General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

Elysium will release software for multiple-CAD to/from QIF for translation and validation between users. The added capability will be part of the new release of ASFALIS software planned for early 2020.

At first blush, hardness and toughness may seem like interchangeable concepts, but they actually exist at opposite ends of a continuum that defines indexable and solid tool performance, particularly when it comes to carbide inserts. Harder inserts offer greater wear resistance for superior performance and tool life in hot cutting environments, while tough inserts can handle greater impacts and stressors for the highest feed and depth of cut. For any given application, there is an optimal balance of hardness and toughness – and toolmakers have worked diligently to establish metallurgic principles to offer a range of tools that can meet the diverse needs of manufacturers.

THK America Inc.'s new Roller LM Guide Type HRX is designed to meet the demands of a variety of applications and environments. The Type HRX boasts a duplex face-to-face structure (DF Structure) and a full roller design for resilient performance in even harsh settings. Features include a highly rigid, yet simple structure, caged rollers and an extensive dust-proof option.

Force Control Industries celebrates 50 years of manufacturing long lasting oil shear clutches, brakes and clutch brakes. Although industries and applications have come and gone in the five decades that the company has been in business, Force Control Industries continues to develop new uses for its unique oil shear technology.

PFERD has introduced VICTOGRAIN, a new high-performance abrasive grain whose design features make it one of the most effective abrasives in the world. Its precision-formed abrasive grain triangles are identical in shape and size. Their cutting edges are applied to the workpiece at the optimal angle so that each individual grain needs little energy to penetrate the workpiece.

How can we make an outstanding product even better? By meeting the needs of Industry 4.0 – not in the future, but now. With the Power Clamp Comfort i4.0 shrink-fit system, Haimer is setting new standards regarding digital connectivity and communication of tools and machines for the new world of manufacturing.

Manufacturing is transitioning from a linear supply chain world to a much more adaptable internet of goods. Just as the internet is built on the TCP/IP stack, the internet of goods will be built on a new manufacturing stack that goes beyond the factory floor.

Our discourse on the manufacturing renaissance is marked by a failure to take hysteresis into account. First, I will select representative voices from the discourse. Then I will present a bracing article from IndustryWeek. I'll conclude by merely alluding to remedies.

ARCH Cutting Tools announced that the Richards Micro-Tools product portfolio is being rebranded as KEO Micro Tools.

The Vomat UBF concept is a vacuum band filter equipped to handle a wide variety of sludge materials, such as ceramic, HSS, brass, aluminum oxide and disc abrasion.

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) is now offering standardized CAM credentials, CAM Milling and Turning. "The CAM field continues to grow and is expected to create almost 100,000 new programmer, designer, and engineer jobs by 2024," said NIMS Executive Director Montez King. "It is imperative that people entering the field are properly trained and capable, and these credentials show a potential employer that applicants are ready to program CNC machine tools. Further, employees already on the job may wish to secure an official, portable, industry-recognized certification."

Walter has expanded its productive and cost-effective Walter Perform lineup of TC115/TC216 taps with an array of new sizes, giving these highly flexible taps an even wider range of application in a variety of materials. They provide an excellent means of cost savings, especially with small and medium batch sizes.