Medical & Healthcare

By integrating laser-based cutting and, in some cases, welding heads onto their already-capable equipment, Swiss-style lathe builders are taking these machines into bold new territory.

Though machining medical microparts presents many challenges, shops that tackle the task are meeting these challenges thanks to a combination of ingenuity and technology, along with a dose of effective machining practices.

Kitamura Machinery announced its new SUPERCELL-300G 5-axis, horizontal flexible manufacturing cell. It has a 20-station APC with work ID system and 174 tool matrix-style tool.changer.

Mahr Inc., Providence, R.I., and NanoFocus AG, a German manufacturer of 3D surface metrology, have signed a cooperation agreement.

Additive manufacturing seems to monopolize the spotlight when it comes to part production these days. Manufacturers flock to industry trade shows to see how this novel technology has advanced and learn about how it might transform and benefit their operations.

Oberg Industries Inc., Freeport, Pa., a full-service contract manufacturer of precision machined and stamped components located north of Pittsburgh, acquired X-L Engineering Corp., Niles, Ill.

I once worked in the cubicle next to Mike, the shop's estimating guy. He sat there all day using an electronic pen to trace the outlines of parts on paper drawings. He painstakingly determined the length of each journal, the depth of each hole and the number of cubic inches contained in each milled pocket before feeding that information into the company's estimating software.

WDS Component Parts Ltd. has introduced a range of stainless steel lift off hinges (or detachable hinges) for cleanroom environments where corrosion resistance is critical. The development of these new parts has been built on the company's experience in the medical and health care sectors, and provides a range of hinges that is suited to the broadest spread of cleanroom applications.

Eriez HydroFlow reports that a growing number of leading manufacturers from around the globe are now utilizing the company's Comat superfiltration systems on thousands of machine tools, superfiltering 530,000 U.S. gallons of metalworking oil every minute.

CNC machines rely on certain fundamentals to achieve peak performance for maximum productivity. This not only includes the machine but importantly the infrastructure of the facility, specifically ancillary services such as power, air and coolant.

When productivity decreases, some leaders assume that machinists are not adequately doing their jobs. After all, they directly operate the machines. Before jumping to this conclusion, however, ask if you are being fair to these skilled workers who are the backbone of the manufacturing industry.

When prompted by requests from customers for products that their existing manufacturing supply chains were not producing, Dan Olsen made the leap into manufacturing.