Industry News

Jenoptik Industrial Metrology has announced a 2014 event, The Better Parts Challenge., where U.S. manufacturers send their part quality challenges  to be reviewed by the Rochester Hills, Mich.-based metrology manufacturer's experts. These challenges will be reviewed  at "road shows" across the U.S., showing how Jenoptik measuring devices and software can help manufacturers make better quality parts and potentially reduce the cost of production.

Students in the University of Washington's mechanical engineering program successfully petitioned the Dean of Engineering for a new furnace at the school's Engineering Instructional Shop as a replacement for an antiquated, unreliable, smaller unit. The new furnace, a model HL7-P36 from Lucifer Furnaces Inc., Warrington, Pa., with a work chamber of 18"x24"x36", will allow students to heat treat more parts in-house.

Machine tool manufacturer SMTCL-Americas will hold a "March Machine Madness" open house event on March 20, 2014 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its  City of Industry, Calif. technical center at 17038 E. Gale Ave. Various experts will host seminars on robotics and automation, 5-axis machining, titanium machining, new developments in CAD software and innovations in tooling.

A mobile digital edition app to view Cutting Tool Engineering magazine on smartphones and tablets is now available.

Absolute Machine Tools Inc. is hosting a "Discovery Day" at its new Midwest Technical Center in Elgin, Ill., on April 9 from 10:00 am until 7:00 pm. New machine tool technologies from Nexturn, Precihole, Accutex EDM, Tongtai, Johnford and Fanuc Automation, among others, will be introduced. A complimentary lunch will be served courtesy of Elgin's Portillo's Hot Dogs Inc.

German clamping and gripping specialist SCHUNK has partnered with goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as the company's new brand ambassador. Managing Partner Henrik A. Schunk, an enthusiastic soccer fan, personally picked the athlete, citing "dynamics, precision, reliability and continuous top performance in the team." As a brand ambassador, Lehmann is able to communicate SCHUNK's credibly due to his proven competence in both soccer and society.

CNC machine tool manufacturer Rollomatic Inc., Mundelein, Ill., is exhibiting several new products during the GrindTec show in Augsburg, Germany, to be held March 19-22, 2014. One product on display is the GrindSmart 6-axis CNC grinder that is furnished with a traveling work head that can produce drills with a flute length up to 12". In addition, other solid-carbide drills and high-performance endmills can be manufactured. Features include a camera to locate coolant holes and a 6-station wheel and nozzle changer. 

The new Metal Loss Monitor (MLM) from Erie, Pa.-based separation technology provider Eriez enables operators to determine the quantities of valuable metals that are passing through their scrap yards unrecovered. It accomplishes this by continually scanning the residue stream for metal that has escaped the process, according to the company.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), Fairfax, Va., announced that it awarded a record number of credentials last year to individuals seeking to enter into or advance in jobs in the metalworking industry. In 2013, NIMS issued 13,888 industry-recognized credentials, representing a 58.8 percent increase from 2012.

Owners of 3-year-old vehicles (2011 model year) report more problems than did owners of 3-year-old vehicles last year, according to the 2014 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study^SM (VDS) released by market information services firm J.D. Power and Associates, Westlake Village, Calif.

Manufacturing software provider CGTech has announced 22 North American VERICUT Users Exchange (VUE) events scheduled in 2014, with the first to be held on March 10th in Irvine, Calif., near the company headquarters.

Minneapolis machine shop NTM Inc. was named a partner in the KOMET SERVICE network and will provide localized tool regrinding and refurbishment services for tools from KOMET and other toolmakers, as well as sell standard and special KOMET solid-carbide tools.  

Seco Tools, Troy, Mich., was recognized for participating in the John Deere Cost Reduction Opportunities Process (JD CROP), part of Deere & Company's Achieving Excellence program. The toolmaker received the honor for the quality of its cost-reduction ideas and for demonstrating its commitment to continuous improvement, according to Seco.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in January for the eighth consecutive month, and the overall economy grew for the 56th consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. Yet, the January PMI registered 51.3 percent, a decrease of 5.2 percentage points from December's seasonally adjusted reading of 56.5 percent.

Sharpening diamond-tipped and solid carbide rotary tools will be the focal point of Vollmer's display at Stand 1017 at the GrindTec 2014 international grinding technology trade fair, to be held March 19 to 22 in Augsburg, Germany. The grinding and erosion machine company will demo its new VGrind 160 grinding center, the company's first for processing carbide rotary tools.

In April 2014, igus Inc., East Providence, R.I., will hold its  biannual vector awards ceremony. The vector awards aim to recognize the most creative applications of the igus Energy Chain Systems. Participants can apply online to present their idea to the panel of judges, with the first, second and third prizes being awarded at the Hannover Trade Fair in Germany. 

Nanotechnology developer NanoMech announced it will build a facility adjoining its existing factory in Springdale, Ark. The approximately-25,000-sq.-ft.t building will triple the size of current operations and will serve as the company's world headquarters. NanoMech produces tool coatings and other nanotechnology-based products. 

United Grinding North America, the Miamisburg, Ohio-based provider of cylindrical grinding machine tools, has scheduled a six-city demonstration tour of the United States, as well as two open house events in Canada and Mexico, to demonstrate its STUDER S11 production workpiece.

Absolute Machine Tools Inc., Lorain, Ohio, has launched a new version of its website. The site provides descriptions, specifications and application information for the company's offerings of turning, milling, deep hole and gun barrel drilling machines and EDMs from OEMs including AccuteX, You Ji, Johnford, Tongtai, Nexturn, and Precihole. 

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), vice chair of the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, released a new report detailing the revitalization in U.S. manufacturing. The report shows over 500,000 have been added jobs since February 2010, up 38% since 2009 and exceeding the industry's pre-recession peak for exports.