Industry News

“We knew we were facing a problem when we had tens of jobs open and not a single qualified candidate was applying,” said CEO of Precise Tool and Manufacturing, John S. Gizzi. “Customers were ordering parts, but we had to wait to machine them because so many of our machines sat unmanned.”

Making chips means making money, so keeping the spindle turning is critical for a company's bottom line. Timothy Mooney, Midwest regional sales manager for  Starrag USA, distributors of  high-precision machine tools, said his customers strive for a 75 percent spindle engagement time "That is the only time that they are making money."

Metal working facilities constantly strive to reduce machining times, and saving a  minute or two here or there can really add up. According to John Zaya, workholding product manager for Big Kaiser, time savings can be achieved using flexible workholding systems. This is especially true for companies that have a high part mix, low volume, and when parts might be tall, large, or oddly shaped.

Metal cutting used to be about making chips, but in modern manufacturing it is just part of the story. In today's digital world, metal might be a product's core component, but data is the raw material that drives improvement. That was clearly the case at DMG Mori's Chicago Innovation Days held May 13-16 at the company's Hoffman Estates, IL, facility.

Multi-tasking machines for big parts, small parts and everything in between were on display at the Discover More with Mazak Midwest 2019 event. The May 9 event featured a variety of multi-axis machines. Kevin Bates, general manager - Midwest Region at Mazak Corp., provided Cutting Tool Engineering with a tour of some of the high-productivity technology on display at Mazak's Midwest Technology Center, Schaumburg, IL.

Work/life balance, believing in – and supporting – its people; these are core principles of ARCH Cutting Tools. Dave Fisher is an example of how the organization lives those principles.

Modern maintenance professionals understand the basic importance of their computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS). After all, it is an essential tool when it comes to scheduling and tracking maintenance work. Yet, a CMMS has so much more potential as a value provider to the business. To untap its true power, let us first discuss the holistic approach to maintenance.

Loyal to the motto "Where the customer is, we will be," Mapal established an additional subsidiary in Fountain Inn, South Carolina.

Many industrial production processes wouldn’t be possible without fans—they play a decisive role in the drying, suction or cooling of materials. Often the stability and efficiency of the entire production process may even be dependent on the fans used. The challenging task for Elektror airsystems becomes clearer against this backdrop: The company is one of the international leaders in the production of industrial fans and side channel compressors. Elektror has been relying on UNI HEAT from EMAG eldec since mid-2018 for the production of the electric motors used in its fans: The system ensures quick and precise induction heating of the empty stator housing before the joining process with the motor winding. The process reliability and flexibility of the entire sequence are essential for the rapid “one-piece-flow” at Elektror.

Fetch Robotics announced the results of the inaugural FetchIt! Mobile Manipulation Challenge. The competition was designed to advance the state of technology for applying mobile manipulators, which are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) fitted with robotic arms, for use in manufacturing and related applications.

ITAMCO (Indiana Technology and Manufacturing Companies) is part of a team developing a new runway mat for the U.S. Air Force. Runway mats are a critical component of expeditionary airfields (EAFs). EAFs are portable airfields that can be constructed, used, broken down after the completion of a mission, and moved to another site for re-use.

Jamestown is slowly becoming a manufacturing hub in western New York. New Flyer of America Inc. is one of the country's largest manufacturers of transit buses. The company's plant in Jamestown has been open since 2016 in a former grocery store.

Irvine, CA - CGTech Technical Support Engineers will be on hand at the National Leadership and Skills Conference (NLSC) in Louisville, KY, June 25-27. Each year, CGTech staff proctor multiple SkillsUSA/NIMS competitions related to Computer Numeric Control (CNC) machining. In addition to grading competitions, CGTech will run its latest version of VERICUT CNC simulation software, in Booth S145.

To serve the needs of moldmakers and manufacturers that demand the highest levels of productivity and design quality for surface texturing applications, GF Machining Solutions has introduced its new AgieCharmilles LASER S series. Unveiled for the first time in North America at a special event at its North American headquarters in Lincolnshire, Illinois, the new all-in-one machines offer a number of innovative technologies that result in advanced capabilities and outstanding speed, leading to cycle time reductions of 30 to 50 percent.

Women make up around 47% of the U.S. labor force, nearly 74 million people and counting. But the percentage of manufacturing roles filled by female workers is only 29%. In a sector not only flourishing but facing a potential shortfall of workers, why do women remain so vastly underrepresented?

Advanced manufacturing is a significant driver of the northeast Ohio economy and has been a key factor in the region’s recovery from the recessions of the early 2000s and 2008. However, growth in employment in the sector has fallen behind increases in gross regional product, and efforts to address this challenge will require an increase in the area’s skilled workforce.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), in partnership with Festo Didactic, will establish industry-recognized skills standards and ultimately credentials for jobs related to Industry 4.0. In light of the significant trend in digitalization of manufacturing through technology advancements such as Industrial Internet of Things (IoT), training in these skills is vitally needed now. With NIMS’ emphasis on manufacturing skills training, credentialing and standards, plus Festo’s complete Industry 4.0 learning Factories, courseware and eLearning integration, the two organizations are poised to provide the training programs for Industry 4.0.

Heinrich Georg Maschinenfabrik has received an order from Vítkovické Slévárny spol. s r.o. for the supply of a roll lathe, the third lathe so far supplied by GEORG to the Czech roll manufacturer. The new machine will be linked with one of the existing lathes. Thanks to this solution, only one operator will be needed to control both machines.

Manufacturing is in the midst of a period of unprecedented change as we transition from the industrial age to the information age. The manufacturers that will prove best able to capture value amid this transition will be those that can best manage complexity and embrace flexibility. A new layer of manufacturing software has emerged to answer this call.

The light is a little too dim for Carolyn Lee, executive director of the Manufacturing Institute at the National Association of Manufacturers. She wants the industry to shine a brighter light on itself and attract the recognition it deserves.