Industry News

In connection with the article I'm writing about metalworking fluid filtration equipment for our March issue, I spoke with Irvin Kaage, president of Transor Filter USA, Elk Grove Village, Ill. The company provides the One Micron Filtration system, which removes particles larger than 1µm from oil, primarily for grinding.

In connection with the abrasive waterjet machining article scheduled for our March issue, I spoke with Jim Draper, owner of Rocky Mountain Waterjet, Greeley, Colo., who said when a parts manufacturer finds that waterjetting is a suitable process for a part or family of parts, the decision to outsource that work to a waterjet job shop or buy a waterjet machine for in-house production depends on the part quantity.

Marion Technical College's new $500,000 mobile training lab has the potential to train hundreds of workers each year throughout central Ohio, writes Hasan Karim in The Marion Star. The vehicle's 400-sq.-ft. simulation center accommodates eight students, each with a laptop and other training equipment, officials say.

In addition to helping counteract any automation-caused unemployment, writes Brad Jones for the website Futurism, a universal basic income could provide a huge boost to the U.S. economy. A study from the Roosevelt Institute predicts that 8 years of universal basic income would result in a $2.48 trillion increase in the nation's gross domestic product.

In the decade since the beginning of the Great Recession industrial production (e.g. manufacturing, mining and electricity production) has been a political football of both the left and right. It's time to stop playing that game, and a good way to start is to review some facts about these industries, which continue to provide a significant share of the Midwestern economy.

Residents and activists in California continue to fight business interests over exposure to the carcinogen chromium-6, made famous by the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich." One issue involving the substance concerns its use at metal-treating companies. They oppose tightening air regulations. The metal-finishing industry provides about 9,000 jobs in the state, with more than half of them in Southern California.

Machine tool builder Niigata Machine Techno USA Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill., opened its North American headquarters.

LMT Onsrud LP, Waukegan, Ill., and MachiningCloud Inc., Camarillo, Calif., are partnering to provide LMT Onsrud product data in the cloud.

Imagine a beam of light traveling unimpeded for 13.5 billion light years, only to get deflected and distorted just before being captured by a telescope. That is something the builders of the Giant Magellan Telescope are working hard to avoid.

Jasper, Ind.-based toolmaker NAP Gladu, a Techniks Industries company, acquired Eide Saw & Tool Service Inc., Minneapolis.

Gear Motions Inc., Syracuse, N.Y., is partnering with Southeast Industrial Solutions, Atlanta.

As reported in The Wall Street Journal, nearly 200 parents of high school students in Fort Collins, Colo., recently gathered for "Parents' Night." Their children, they were told, could have great, well-paying careers while being "the next generation of makers." The venue?