Industry News

Mike Gampetro has a great job. As a CNC programmer for the Proposal Engineering Dept. at Ingersoll Cutting Tools, Rockford, Illinois, he spends his days improving customers’ machining processes. It could be an Inconel part where Gampetro suggests ways to increase tool life, or it could be a long-runner where every second of cycle time counts. Either way, it’s his job to generate ideas his customers can then use to produce more parts in less time, and hopefully reduce their operating costs along the way.

Live tooling, as the name implies, is specifically driven by the CNC and the turret of various spindle and powered subspindle configurations on CNC lathes to perform various operations while the workpiece remains in orientation to the main spindle. These devices, whether BMT or VDI, are also called driven tools, as opposed to the static tools used during turning operations, and are usually customized for the particular machine tool builder’s turret assembly.

When we think about the quality of life in U.S. cities, we think about affordable housing, good schools and hospitals, strong public services, excellent parks, bike paths and cultural resources. And of course, there’s the employment factor. Usually, larger cities offer more employment stability because there are simply more jobs. But this is changing now that manufacturing jobs are more readily available in cities with populations under 700,000.

Irvine, CA - At the Western Manufacturing Technology Show (WMTS), June 4-6, 2019, CGTech will demonstrate VERICUT’s Force optimization module and new graphics and features coming soon in version 9.0 in booth #230.

A lot of factors need to be assessed when analyzing the state of China's environment. One is the role of the CNC machining revolution that has gripped the country.

Wisconsin-based Kohler Co. recently announced that it will shut down engine operations in Sheboygan County and move nearly 600 jobs out of state. What does the status of the manufacturing industry look like for Wisconsin and the Midwest?

Humanity really started messing with the global climate system during the Industrial Revolution when we began burning coal to meet rising energy demand from industrial manufacturing. Most industrial energy efficiency programs target large manufacturers, which represent about 10% of all manufacturers and account for half of the total industrial energy demand. But there still aren’t many programs out there to help small and medium-size manufacturers save energy through efficiency improvements, even though the group constitutes 90% of the manufacturing sector and accounts for the other half of industrial energy demand. Together, small, midsize and large manufacturers drive about a third of the harmful climate-warming emissions today.

A new maritime regulation may create a nationwide manufacturing boom. With an expected increase in the cost of fuels used by ocean carriers, many manufacturing plants might move from Asia to the United States.

The Brooklyn Navy Yard in New York City is serving as a testing ground for a resurgence – and remaking – of manufacturing.

Every product we use in our daily lives was once just an idea. From your smartphone to your smart speakers, it took people with the confidence and resources to take a dream of these products and turn it into a reality. Whether your goal for your product is to keep your company relevant, turn a large profit or stir up the market, you won’t succeed if you rush through the process, become lazy or cut corners. The evolution from brainstorming a new idea to bringing a product to market can seem drawn out and daunting, which is why it’s important to narrow down the steps you’ll need to take to go from product conception to manufacturing.

Known as the fourth industrial revolution since the 18th century, Industry 4.0 is an all-encompassing term to refer to the way computers, data and automation are evolving and coming together to change the way work happens, and in particular, manufacturing.

JM Performance Products' patented High Torque retention knobs aim to resolve the tooling budget containment challenge.

Hermle AG will welcome over 1,000 companies and 3,000 visitors from across the globe to its annual Global Open House event in Gosheim, Germany. from May 8-11, 2019. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with more than 20 machine models in various configurations and with complementary equipment from high-tech industries to demonstrate the vast range of capabilities provided by Hermle products.

The rise of the robots is pervasive across all verticals, including the cutting tools industry. As more and more manufacturers turn to leaner processes robotics have been seen as a way to increase productivity, improve precision and reduce labor costs. It’s led to some asking whether robotics will replace humans completely. It’s also led others to ask if the benefits are just too good to be true.

Should we continue with classic machining and coolant lubricants, or do dry machining and minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) represent viable alternatives? From a technology point of view, it is important to consider material properties and machine performance, but plant costs, energy and health aspects increasingly need to be included in any assessment of the overall process. Lubrication system manufacturers and scientists commented on these aspects in the first of this two-part series. Part 2 now looks at various machining technologies from the practical perspective of tool and machine manufacturers: a preview of EMO Hannover 2019.

When you read this, 40 years will have already passed since the discovery of spark erosion for machining polycrystalline cutting materials. Lach Diamant named this process “spark grinding,” which accompanied the development of proprietary machines. Polycrystalline diamond tools conquered a multiple-application market traditionally reserved for carbides. Diamonds, baked under pressure and heat during synthesis, made this possible.

Whether traditional or new manufacturing processes are involved, none of the available technologies make it possible to produce component surface finishes in the required quality. Process steps such as deburring, rounding and cleaning, as well as targeted functional or decorative surface finishing, are thus indispensable. Solutions by means of which these tasks can be executed reliably and economically will be presented at DeburringEXPO at the Karlsruhe Exhibition Centre from Oct. 8-10, 2019. Beyond this, the third leading trade fair for deburring technology and precision surface finishing will provide valuable know-how at its bilingual expert forum.

Industry 4.0 is making inroads into several industrial sectors, creating massive demand for measurement and inspection technologies offering superior reliability precision, and stability. There has been a quantum leap in growth of the global industrial landscape, resulting in higher demands for high-quality precision measuring tools for reduced turnaround time and costs. Rising end user focus on quality-orientated operations as a key to high competitiveness is fuelling investments in the precision measuring tools market. Sensing the importance of a synchronized production as an essential aspect in optimal productivity, operators of manufacturing industries are willing to spend on better-than-the-rest precision measuring tools more than ever before.

Production managers in manufacturing often have to ask themselves: should we continue with conventional machining and coolant lubricants, or do dry machining or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) represent viable alternatives? Several factors influence this decision. In Part 1 of this two-part series of technical articles being published in the run-up to EMO Hannover 2019, lubrication system experts and scientists give their assessment. Tool and machine manufacturers shed light on the subject in the second part.

Rock stars have been smashing guitars for decades, few with more enthusiasm than Swedish-born guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. Global engineering company Sandvik decided to test its cutting-edge techniques by building the world’s first all-metal, unbreakable guitar and letting Malmsteen unleash his smashing skills.