Industry News

Precision Surfacing Solutions, Mount Prospect, Ill., formerly Lapmaster Wolters Group, a supplier of equipment and services for precision lapping, polishing, grinding and honing, acquired Reform Grinding Technology GmbH, a provider of machine tools and systems for high-precision grinding applications.

Arno Werkzeuge USA LLC, Harvard, Ill., a manufacturer of cutting tools and positive- and negative-style inserts for metalcutting machine tools and Swiss-style turning machines, hired Rob Hampton as technical support and sales engineer for the Northeast region of the U.S.

Sunnen Products Co., St. Louis, acquired BTA Heller Inc., a U.S.-based manufacturer of deep-hole tooling and systems for primary hole generation.

GWS Tool Group LLC, Tavares, Fla., the parent company of GW Schultz Tool and CGI Tool, acquired Alliance CNC Cutter Grinding Services Inc.

Hypertherm Inc., Hanover, N.H., a manufacturer of industrial cutting systems and software, is celebrating its 50th year of industrial cutting innovation by introducing programs designed to deliver greater value to longtime customers.

Ben McGruder was appointed director of customer service and inside sales for Dorner Manufacturing Corp., Hartland, Wis.

Mazak Corp., Florence, Ky., named Jim Rutan general manager for the Northeast region.

In response to continued growth throughout the U.S., Vero Software Ltd., Cheltenham, England, hired Applications Engineer Chris LaFleur to deliver technical support to users of the Edgecam and Surfcam brands.

This year should be an exciting one for manufacturers. First, we must recognize the long-term trend where large corporations’ productivity gains have been outstripping mid and small-size manufacturing companies (500 employees and less). This year we expect those large manufacturers to continue celebrating those productivity gains.

OSG USA Inc., Glendale Heights, Ill., recognized the recipients of its inaugural “Shaping Your Dreams” scholarship program, which was created to assist students in fulfilling their educational goals in the fields of machining, manufacturing and engineering.

Jonathan Saada, aerospace veteran and president and founder of Hi-Speed Corp., a top manufacturer’s representative to the aerospace market, announced his decision to represent high-performance tool manufacturer YG-1. According to Saada, the decision was clear after analyzing the performance, breadth and value of the YG-1 product portfolio.

By 2025, nearly 25 percent of the U.S. population is expected to be 60 years of age or older. With this demographic preparing to exit the workforce and enter retirement, what can be done to retain people's knowledge and pass it down to the next generation of employees? After all, a good portion of the knowledge that our "employee elders" possess is not written down or stored on computers—it's in their heads. This is especially true in the manufacturing sector.

If the third time is the charm for a grant request in Pardeeville, Wis., all its schools will win. But luck won’t get it done. Pardeeville High School applied last month for the Fab Lab grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Council, which awards $25,000 in matching funds for technology education at school districts.

A free app for the repair of industrial equipment aims to quickly connect service requesters with service providers. Up! by Up! LLC, Columbus, Ohio, is a new app designed to match manufacturers with companies that perform repair and preventive maintenance services for equipment. “We look at ourselves as the crusaders against downtime,” said CEO A. Vinod.

"Shaping Success Together" is Vollmer's motto at the international trade fair GrindTec 2018 in Augsburg, Germany. The specialist in grinding and eroding machines has further developed both technologies and services for its sharpening and machine tools in close communication with customers and partners.

Twenty years ago, tired of the Minnesota winters, I interviewed for a job with a largish aerospace shop in Austin, Texas. The owner was looking for a general manager, and George, the recruiter who set up the interview, warned me that there might be some tough questions. He was right. I did pretty well until almost the end of the interview. “If you get the job, what’s the first thing you’ll do to increase productivity in my shop?” the owner asked. It was an unfair question. After all, I’d never seen his shop, so how would I know what needed fixing? In hindsight, I should have told him as much. But I assumed that his shop was much like most shops back then: plagued with hourslong setups, wasted motion and downtime.

Mahr Inc., Providence, R.I., announced that Lara Rapport joined the company as quality manager to support its continued growth and ongoing commitment to excellence.

GF Machining Solutions LLC, Lincolnshire, Ill., a supplier of high-precision machine tools and automation services, has strengthened its distribution network to include new partners in two key U.S. manufacturing regions.

Solar Atmospheres of California Inc., Fontana, Calif., completed its most recent facility expansion.

Students in Birmingham, U.K., are being challenged to showcase the potential uses of magnesium within the aerospace sector as part of a competition being set by Birmingham City University and Meridian, a producer of magnesium components.