Industry News

Linear and rotary motion system manufacturer Gilman Precision, Grafton, Wis., added Chris Schmid as a business development specialist for the Midwest and international markets.

U.S. manufacturers spent $168.69 million on cutting tools in November 2016, according to the Cutting Tool Market Report by the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This was 0.2 percent lower than October's $168.99 million, but was up 9.3 percent from November 2015's $154.28 million.

Hassay Savage, which manufactures and supplies micro cutting tools such as broaches, round tools, reamers and drills, was searching for a new method of qualifying its micro cutting tools when company owner Robert Savage watched a demonstration of the Zoller Inc. »pomBasicMicro« at an American Gear Manufacturers Association event. Soon after, Savage purchased the »pomBasicMicro« as the solution he was seeking.

With potential ramifications for 3D printing of metals, particularly of expensive metals such as titanium, The U.S. Dept. of Energy's Ames Laboratory has created a process for making "perfect" metal powder. Each particle is smooth and spherical, allowing it to flow without clumping and pack together more densely.

suitX, a California-based robotics company designing and manufacturing medical and industrial exoskeletons, recently announced the official launch of MAX, a flexible exoskeleton that can be adapted to a variety of workplace tasks. MAX comprises three exoskeleton modules: backX, shoulderX and legX.

Erwin Junker Machinery Inc. is extending an open invitation to visit its showroom in Elgin, Ill. The company is showcasing grinding machines from JUNKER and Zema, as well as industry leading air filtration units from LTA Industrial Air Cleaning Systems Inc.

Robot use is set to accelerate: Worldwide spending on robotics and related services will more than double by 2020, growing from $91.5 billion in 2016 to more than $188 billion in 2020, according to the newly updated Worldwide Commercial Robotics Spending Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC).

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued a final rule to prevent chronic beryllium disease and lung cancer in U.S. workers by limiting their exposure to beryllium and beryllium compounds. The rule contains standards for general industry, construction and shipyards.

Song Chung was appointed senior vice president of global sales and marketing for Automated Precision Inc., Rockville, Md. API offers measurement and metrology equipment and solutions.

On Nov. 3, 2016, Greenleaf Corp. officially launched its phase-toughened ceramic insert grade XSYTIN-1 with a press event at the toolmaker's global headquarters in Saegertown, Pa.

While rumblings of a jobless economy may be increasing, the biggest problem facing the U.S. jobs market is a lack of applicants—skilled or otherwise, according to a Bloomberg Businessweek report.