Medical & Healthcare

Fast and reliable milling of stainless steel, titanium, heat-resistant alloys or even CrC alloys is a huge challenge for many machine operators and tool manufacturers. To overcome the challenge, the Swiss cutting tool manufacturer Mikron Tool launched CrazyMill Cool, a product family that promises a valuable solution in a diameter range from 0.3 mm (0.012") to 8 mm (0.315"). CrazyMill Cool Ball is the newest product of this line.

FANUC America has marked the 35th anniversary of manufacturing its line of painting robots at the company's Rochester Hills, Mich., headquarters. In 1982, FANUC America produced its first NC Painter, a hydraulic paint robot using key components from parent company FANUC Corp. in Japan. Now, 35 years later, FANUC America remains globally responsible for all paint robots and door openers of the FANUC robot lineup.

TRAUB, a brand of the INDEX Group, Reichenbach, Germany, has introduced the sliding/fixed-headstock automatic lathe TRAUB TNL20 that adds numerous improvements in productivity, precision and automation to the TNL line. It can be equipped to use up to four tools simultaneously.

GF Machining Solutions this month appointed two new regional managers in the Western Region to support growing sales of the company's machines, automation solutions and services, especially for the tool and moldmaking industries, according to a March 15 company news release.

Dorner's flexible-chain conveyor platform, SmartFlex, is now available in an 85 mm width standard option. With this addition, SmartFlex Conveyors are now available in 4 standard widths: 65 mm (2.6"), 85 mm (3.3"), 105 mm (4.1") and 150 mm (5.9").

Most aerospace, defense and medical companies have packaging specifications their parts suppliers must follow to help ensure parts arrive undamaged. But should shops that don't have to follow such requirements ship parts in a similar way?

Amada Miyachi America announces the release of four new higher power models to the LF series family of fiber laser welders. The addition of the new models will address thicker materials or increase processing speed for a given application. The company now offers an LF series fiber laser in power levels ranging from 250 watts to 1000 watts in the same form factor and with the same features.

GF Machining Solutions, Lincolnshire, Ill., named Stephan Swanson as its new head of sales in the Central region of the United States, according to a Feb. 27 news release. In this new post, Swanson will further enhance GF Machining Solutions' sales, service and support presence in the territory, which includes 15 states.

Emuge Corp. announced it has expanded its EF-Series of high-penetration rate drills with a new line of submicrograin carbide coolant-fed microdrills. The EF high-performance microdrills range from 0.0295 in. (0.75 mm) up to 0.1181 in. (3.0 mm) in diameter, are all coolant through design, and are ideal for aerospace, medical and precision automotive applications designed for producing very small deep holes in steel, cast iron, stainless steels and nonferrous materials.

U.S. manufacturing industry is transitioning from solvent-based cleaning to water-based cleaning products.

Live tooling's capabilities have increased greatly in recent years. From the start, live tooling was added to increase a lathe's usefulness. What many users of lathes and live tooling don't realize is just how useful live tooling has become.

If you enjoy the growl of heavy milling cuts, the machine-gun sound of chips striking glass and the heady odor of superheated cutting fluid, a compact machining center might not be the right machine for you. Like I used to, you scoff at phone booth-sized machining centers, with their tiny toolholders and tables not much larger than a 6" machinist vise. If so, you're not looking at the big picture.