Industry News

IKONICS Corp., a Duluth-based imaging technology company, announced today that IKONICS Precision Abrasive Machining capabilities align with NASA test results to reduce aerodynamic drag on acoustic jet engine liners.

Most manufacturers offer at least occasional in-house instruction as factory work has become more about brains than brawn. But Tooling U-SME, an organization focused on manufacturing education that's part of an industrial nonprofit in Dearborn, Mich., found in a recent survey that just 25 percent have a structured training program.

Economists have been debating the performance of business investment during the current recovery. Much of the debate has centered around the relative importance of policy (such as regulation) and demand. Meanwhile, from a company’s perspective, it probably doesn’t make sense to invest when its existing plant and equipment are already underutilized.

Michigan Manufacturing International (MMI) was founded in 1991 in Michigan by Jacob Prak. A number of moves were necessary as the operation outgrew each location, but the name remained the same. In November 2013, MMI built a 40,000 square foot building in Stevensville, Md., and currently occupies 12,000 square feet of that space.

Sound website design and integration attracts new business and simplifies operations for manufacturers, internet marketing professional Gary Sargent said.

Manufacturing technology orders for April 2016 were down 27.5 percent from the same month a year ago, according to the latest U.S. Manufacturing Technology Orders report compiled by AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. Year to date, orders are down 16.6 percent compared to the same point in 2015. 

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) released the first-ever industry Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) standards. Developed over the course of a yearlong intensive nationwide validation process with more than 125 subject matter experts from companies who use a variety of CAM software, the standards define the competencies and skills expected by industry for entry-level CAM positions. 

Indiana job shop cuts insert costs in half and triples tool life with Beyond Evolution grooving and cut-off tools, according to a case study submitted by Kennametal Inc.

The first automobile internal-combustion engines used a camshaft to open and close poppet valves. Now, more than 100 years later, camshafts are still used and their basic function hasn’t changed—even though camshaft geometries, materials, surface finishes and tolerances have improved greatly to achieve better fuel economy, lower emissions and larger torque.

With two in three manufacturers unware of the true cost of system downtime and mechanical failure, Gill Sensors & Controls discuss how its new condition monitoring sensors help reduce downtime, associated costs and improve reliability of large manufacturing gearboxes.

Haimer USA last month celebrated the grand opening of its new 25,000 sq. ft. North American headquarters with a ribbon cutting ceremony, distinguished guest speakers, on-site machine demos and presentations.

Technology advancements and the Industrial Internet of Things are making outcome orientation more feasible, according to the Harvard Business Review. For example, when Rolls Royce or GE provide a “power by the hour” engine solution, they are delivering an outcome and potentially more value to the customer.

Economic activity in the manufacturing sector expanded in May for the third consecutive month, while the overall economy grew for the 84th consecutive month, say the nation’s supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report On Business. The report was issued June 1 by Bradley J. Holcomb, chair of the Tempe, Ariz.-based Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee.

The sales, engineering and executive staff at Doosan Machine Tools America hosted a festive open house recently, celebrating the company’s recently expanded Technical Center in Pine Brook, N.J. The company welcomed valued customers and its North American distributor network.

As part of a global business initiative, seven business schools from around the world, including Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University, executed a multi-year research effort focusing on current practices and strategies associated with the sourcing of production and trends in a global supply chain.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, manufacturing accounts for one-fifth of the annual energy consumption in the United States—approximately 21 quintillion joules (20 quadrillion BTU) or equivalent to 3.6 billion barrels of crude oil. To reduce this staggering amount and improve sustainability, manufacturers need to accurately measure and evaluate consumption of energy and materials, as well as environmental impacts, at each step in the life cycles of their products.

For most manufacturers, the productivity of their CNC equipment can be measured in fractions of seconds when it comes to things like cutting or grinding cycle times and the intervals between tool changes. The performance of the spindle—the workhorse of the CNC machine—has a dramatic impact on that productivity.

The 2016 World Cutting Tool Conference offered informative, entertaining speakers and social events that provided ample opportunities to meet with and learn from colleagues from around the world.

Dorner Holding Corp., the parent company of Dorner Mfg. Corp., Hartland, Wis., on May 12 announced the acquisition of Jülich, Germany-based Geppert-Band, a leading European manufacturer of belt and modular belt conveyors. 

March billings among 40 U.S. cutting tool companies increased 5.7 percent over February and 15.4 percent over January, according to a recent report from the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI), which surveys U.S. cutting tool companies each month for USCTI's Current Business Report. Total billings in March reached nearly $166 million, compared to nearly $157 million in February and nearly $144 million in January.