Industry News

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), a standards and certification body, and the Gene Haas Foundation (GHF), which provides scholarships to schools for students entering technical training programs, are partnering to provide scholarship funds directly to select SkillsUSA students. 

Alicona Corp. will host a training program for its optical 3D measurement systems June 23-25 at the company's Bartlett, Ill. headquarters. The three-day program costs $4,500 per person.

Ceratizit SA has acquired German solid carbide toolmaker Klenk GmbH & Co. KG, augmenting the Ceratizit Group's product portfolio with custom solutions for solid-carbide round tools, according to the company. With the addition of Klenk, the Ceratizit Group aims to further strengthen its position in the solid-carbide tool market, according to Thierry Wolter of the Ceratizit Group's executive board. "It is our aim to be perceived as a global premium player for all cutting tools," he said.  

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corp. and machine tool distributor Morris South have partnered to host Southern Tech Fest, June 24—25, at Morris South's Tech Center and Okuma's Partners in THINC facility in Charlotte, N.C.

Toolmaker SGS Tool Co., Munroe Falls, Ohio, has completed and held a grand opening of its new 76,000 sq. ft. endmill facility in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. The new plant was constructed next to the company's existing manufacturing facilities and creates increased toolmaking capacity.

According to the Global Waterjet Machine Market 2015-2019 research report, enhanced R&D innovations are expected to reduce costs in the worldwide waterjet machine market, with customers other than traditional end users generating demand. 

Transor Filter USA, Elk Grove Village, Ill., has established Transor Filter Japan Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary. Transor filters had previously been sold and serviced by an independent representative. To lead this new operation, Transor President Irv Kaage announced the appointment of Yuji Nakamura as president/managing director.

DE-STA-CO, Auburn Hills, Mich., is celebrating its 100th anniversary. The global automation and workholding company has provided productivity solutions to the manufacturing industry since 1915, when William H. Roberts founded the Detroit Stamping Co., providing contract stamping to the rapidly growing automotive industry. 

LANDS Superabrasives, a cooperative venture between the synthetic diamond division of Lieber & Solow Ltd. in New York and Premier Diamond Corp. in Antwerp, was awarded an ISO 9001:2008 certification for its quality management system standards. According to the company, various standard tests are performed in order to assure and maintain consistent standards in its product line, and the ISO 9001:2008 certification is an extension of its existing quality control program.

Machine tool builder GF Machining Solutions is planning a 3-day technology and education event called Solutions Days at its Competence Center in Lincolnshire, Ill. The event will feature advanced part-processing demonstrations and include a series of manufacturing-based workshops. According to Gisbert Ledvon, director of business development for GF Machining Solutions, the company intends for Solutions Days to be the year's foremost event for manufacturers that specialize in precision part production for industries that include aerospace, automotive, medical and moldmaking. 

United Grinding North America Inc. will highlight methods for improving tool performance using the latest advancements in grinding at a Tool Event on July 22-23 at the company's facility in Fredericksburg, Va. Attendees will also get a preview of a new two-in-one machine with a minimal footprint that provides eroding and grinding of PCD and carbide tools in one setup, according to the company. 

MSC Industrial Supply Co., Melville, N.Y., a distributor of metalworking and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) products and services, is expanding its portfolio of metalworking products from Accupro, Davidson, N.C. The new line adds more than 3,000 new precision-engineered metalworking tools to the existing 20,000 Accupro products MSC currently offers. 

Toolmaker OSG Corp. and toolholding manufacturer Haimer GmbH signed a strategic partnership and licensing agreement in which the OSG-Group's round endmills will include Haimer's Safe-Lock system. The Safe-Lock design in cutting tools and toolholders combines a press fit clamping with a positive form locking mechanism. This prevents round cutting tools from being rotated or completely pulled out from a toolholder during heavy machining, according to the company.

KAISER Precision Tooling Ltd., Rümlang, Switzerland, reports that it has strengthened its long-term partnership, BIG Daishowa Seiki Co. Ltd., Japan, by agreeing to be acquired by the BIG Daishowa group as of April 15. KAISER Precision Tooling, a supplier of modular boring tools, and BIG Daishowa Seiki, a producer of toolholders and measurement devices, have had a technology and distribution partnership since 1980.

Intrepid Tool Industries, Surprise, Ariz., has released its new 2015/2016 full-line catalog, showing the company's current offering of drills, reamers and countersinks for machining composites, aluminum, titanium and other aerospace materials. Additions include a new series of "W" point drills, combination drill/countersinks, porting tools with through-tool coolant holes and a full line of PCD drills and countersinks. For more information, call (800) 998-6565 or visit www.intrepidtool.com. 

BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling, Hoffman Estates, Ill., has enhanced its BIG Profit Maker, KAISER and Unilock repair services by bringing services in-house that, until recently, were performed overseas. The company is also eliminating charges for some commodity parts, as well as offering same-day services.

Tungaloy Corp. completed an additional production building at its headquarters in Iwaki, Japan. The new facility is added on to the existing manufacturing complex, which opened in 2011, and will help meet growing demand for cemented carbide inserts, milling tools, and indexable drills, according to the company.

Machine tool builder Mazak Corp., Florence, Ky., will host a "Discover More With Mazak" event for manufacturers at its Northeast Technology Center in Windsor Locks, Conn., May 12 and 13 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A special student day will be held on May 14 for local educational institutions. The technology and education event will showcase new metalworking innovations and techniques for boosting productivity and profitability. 

Machine tool builder SMTCL-Americas, City Of Industry, Calif., has partnered with West Coast Customs by supplying a CNC machine tool to the Burbank, Calif., custom auto body shop. The VMC2100B vertical machining center will allow West Coast Customs to create customized wheels and body parts in-house. This partnership will also allow SMTCL customers to purchase the West Coast Custom Edition VMC2100B.

Azure MicroDynamics Inc., Lake Forest, Calif., is a manufacturing, machining and assembly facility specializing in small and micro components with tolerances as tight as 0.0002" for medical devices and other products. Incorporating micromachining processes that include multi-axis milling and turning, Azure is capable of producing low-volume prototype quantities as well as high-volume production, according to the company.