Industry News

German toolholder maker Haimer GmbH recently agreed to license its Haimer Safe-Lock System to the Melin Tool Co., a cutting tool manufacturer based in Cleveland. Melin Tool will offer its endmills to the U.S. market with the Haimer Safe-Lock System, according to a recent Melin Tool news release.

Mastercam 2017 is now in public beta, which means the next version of the software is available for testing by “currently maintained” Mastercam customers, according to a recent news release from CNC Software. “Shops all over the world, from small job shops to Fortune 100, get a chance to test Mastercam 2017 before it is released, and provide valuable feedback that helps shape the final product,” the company announced. “Participants in the Public Beta get an early look at the new streamlined workflow and optimized interface that Mastercam 2017 delivers, along with dozens of powerful new tools for simple to complex jobs.”

Gilman Precision, Grafton, Wis., recently launched a web-based product configuration tool Intended to improve the process of viewing and adjusting product specifications. The Gilman 3D Linear Products CAD Configurator will serve engineers and other prospects by allowing them to select, view and insert Gilman 3D CAD models and 2D drawings directly into their own CAD systems, according to the company. 

The Gleason Corp., Rochester, N.Y., recently donated $300,000 to establish two doctoral fellowships that will be incorporated into the engineering program at the Kate Gleason College of Engineering at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).

Mahr Federal, Providence, R.I., will feature the MarShaft SCOPE 250 plus and MarCator Wireless Digital Indicators at Mfg4 2016, which is set for May 3-5 at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, Conn. Look for Mahr Federal at booth No. 1605.

Jet Edge Inc., a manufacturer of ultra-high pressure waterjet technology based in St. Michael, Minn., in February launched an aftermarket waterjet parts division, Choice Waterjet Parts Inc. Choice Waterjet Parts supplies ultra-high pressure (UHP) waterjet components for major brands of waterjet cutting systems, including Flow, Omax, KMT, Bystronic and WSI. Genuine Jet Edge parts will continue to be supplied exclusively by Jet Edge, according to a recent company news release.

An item in the April 1 issue of The Kiplinger Letter suggested that a tough business climate for makers of various products will spur mergers and acquistions among companies looking "to consolidate forces to keep going." And judging from the spate of mergers and acquisitions announced since the beginning of this year, it would appear the prediction was no April Fool's Day joke.

The addition of over 15,000 sq. ft. was designed to increase assembly capabilities and provide additional space for newly acquired capital equipment

Virtually every established manufacturer has experienced at least one major setback during its history. For Taurus Tool & Engineering, it was losing its main tool grinding area and CNC machines to a fire in June 2014, after a 37-year run at its previous facility in Schaumburg, Ill. No injuries were reported, thankfully, and the cause of the fire is unknown. 

To enable junior and senior high school students to follow a specific direction in the manufacturing industry, their education must be diverse. Ensuring such diversity is the goal of the Machine Technology Program at Cuyahoga Valley Career Center, Brecksville, Ohio, according to Rich Parrott, machine technology instructor. 

In an effort to expand its reach within the aerospace industry, OSG USA Inc. has purchased Amamco Tool & Supply Co. Inc., an ISO 9001:2008 and AS9100C registered company that makes high-quality, custom, carbide tools for manufacturers in the aerospace, automotive and medical industries, according to an OSG USA news release issued today.

One constant fear in regard to automation is that it will make human workers obsolete. Citing a 2013 University of Oxford study, University of Cincinnati Assistant Professor of Economics Michael Jones wrote that almost half of those employed in the U.S. are at risk of being replaced by automation over the next 10 to 20 years, with transportation, logistics and administration as the most vulnerable occupations.

Hexagon AB, a global provider of information technologies for driving productivity and quality across geospatial and industrial enterprise applications, today announced the acquisition of AICON 3D Systems, a leading provider of optical and portable non-contact 3D measuring systems for industrial manufacturing.

Effective May 2, Kyocera Corp. will acquire 100 percent ownership of the SGS Tool Co., to expand the Japanese company's current North American cutting tool business by 2.5 times by March 31, 2019, according to Kyocera President Goro Yamaguchi, who announced the deal in a company news release issued March 30. By incorporating SGS Tool, which is based in Munroe Falls, Ohio, Kyocera plans to create a business structure capable of providing total solutions and strengthen its business globally as a comprehensive cutting tool manufacturer, according to the Kyocera news release. SGS Tool will be renamed Kyocera SGS Precision Tools Inc.

In a move aimed at providing improved sales and service support as well as new and innovative products, NTC Laser will join Komatsu America Industries LLC as of April 1, sources at both companies reported in a joint news release issued today. NTC Laser and Komatsu are subsidiaries of Komatsu America LLC, headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Ill., a suburb of Chicago.

Trotec Laser Inc., Canton, Mich., discusses the "Advantages of lasers versus other methods of cutting, marking and engraving" in a white paper available through the company's website. The target audience for the white paper: companies that use traditional methods of cutting, marking and engraving, such as inkjet systems, embossing, mechanical stamping, etching, printing, mechanical engraving, knife cutter or CNC routing.

Additive manufacturing (AM) will neither displace existing machining processes nor revolutionize industrial production operations—at least not for the next 5 to 7 years, according to Myron Graw, an AM authority who spoke at METAV 2016, the 19th International Exhibition for Metalworking (Metallverarbeitung) Technologies. Graw, who heads up AM operations at KEX Knowledge Exchange AG, in Aachen, Germany, wasn't just sharing his personal opinion. He was delivering the results of a five-stage AM study conducted by KEX, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, according to  a news release posted to the METAV 2016 website Feb. 23.

Welding or soldering without heat seemed like a good idea to Hanchen Huang, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University, Boston. He and his students dreamed of a better way to stick things together such as a computer's CPU to a printed circuit board, or the glass and metal filament in a lightbulb, according to a recent news@Northeastern post.

Laser technology company Coherent Inc. will acquire industrial laser maker Rofin-Sinar Technologies Inc. for about $942 million, according to a joint news release issued by the two companies March 16. "This transaction is aligned with our strategy of increasing our scale and pursuing accretive growth opportunities," said Coherent President and CEO John Ambroseo. "The combination of Coherent and Rofin represents a unique opportunity to strengthen Coherent’s position in materials processing. The addition of Rofin's complementary portfolio will build on Coherent’s capabilities as a world leader in laser and photonics-based technology and solutions, and create meaningful value for our stockholders."

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