General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

Epicor Software VP of Portfolio Marketing - Manufacturing Terri Hiskey shared insights on how she believes ERP software will evolve in response to manufacturing trends such as the Internet of Things and increased use of robotics and automation. Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics will transform ERP, she writes at ETCIO.com's Tech Talk blog: "The smart factory and Industry 4.0 will give ERP systems a new lease of life, making the ERP systems of yesterday unrecognizable."

The RT 100 S drill from Guhring was especially developed for the complex machining of steel materials. It reportedly scores points thanks to high cutting values and consistently good hole quality. An especially stable and accurate cutting edge is produced thanks to the special micro-geometry.

One of the activities CTE Editor Alan Richter enjoys most about his job is touring production facilities. The visits give him a chance to see how parts and products are made while meeting face-to-face with talented metalworking professionals.

Sweden-based information technologies provider Hexagon AB has announced an agreement to acquire MSC Software Corp., the Newport Beach, Calif. based provider of computer-aided engineering solutions such as simulation software. The agreed-upon purchase price is $834 million. The acquisition is subject to clearance and standard regulatory filings and is expected to be complete in April of 2017.

The Robotic Industries Association has announced that in 2016 the North American robotics market broke all-time records for orders and shipments. During the year, 34,606 robots valued at approximately $1.9 billion were ordered in North America, representing growth of 10 percent in units over 2015.

Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence launched PC-DMIS 2017 RI measurement software. 'R1' is short for 'Release 1' as there are two major releases scheduled for PC-DMIS in 2017, with continued service pack updates to ensure maximum reliability of the platform.

Easily and securely installed by hand in an ordinary drill hole, self-retaining ball plungers from Carr Lane Mfg. Co. have a flexible design, and compensate for hole tolerances up to 0.008". The slotted end of the thermoplastic body expands to compensate in an oversize hole.

The growth in the GDi market is staggering. In 2008 it was estimated that about 2% of cars built incorporated this technology, but recent predictions suggest that by 2020, 25% will include GDi systems as standard. This is great news for Precision Micro, the photo-etching specialist, which supplies photo-etched flexures used in GDis systems and this is stimulating major growth in the company.

Weiler Abrasives Group has announced the addition of Tiger Ceramic to its portfolio of bonded-abrasive solutions. Tiger Ceramic is a maximum performance line of cutting, grinding and combination wheels that delivers an enhanced combination of product life and cut rate to help users maximize time on the job in a range of metal fabrication applications.

Kurt's new KHP3 hydraulic pump is powered by normal shop air versus an electric motor. The pump uses 30 to 100 psi input pressure and sustains up to 4,000 psi of constant pressure for use with all Kurt hydraulic vises.

Walter has introduced the Walter Cut—Modular System G2612/2622, new SX system tools for deep grooving and parting operations that reportedly save time and cost. Suitable for all machine types, and for grooving and parting-off ranging from small to large diameters, the system allows users to simply replace the module to change to a different operation or insert size, without removing the holder from the machine.