Industry News

Cutting tool manufacturer Walter USA LLC, Waukesha, Wis., appointed Dan Shelton managing director of the U.S.

Easy, accurate tracking of items through the manufacturing process is becoming more and more important in the quality-conscious 'Smart-Factory' era. RFID tagging has distinct advantages as a tracking method, but barcode scanning has its adherents too.

MC Machinery Systems Inc. hosted more than 1,000 customers, visitors and team members for the grand opening of its new headquarters in September. The event was one of the first opportunities for customers and partners to explore the 175,000-sq.-ft. facility, which includes a 50,000-sq.-ft. showroom among many other modern amenities.

For those who want to enhance a CNC by adding capabilities, Chris Robson, applications engineer for Minneapolis-headquartered machine tool dealer Concept Machine Tool – (Delafield) Wisconsin, gave a presentation titled “What Else is Inside this Box? Open Architecture CNC.” His seminar took place Oct. 3 at the 15th biennial Wisconsin Manufacturing & Technology Show in the Exhibition Center at the Wisconsin State Fair Park, Milwaukee.

"Both are used to achieve a smooth surface and precision dimensions on metal parts," writes MC's Joshua Jablons. "Both are usually performed at the end of the manufacturing process to remove a very small amount of material or finesse the finish on a part. The difference between honing and lapping begins to be revealed if we look at where on a part each process is performed: While honing is used where parts need a precise inside diameter, lapping is performed on an outside flat surface. And when we look at what each process is, the distinctions between the two are plain to see."

LiquidPlanner Inc., Seattle, a developer of dynamic project management software, and P3 Group, Aachen, Germany, a manufacturing consultancy, partnered to deliver project management software and accelerate deployments for manufacturing customers worldwide.

Dürr Ecoclean GmbH, Filderstadt, Germany, is changing its name to Ecoclean.

Jet Tool & Cutter launched in 1968 as a small cutter regrind shop, taking orders on paper and mailing quotes back to the customer. Since then, the bustling, growing firm has worked out the solution that allows it to quickly produce a wide variety of high-quality carbide cutting tools for aerospace, firearms and general machining applications. Its solution allows the shop to meet tightening customer demands for quality and quick delivery while facing a shrinking pool of available skilled hands.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in September, and the overall economy grew for the 100th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The September PMI was 60.8 percent, an increase of 2 percentage points from the August reading of 58.8 percent. This indicates growth in manufacturing for the 13th consecutive month and is the highest reading since May 2004, when the index registered 61.4 percent.

Almost 30,000 metric tools from Komet Group GmbH, Besigheim, Germany, are now available through MachiningCloud Inc., Camarillo, Calif.

In manufacturing, the nature of the work as well as the nature of the workers are changing: What’s a prospective employer to do? Some pre-Manufacturing Day discussion.

If you’re lucky, the veterans in your shop will take a rookie aside and pass on their hard-won knowledge of good machining practices. Most of this information is priceless. But some of it … not so much. For example, there are a lot of myths about balancing out there that, if not refuted, can cost your operation a lot of lost time and money. In this article, Haimer USA LLC addresses these misperceptions and offers a more factual view of best practices for balancing toolholder assemblies.

Entering the workpiece is an essential part of optimizing tool life and reducing vibrations. The roll-in method allows you to softly and smoothly enter the workpiece. Inserts are eased into the cut following the golden rule of milling: a thick chip on entry and a thin chip on exit. Click on the link for more milling tips from Sandvik Coromant.

Advances in technology and changing trade patterns are affecting opportunities for export-led manufacturing. Smart automation, advanced robotics and 3-D printing are new factors influencing which locations are attractive for production. While these shifts threaten significant disruptions in future employment, particularly for low-skilled workers, they also offer opportunities, according to a new report released today by the World Bank Group.

In 2017 robot supplies in the Americas will surge by 16 percent from 2016, according to the International Federation of Robotics. IFR estimates that by 2020 the worldwide stock of operational industrial robots will increase from about 1,828,000 units at the end of 2016 to 3,053,000 units—an average annual growth rate of 14 percent between 2018 and 2020.

A new report from Kaspersky Lab found that in the first half of the year, the manufacturing industry was the most susceptible to cyberthreats – with the industrial control systems (ICS) computers of manufacturing companies accounting for almost one third of all attacks.

Absolute Machine Tools Inc., Lorain, Ohio, hired Jeff Sturtevant as general manager of the Mason Technical Center in Mason, Ohio.

Join thousands of manufacturers Oct. 6 as they open their doors to show modern manufacturing in action and inspire the next generation of skilled workers. Manufacturing Day is an annual celebration in which manufacturers invite their communities—including students, educators, businesspeople, media and politicians—to facilities in a collective effort to educate visitors about manufacturing career opportunities and improve public perceptions of manufacturing.

If you have ever had parts or components CNC milled, you probably have a good understanding of the process. However, unless you have had custom products manufactured, you may not be aware of everything that goes hand-in-hand with custom CNC milling.

In the EU-funded project SelSus, Fraunhofer scientists are collaborating in a consortium with partners from research and industry to develop maintenance technology capable of forecasting machine downtimes in production before they occur. This allows plant managers to rectify faults before the machine breaks down. The system even corrects some defects automatically.