining, including faster processing, longer tool life, increased part quality and lower environmental impact, according to the companies. The strategic partnership will establish two cryo demonstration facilities—one at 5ME's Technical Center in Warren, and the other at Okuma's Aerospace Center of Excellence in Charlotte—where manufacturers can test various machining processes using 5ME's cryogenic machining technology. Both facilities will have Okuma machines equipped with cryogenic systems that use vacuum jacketed feed lines to deliver small flow rates of liquid nitrogen through the tool directly to the cutting edge. 

On Oct. 16, Sandvik Coromant Co. celebrated the opening of a Productivity Center in its new U.S. headquarters in Fair Lawn, N.J. The company held a grand opening ceremony for the headquarters on July 1. The combined $26 million, 100,000-sq.-ft. facility includes office space, meeting facilities, the Productivity Center and an aerospace-focused Engineering Competence Center for customer training, engineering and process development.