Industry News

07/09/2019
Most CNC machine shops face the same problem: The programming office is backed up, so how can machine tools keep running? Wooster, Ohio-based NobleTek uses Vericut toolpath simulation and optimization software from CGTech Inc., Irvine, California, to ensure smooth operations and prevent late deliveries, lost productivity and unhappy customers.
07/08/2019
Sandvik Coromant and PARC partner to advance digital manufacturing
Sandvik Coromant is strengthening its capabilities in digital manufacturing by signing a strategic research agreement with PARC, a Xerox company, world-renowned innovation center. PARC will provide Sandvik Coromant with a footprint in Silicon Valley and expert resources for R&D in the field of digital manufacturing.
07/05/2019
New dimension in networked production
umati - universal machine tool interface goes live at EMO Hannover 2019 from Sept. 16 to 21 with an exciting presentation. "Around 50 machine tool manufacturers from all over the world will be joining forces to show how umati makes machine data usable," says Dr. Alexander Broos, umati project manager and head of research and technology at the EMO organizer VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association). Trade show visitors will experience live the benefits the standardized interface offers.
07/03/2019
There are 3 inventory mistakes that are regularly repeated.
No matter what kind of manufacturing facility I’m in, there’s one thing I hear over and over when I ask workers on the floor about indirect inventory: They want it available—no matter when, no matter how frequently or infrequently they need it.
07/03/2019
ARCH announces the acquisition of  Siem Tool
ARCH, a Jordan Company platform company that is focused on manufacturing precision cutting tools, precision machined components and medical implants and instruments, has acquired Siem Tool Co., Latrobe, Pennsylvania. Siem Tool is a manufacturer of customized solid-carbide drills, endmills, reamers, thread mills and form tools. Siem Tool will join ARCH’s Cutting Tools division.
07/01/2019
GF Machining Solutions hosts ribbon cutting ceremony at Microlution facility
Although Microlution Inc. has been based in multiple locations since the builder of micromachining centers was founded in 2005, the company held its first grand opening event June 28 as part of GF Solutions Days USA 2019. The first location for Chicago-based Microlution, which has operated as a subsidiary of GF Machining Solutions since 2016, was in Andy Phillip’s apartment in Champaign, Phillip said. He is one of the company’s founders and now head of laser micromachining.
07/01/2019
ARCH Cutting Tools focuses on education partnership to solve talent shortage
ARCH Cutting Tools is facing the same talent shortage as the cutting tool industry overall, but the company is meeting the challenge with an aggressive workforce development strategy aimed at Millennials and Generation Z. In partnership with Delta College, ARCH Cutting Tools hosted an Introduction to Machine Tools Forum at its Flushing, Michigan, facility June 6 for five students interested in careers as machinists.
06/26/2019
Why use a CT scanner for an industrial job?
The ability to “see through” a solid object was once thought to be a tool of the future, or a power belonging to Superman–but the technology is here today, and more widespread and accessible than you may have thought. Until recently, the technology of CT imaging was only available for use in medical settings. Over the last several years, it has found a new home in the world of manufacturing, and is opening up myriad opportunities never before available.
06/26/2019
Aerospace Manufacturing and Design
High-speed machining — in excess of 20,000 rpm — often is used in aerospace when machining exotic alloys and hard metals, such as titanium. At these speeds, precise, secure seating of tapered toolholders in the spindle becomes even more critical. Failing to pay attention to this single detail can lead to decreased productivity, less precise machining, reduced tool life and damaged workpieces.
06/26/2019
Revo five-axis coordinate measuring machine
All machining operations have inherent variation caused by machine positioning errors, material variances, fixturing, tooling load and thermal changes. Many companies employ metrology at the end of machining to ensure that good parts go out the door, but it does little to improve manufacturing efficiency. Applying metrology before and during machining processes keeps operations in tight control, significantly improving process yield and final part quality at a much lower cost of production.
06/26/2019
Chicago-based startup aims to be the Uber of manufacturing industry
McPond, a peer-to-peer platform based in Chicago, lets manufacturers list their idle machines for rent.
06/25/2019
Report details precision stainless steel market
In terms of market value, the global precision stainless steel market is projected to expand at a CAGR of over 4% during the forecast period, owing to various factors, regarding which, study offers thorough insights and forecasts in this report. The global precision stainless steel market has been segmented on the basis of thickness and end-use industry. The global precision stainless steel market is expected to expand 1.5x in terms of market volume by the end of 2029.
06/25/2019
Design identified as a critical factor in AM economics and adoption
Wohlers Report 2019, an annual report on the additive manufacturing (AM) industry, includes detailed input from 127 providers of AM services worldwide. Companies with both metal and polymer AM services reported that more than 26% of a part's cost is from post-processing, as shown in the accompanying chart.
06/25/2019
'Poly – Poly – or what?' Part 8: How the 'issue with the comma' became a success
Let’s look back. Could it be that the world’s first presentation of a dia-compact monoblock milling cutter for aluminium machining at FAMETA in 1980 already laid the foundation for large-scale use within the automobile industry in the 80s? Actually yes, if the aforementioned “stumbling blocks” were not there.
06/24/2019
The simplest and basic dressing process is to use a white aluminum oxide dressing stick.
Dressing/conditioning diamond and CBN Borazon grinding wheels, resin- and metal-bond only, is one of the most overlooked processes. And most dressing is done insufficiently.
06/20/2019
Partnership formed to boost manufacturing supply chain on blockchain
SyncFab, a Manufacturing Blockchain solution for parts suppliers and buyers, has announced a strategic partnership with the National Tooling and Machining Assocation. The new relationship will grant access to SyncFab’s advanced manufacturing blockchain platform for over 1,300 NTMA members across the U.S.
06/20/2019
Evaluating mist collector performance for your application
When metalworking fluids are used during machining processes, they generate airborne mists that facility operators must carefully control. If left unchecked, these mists can create a dangerous work environment and cause serious health problems for workers. The best engineering control to keep your shop safe and your business in regulatory compliance is a high-efficiency mist collection system designed for your specific application.
06/20/2019
The time is now for the smart factory
Almost everyone has become accustomed to smart phones, smart televisions, and even the concept of smart cars. And technology has advanced far enough that people understand generally what expectations of functionality are associated with the use of the word “smart” in front of a word. But outside of the consumer product sphere, the companies that produce those goods, and all the “non-smart” goods as well, are beginning to benefit from the same technologies.
06/19/2019
100 Japanese manufacturers harness blockchain to share data
Mitsubishi Electric, DMG Mori and Yaskawa Electric are among 100 major Japanese manufacturers set to share production data with each other to improve efficiency, using blockchain technology to ensure their information remains secure.
06/18/2019
Department of Energy
The federal agencies funding 14 institutes created to jump-start the manufacturing industry have no set criteria to measure progress, according to a government report. The departments of Commerce, Defense and Energy need a way to gauge whether they’re meeting the goals of the 2014 law that formed this nationwide network of manufacturing hubs, the Government Accountability Office announced.