Energy & Power Generation

As the U.S. strives to become less dependent on foreign energy sources, energy producers are increasingly employing hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," to drill shale deposits and extract natural gas and some oil. That booming market requires a range of parts from shops around the country.

States near the Marcellus Shale, a huge natural gas formation centered in Pennsylvania, are feverishly pursuing a $4 billion ethane "cracker" to be built by Royal Dutch Shell. The cracker will process ethane-rich gas from the Marcellus Shale into ethylene, and the ethylene will be used by the pharmaceutical, chemical and plastics industries. The plant will create 10,000 construction jobs and several hundred permanent jobs.

Making parts for hydraulic fracturing equipment presents opportunities but requires the right tools, as noted in the cover story of the March 2012 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

A Makino Machining Complex integrated with two a71 horizontal machining centers is used to produce conveyor chain assemblies for the coal mining industry in this video report shot at Cincinnati Mine Machinery.

A wirelessly powered machining sensor system.

Manufacturing was a star in 2011 and looks to shine brightly in 2012.

CTE Editorial Director Alan Rooks laments the long and winding road to economic recovery in this Lead Angle editorial in the September 2011 issue of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine.

END USER: Superior Drilling Products, (435) 789-0594, www.superiordrillingproducts.com. CHALLENGE: Without prior experience, program a multitask machine. SOLUTION: Using CAM software with online training resources and local support. SOLUTION PROVIDERS: CNC Software Inc., (800) 228-2877, www.mastercam.com; Remote Machine, (801) 942-2792, www.remotemachinecnc.com

With a substantial portion of the U.S. manufacturing base in earthquake-prone California, we would be wise to study how Japan orchestrates this recovery, suggests CTE Editorial Director Alan Rooks in his April 2011 Lead Angle editorial.

Hunting Energy Services not only machines oil and gas drilling components—it assembles and repairs the tools that do the work.

Manufacturing parts for the nuclear energy industry, which is growing globally, is expected to expand in the U.S. as well. Three shops explain their strategies to capitalize on the growing market.

Tour the Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactor, presented as a video complement to our March cover story.