General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

Suhner Industrial Products announces its new Power Air Respiratory System e3000, specially designed for operator protection during high-grit grinding and polishing operations. The system, in combination with the e3000 lightweight helmet from Suhner, offer respiratory protection from the effects of smoke, dust and vapor, as well as operator comfort.

Drills, mills, lathes, grinders, saws and other 120V machinery can abruptly shut down during operation due to a power interruption. When an unintentional shut down takes place, it is critically important that a machine does not automatically restart, catching the operator by surprise and leading to a serious accident.

Containing large-size cargo for transport is challenging yet necessary to keep bundles intact for individual orders and to keep them from flying off the beds of 18-wheelers at high speeds. Allstrap Inc., Upper Arlington, Ohio, specializes in the manufacture of the steel and poly straps that hold these sizeable loads together, as well as the pneumatic and battery-operated tensioning tools that keep the straps taut.

The online magazine Fast Company reports that while the rest of the auto industry increasingly uses robots in manufacturing, Toyota has taken a contrarian stance by accentuating human craftsmanship: "The central role that people play in this corner of [Toyota's] Georgetown plant is repeated throughout the factory and exemplifies the uniqueness of Toyota's manufacturing philosophy."

Kentucky-based startup MakeTime announced the launch, and participating industry partners, of the MakeTime Shop Advantage Program. The first-of-its-kind program is designed to make technology, sophisticated hardware and business services more accessible to the U.S. manufacturing base, which contributes over $2 trillion to the U.S. economy annually.

As a long time EPPINGER supplier, EXSYS Tool offers a line of high-quality EPPINGER spiral bevel gearboxes. EPPINGER's BT (bevel torque) and BM (bevel maximum torque) compact spiral bevel gears deliver high torque and efficiency for gear applications that require extreme reliability and variability at speeds over 1,000 rpm as is the case for vehicle differentials.

Walter has introduced three new Walter Cut GX Tiger·tec Silver CVD grooving and parting grades—the WKP13S, WKP23S and WKP33S—for use on steel and cast-iron applications. These have been introduced in combination with Walter's geometries UD4, UA4, UF4, RD4 along with plunge grooving and parting geometries GD3 and CE4.

Ethernet POWERLINK is an open standard fieldbus for real-time Ethernet-based motion control created by B&R (Bernecker+Rainer Industrie-Elektronik) designed to give users a single, consistent, and integrated means for handling all communication tasks in modern automation. A POWERLINK network integrates all automation components such as PLCs, sensors, I/O modules, motion controllers, safety controls and HMI systems.

PI expands its PIMag series of high dynamics linear motor stages with a new compact positioner for automation tasks. The new V-408 stage is equipped with an incremental linear encoder for direct position measurement and a high-force 3-phase linear motor drive.

The Bosch GCB10-5 Deep Cut bandsaw is the easy-to-handle tool to deliver low-spark, clean cuts in rebar, conduit and other metals. These precise cuts require limited rework because the 10-amp saw is powerful enough to handle professional-sized jobs on most materials.

Doosan Machine Tools America announces the DHF 8000, an 800mm, twin-pallet, 5-axis horizontal machining center with a nodding head. This HMC was specifically designed for the processing of large, complex parts, such as those used in the aerospace, oil field and automotive industries.

BEA Lasers has announced the availability of its OEM line of lasers for demanding applications, ideal for use in Medical and other OEM applications. BEA lasers are designed for use in levelling, alignment and positioning.