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Being a Tier 3 supplier to automotive and appliance OEMs is high-volume, extremely competitive work, where success depends in large part on fast, accurate and above all dependable equipment. Fortunately for Bill Overbay, manufacturing supervisor at Miyama USA Inc., Louisville, Kentucky, his latest round of machine tool purchasing gave him exactly that. “We now have five Kent USA machining centers in all, and most have been running nonstop for the past four years,” he said. “We’ve had no problems whatsoever.”

Mazak Corp. has launched All Axes, a new podcast developed to keep manufacturers in-the-know about all things manufacturing. The podcast features original content on a wide range of industry-critical subjects and issues affecting today’s North American manufacturers – from additive technologies, automation, multitask machines and the skilled labor shortage to the industrial internet of things, digitally connected factories, cybersecurity and more.

Headquartered in Marijampolė, Lithuania, industrial manufacturer Stevila offers precision CNC milling and turning and assembly services on a subcontracting basis, producing parts based on customers’ designs in varying batch sizes. Employing an impressive array of CNC equipment in combination with traditional non-programmed metalworking machines, the company serves clients and partners throughout Europe’s energy, automation, medical, printing machines and other industries. Parts produced by Stevila include everything from expansion bushes and cleaning nozzles to drive-sensor adjust blocks and parts for brake discs.

Enhanced operational efficiency offered by industrial lubricants is bolstering their use in the constantly expanding manufacturing sector, as well as other industries such as power generation and oil and gas. Growing use of high-performance lubricants in these end-use industries is expected to drive market growth in the forecast period (2019-2027). As indicated by a new study, the global demand for industrial lubricants will progress moderately through 2027, reaching a value of US$ 28 Bn.

At ANCA, the company's success has been underpinned by listening to its customer’s needs. Rather than only offer a standard product range, the builder of grinding machines often delivers custom solutions. ANCA’s engineering team can custom design mechanical, electrical, software and process solutions to enhance the standard product range and meet unique customer requirements.

Toolcraft, a machine shop in Monroe, Washington, was immediately impressed by the 30 µm repeatability and built-in force/torque sensing in Universal Robots’ new flagship line of collaborative robots. The company needed to automate a challenging, three-operation machine tending task inside its CNC machine and has saved 23% on production costs and increased throughput 43% by using the UR5e cobot.

Sales of mass finishing consumables are primarily driven by the increasing demand for surface finishing from various end-use industries such as automotive, aerospace, and general and industrial engineering. As indicated in a new study, the global mass finishing consumables market is estimated to be valued at over US$180 million by the end of 2019, demonstrating moderate growth at a less than 5% CAGR during the forecast period, 2019 to 2029.

Nueva Precision, Milliken, Colorado, is, for the most part, Eddie Casanueva and his wife Leandra operating out of a garage. And while many job shop owners would want to grow and expand their businesses, the Casanuevas are content with keeping the shop at its current size because, according to them, customers benefit from dealing directly with the person making their parts. This, as well as the shop’s advanced manufacturing technology, makes Nueva Precision a trusted partner to its customers and an agile supplier.

Digitization has its price. The networking of people, machines and companies not only increases productivity and sustainability, but also raises the risk of a cyberattack. The VDMA Cybersecurity Congress at METAV 2020 on March 11, 2020 offers potential ways of resolving this dilemma. Heinz-Uwe Gernhard is head of the VDMA Security working group and in his principal occupation is responsible for IT security at Robert Bosch in Stuttgart. In an interview he reveals his recipe for success: vigilance training for cyberattacks.

September 2019 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $195.9 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was down 4.3 percent from August's $204.7 million and down 7 percent when compared with the $210.6 million reported for September 2018. With a year-to-date total of $1.8 billion, 2019 is up 0.2 percent when compared with 2018. Please note there were revisions to August 2019.

Tomenson Machine Works is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of precision hydraulic manifolds, with a focus on continuous improvement. The company turned to collaborative automation in its pin-stamping application to improve quality, profitability and worker satisfaction. The OnRobot collaborative RG6 gripper handles dozens of different part sizes with fast and easy changeovers, and sets the stage for ongoing automation in potential applications such as CNC tending, deburring and packaging.

Researchers have developed a futuristic 3D printer that is so big and fast that it can print an object the size of an adult human in just a couple of hours.

Without the right bits, even the perfect CNC rig won't go very far. Explore this comprehensive guide to CNC router bits.

Most political analysts agree that Donald Trump won the presidency on the backs of long-suffering blue-collar workers in industrial states. His campaign was propelled by a promise to revive manufacturing through trade, tax and regulatory policies. After nearly three years in office, the results are unfortunately tepid in terms of engineering a real boom in this sector, and the trends in recent months signal spreading weakness. Nonetheless, manufacturing is stronger than it was when he took office, and policy support is still in place for growth. Headwinds from trade policy and political uncertainty, however, are restraining a more robust growth path.

Colin Cooper, Connecticut's first chief manufacturing officer, will be involved with regulations, hiring and training. The new position comes after manufacturing companies in the state said they would like to hire more local workers but struggle to find candidates.

RCM Industries Inc., a Wheeling, Illinois-based manufacturer of die-cast aluminum components for industries such as automotive and consumer products, found itself in competition with low-wage suppliers in Mexico for a large outsourced project. “We had to look at how to drive cost out of the product without reducing the value that we provide our customers,” said Mike Higgins, RCM Industries director of sales and marketing. “Without the cobots, we would not have had a shot at that work.”

Ultimaker a leader in desktop 3D printing, today released its first 3D Printing Sentiment Index. Independent research conducted by Savanta, an international research firm, details a comprehensive view of the current and future potential for 3D printing in 12 countries, while covering the widest range of verticals and professions, including education. The quantified index reveals the U.S., U.K. and Germany have the highest expectations for implementing additive manufacturing and capitalizing on its opportunities.

Although the NFPA 652 deadline to complete a Dust Hazard Analysis (DHA) has been moved to October of 2020 because of the limited supply of qualified auditors, you should not delay getting started. Your people and facility may be at high risk now, and the NFPA standards states, “The owner/operator shall demonstrate reasonable progress in each of the 5 years." Dust collection systems are one of the most critical elements to be included in a dust hazard analysis because they are a leading cause of combustible dust incidents. According to FM Global statistics, more than half of all dust explosions originate in the dust collector. An unprotected dust collector can reach high pressures that can fragment the housing and send a pressure wave, heat, flames, and dangerous projectiles into the workplace.

Leading power tool manufacturer Festool opts for a six-component force/moment sensor from Kistler to develop its new jigsaws. The compact piezoelectric quartz load cell captures forces and moments during the sawing process: a key advantage for testing new jigsaws and validating saw blades.

A report from McKinsey & Co., “The Future of Work in Black America,” highlights the challenges American workers will face during the next decade as automation continues to take away blue-collar jobs. While the negative effects of automation are expected to hit all demographics, black American men are the group who will be most affected.