General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

Stents and tubes are used in countless medical devices and new ones are being added every day, fueled in part by the growth of minimally invasive surgery and the commonplace use of stents. The sheer number and diversity of devices is rapidly increasing – and with it, the demand for more and more laser cut stents; flexible tubing, cannulas and micro cannulas, needles, biopsy devices and other minimally invasive tools.

Matsuura Machinery USA Inc. announces the launch of the MX-520 PC4, a four-pallet automated version of the MX-520 single table 5-axis vertical machining center model. The MX-520 PC4 5-axis VMC was designed in response to customer demand seeking a Matsuura automation solution for the MX-520 5-axis VMC.

No. 844 is a 500°F (260°C), top-loading oven from Grieve, currently used for drying water from racks of piston rings at the customer's facility. Workspace dimensions of this oven measure 48" W x 48" L x 36" D.

New commercial agreement between Spirit and Norsk Titanium identifies thousands of titanium parts currently manufactured at Spirit or by its suppliers as 3D-printing candidates.

Heule Tool Corp., Cincinnati, in July announced the promotion of William "Bill" Hargrove to National Sales Manager. In his new role Hargrove will further the growth and development of the Heule sales force to support national accounts growth throughout North America.

The Dr. Johannes Heidenhain GmbH company in July selected David Doyle as President and Managing Director of the Schaumburg, Ill.-based Heidenhain Corp. Doyle assumes full responsibility for the Heidenhain customer-focused operations for the U.S., Canada and Mexico. This change continues the succession plan for Heidenhain CEO Rick Korte.

Published by Industrial Press, "Lean Refining: How to Improve Performance in the Oil Industry" by Lonnie Wilson addresses the tremendous opportunities this quality improvement system can exploit to achieve huge financial gains, while simultaneously improving morale, timeliness, quality, safety, reliability and environmental performance.

Lexair's full-bore, fixed-length, self-contained collet chuck allows full-capacity spindle operation, due to elimination of the drawtube. When using the full bore chuck, spindle capacity is boosted as much as 30 percent, and clamping pressure is unaffected by centrifugal force, regardless of rpm, according to the company.

Hanging on to talented older workers steeped in institutional knowledge has become a critical issue for many manufacturing businesses. The worker shortage is driving employers to take creative approaches to retirement. About 78 million baby boomers are nearing or at retirement, and the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) estimates that factories will need 3.5 million new factory workers in the next 10 years just to keep production lines and distribution routes going.

A bipartisan and bicameral group of lawmakers is proposing a bill that would incentivize and boost American manufacturing, in addition to research and development, as the Trump administration looks to keep a promise from the presidential campaign. Reps. Mike Kelly, R-Pa., and Ron Kind, D-Wis., with Sens. Chris Coons, D-Del., and Pat Roberts, R-Kan., have introduced the Invent and Manufacture in America Act, a bill that would give a tax credit to companies that not only conduct research and development, but also manufacture products resulting from that R&D as well.

Introduced in 2010 and originally marketed primarily for scrap recycling, Eriez P-Rex rare earth scrap drums are now successfully operating across North America in a variety of recycling sectors. The P-Rex is proving its value in the field--beyond scrap recycling operations--by boosting ferrous recovery rates for waste-to-energy and slag recycling facilities, according to the company.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 5,000 American manufacturing workers suffer injuries involving amputation or limb loss every single year. In all, amputations rank in OSHA's top three serious workplace injuries. Rockford Systems recognizes that these devastating, life-altering injuries are typically avoidable with the right safety equipment in place. The company's Detect-A-Finger drop-probe device, for example, is designed to prevent a riveter, welder or other small machine from cycling if it encounters fingers in the point-of-operation area, therefore preventing contact between the operator and dangerous moving parts.