Industry News

Cleveland - Members of the National Tooling and Machining Association and Precision Metalforming Association are stepping up to meet the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic and leading the way in displaying the true American spirit of joining together to make a difference. In addition to producing -- without disruption -- the tooling, machinery and parts that make up the backbone of the manufacturing supply chain and are essential to restarting America’s economy, member companies are working to help communities, first responders and the medical community in the fight against the virus.

A few weeks ago, Emag LLC started examining workplace safety regarding the pandemic and quickly came up with a long list of new safety measures to avoid spreading the virus. Over the past couple of weeks, our employees have been working hard to implement these measures, making us confident that all workplaces now are designed so the spread of infection at the company is almost impossible. Strict hygiene rules are being upheld throughout the company, and the minimum 2 m (6 ft.) social distancing measures are followed. However, there was one area that the team struggled to find a safe solution for: door handles.

Schaumburg, Illinois (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a collaborative effort to support the health care industry during the COVID-19 crisis, Heidenhain Corp. is working with Applied Motion Products Inc. to expedite critical components to a large manufacturer of ventilators. Now in various stages of delivery, Applied Motion Products' StepServo Integrated Motors equipped with Heidenhain’s Renco encoders are making their way into the production of 5,000 lifesaving medical devices.

Novi, Michigan. — BLM Group USA Corp. has announced that it is offering live, interactive machine and software demonstrations of its fabricating solutions for tube, pipe and more. Recognizing the increase in remote work and social distancing, BLM is offering these live broadcasts to enable customers and prospects to connect virtually and participate in demonstrations in real time.

Hanover, Germany. The extraordinary, unpredictable situation caused by the coronavirus presents unprecedented challenges to companies worldwide. Industrial cleaning technology does not seem to play a role at first. But the solutions presented at the 18th parts2clean (27-29 October 2020) will support companies in the production and remanufacturing sectors to improve their future viability and thus emerge from the crisis stronger.

ROSCOE, IL (May 5, 2020) - Forest City Gear Co. is proud to announce that its employees have raised $1,300 to support Rockford Rescue Mission’s efforts to respond to the increased need brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Forest City Gear committed to match employee donations dollar for dollar, raising the total for this most recent fundraiser to $2,600. That tally, combined with a previous donation of $500 from the company, brings the total amount of Forest City Gear’s donations to Rockford Rescue Mission to $3,100 to date.

TWINSBURG, Ohio (May 2020) — As COVID-19 has significantly altered the way that business is conducted, Pepperl+Fuchs Inc. is striving to keep the needs of customers at the forefront. To this end, the company has announced extended hours for its live chat customer support.

The impact of COVID-19 has changed the way we conduct business and illuminates more than ever the need for manufacturers to assess their processes and implement smart manufacturing technology. The challenges that manufacturers face daily have been only exacerbated by the pandemic. Adding value to machinery to allow unattended operations and improve productivity without relying on operators to perform every function is even more imperative in today’s climate.

May 5, 2020 — In the midst of the corona crisis, in between restrictions on movement and contact, a key word that seems to be a universal remedy for industry and the economy is suddenly doing the rounds again: digitalisation. The virologists who are constantly searching for answers surrounding the corona epidemic should be able to use the large quantity of anonymised data of mobile phones in order to better understand how the population is behaving and thus make better predictions on curbing the spread. The importance of well-known digital tools for communication and remote visualisation is increasing significantly in light of the need for isolation and physical distancing and they are being used across all economic sectors. Politicians, doctors and boardrooms are holding meetings in video conferences, schools are transferring their lessons to moving image clips and remote maintenance tools obtain the status of a "system-critical" component.

[Waterbury, CT – April 29, 2020] Design Engineer Glen Dobbs has talent, curiosity, resourcefulness and – perhaps the most important attribute of all – a big heart. He is president and CEO of LoganTech, a manufacturer of several lines of communications devices for nonverbal and visually impaired individuals. In his spare time, he’s been crystallizing the idea of establishing a separate nonprofit entity called Human Solutions Tech LLC to broaden the scope of the work to include other devices to fill unmet, specific needs. Two months ago, he thought that the COVID-19 crisis would halt the work he’d been putting in to the new organization, but the crisis didn’t. It accelerated that work.

Whether driven by the reduction of in-shop personnel due to layoffs or to maintain social distancing guidelines into the future, many machine shops likely will be reevaluating ways to eliminate labor-intensive manual operations if they can be automated instead.

As we enter a month of navigating business in the midst of this pandemic, we know that there is anxiety about the future. In uncertain times, it is more important than ever that we share experiences and learn from one another. That is Zoller Inc.’s primary objective now: to deliver resources that allow us to provide support and insight that will enable your business to emerge more efficient, productive and profitable.

Due to the current crisis, the existence of many CNC companies is at stake. The COVID-19 outbreak has highlighted the vulnerability of complex global manufacturing supply chains. To make matters worse, the CNC industry relies heavily on on-time deliveries. Delivery delays of just one day can create gaps in the entire supply chain, which can lead to exploding costs, enormous sales losses or even a complete standstill.

We Are Proud to Announce that KItagawa NorthTech has Acquired Tecnaras' Principle Product Lines Through Strategic Acquisition

Elk Grove Village, Il. - Crafts Technology Inc., specialists in designing and producing components from superhard materials for industrial equipment, is supporting the fight against COVID-19 by rush producing CraftAlloy tungsten-carbide core pin tooling to be used in the injection molding machines that manufacture vials for COVID-19 testing.

Selmsdorf, Germany, April 2020 – FOBA Laser Marking + Engraving (Alltec GmbH) offers support for manufacturers that need to cope with special requirements in the coronavirus crisis. The company, which specializes in industrial part marking and engraving with laser technology, provides flexible investment models for quick, easy deployment of additional marking systems.

Mundelein. The Rollomatic Group is pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Kane as COO for both entities, Rollomatic Inc and Strausak Inc.

Hoffman Estates, IL – BIG KAISER Precision Tooling has hired Kevin Spring for the position of Sales Engineer.

Elk Grove Village, IL – Niigata Machine Techno USA, Inc. continues to solidify its dealer network with the appointment of Realm Machine Co. as its exclusive distributor of machine tools in New England.

Whether producing turbochargers, steering knuckles or cylinder blocks, customers can mill cast and steel parts considerably more cost-effectively with the radial insert milling program from Mapal Inc. than with previously available solutions. Since the product launch in 2018, there have been a large number of measurable successes resulting from the use of the tools in the series.