Industry News

News • July 21, 2017

System 3R marks 50th anniversary

Lincolnshire, Ill.-based GF Machining Solutions LLC's System 3R, which supplies modular workholding/tooling systems, automation and software, is celebrating its 50-year anniversary.

News • July 21, 2017

SECO partners with Ferris State University for engineering internship program

Seco Tools, LLC has partnered with Ferris State University (FSU) in Big Rapids, Michigan, to offer local area engineering students an opportunity to participate in a multi-year internship program at Seco. The program invites the top three engineering applicants to participate for an initial first year internship. Based on their interest and performance, the students may be asked back for a second year. Graduates of the program will often be offered employment by Seco.

News • July 20, 2017 • Doris Schulz

Deburring, rounding and polishing – more than a necessary evil

For today's manufacturers of precision components, there's no getting around deburring, rounding and polishing. These production steps are often seen as a necessary evil due to the high costs associated with them in some cases. Use of the right technology permits reliable processing at reduced costs.

News • July 19, 2017 • Mike Vest

Adopting a lean manufacturing principle

The 6 S system is a modified version of the lean manufacturing principle of 5 S. Developed by Taiichi Ohno, an industrial engineer for Toyota, lean production is a systemic method designed to optimize the efficiency of a business. Lean was born from the more specialized Toyota Production System, which is a system that helped Toyota grow from a small automobile manufacturer when it was founded in 1937 to where it is today: one of the largest manufacturing conglomerates in the world.

News • July 19, 2017

New Atlas: Google Glass is back, changing the face of manufacturing

The clunky, AR device never really clicked with 'cool cache' in the public domain, but in the professional or industrial workplace Google Glass is turning out to be incredibly useful. Stripped of the Insta-photo, email-checking trimmings, the device is now being used to cleverly enhance workflows and make it easier for people to do their jobs.

News • July 19, 2017

New tube-cutting technology for next-generation production needs

Stents and tubes are used in countless medical devices and new ones are being added every day, fueled in part by the growth of minimally invasive surgery and the commonplace use of stents. The sheer number and diversity of devices is rapidly increasing – and with it, the demand for more and more laser cut stents; flexible tubing, cannulas and micro cannulas, needles, biopsy devices and other minimally invasive tools.

News • July 19, 2017

KOMET GROUP 3D-Prints Cutting Tools

KOMET GROUP is using Renishaw metal additive-manufacturing technology to produce new ranges of innovative cutting tools. As well as allowing special cutters to be produced more quickly, the use of additive manufacturing enables more complex shapes to be generated, both for the external shape of the tooling and for the internal cooling channels.

News • July 18, 2017

Spirit AeroSystems, Norsk Titanium to collaborate on 3D-printing titanium parts

New commercial agreement between Spirit and Norsk Titanium identifies thousands of titanium parts currently manufactured at Spirit or by its suppliers as 3D-printing candidates.

News • July 18, 2017

Heule Tool appoints new National Sales Manager

Heule Tool Corp., Cincinnati, in July announced the promotion of William "Bill" Hargrove to National Sales Manager. In his new role Hargrove will further the growth and development of the Heule sales force to support national accounts growth throughout North America.

News • July 18, 2017

HEIDENHAIN appoints new President/Managing Director

The Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH company in July selected David Doyle as President and Managing Director of the Schaumburg, Ill.-based Heidenhain Corp. Doyle assumes full responsibility for the Heidenhain customer-focused operations for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This change continues the succession plan for Heidenhain CEO Rick Korte.

News • July 17, 2017

Star Tribune: More Minn. factories convincing employees to work past 65

Hanging on to talented older workers steeped in institutional knowledge has become a critical issue for many manufacturing businesses. The worker shortage is driving employers to take creative approaches to retirement. About 78 million baby boomers are nearing or at retirement, and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that factories will need 3.5 million new factory workers in the next 10 years just to keep production lines and distribution routes going.

News • July 17, 2017

Washington Examiner: Congress wants to incentivize US manufacturing

A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers is proposing a bill that would incentivize and boost American manufacturing, in addition to research and development, as the Trump administration looks to keep a promise from the presidential campaign. Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Ron Kind, D-Wis., with Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., have introduced the Invent and Manufacture in America Act, a bill that would give a tax credit to companies that not only conduct research and development, but also manufacture products resulting from that R&D as well.