General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

Alberti's SmartChange system from Koma Precision Inc. provides quick-changing, live-tooling capability for mill/turn lathes. The cost-effective units have a low profile with no additional projection to reduce the chance of interference with machines' enclosures.

Value Creation Through Sustainable Manufacturing, by Matthew Franchetti, Belin Elahi and Somik Ghose, is an authoritative guide that presents managers and engineers with proven strategies for implementing sustainable systems and practices in their manufacturing operations. This authoritative book from Industrial Press Inc. is highly recommended for both students and professionals in the field.

The improved E2.1 Energy Chain cable carrier from igus offers cable-friendly interior separation, easier-opening design, and 50 percent quieter operation than previous generation systems. Based on continuous development and new customer requirements, igus introduced its newest two-piece Energy Chain: the E2.1.

When it comes time to lubricate bearings, fans, chassis, or other metal areas where grease is applied, Cortec's CorrLube VpCI Lithium EP Grease offers longer lubrication enhanced with superior corrosion protection—even for use on electrical connections.

Comau presents SmartDriveComau 800L, the machining center designed to answer the needs of the automotive sector, which requires increasingly fast, precise and flexible mechanical processes. SmartDriveComau 800L is a horizontal machining center that covers primary manufacturing needs, both as a single machining center or integrated within a highly flexible production line.

High productivity is also possible in the precision-machining of wave-like components, bearing and sealing seats: For this purpose Thielenhaus Microfinish has developed an extremely fast tape-finish machine. The four-spindle automatic PowerCube doesn't reduce the duration of the tool action; instead, it reduces the machine's non-productive time to one second and the set-up processes to an absolute minimum.

Northfield Precision Instrument Corp. introduces its new Model 620 chuck. This 6"-dia. 3-jaw chuck has a 1"-dia. counterbore (hidden), with special sub-jaws, inserts and side loading base stop and stop pad.

HEIDENHAIN launches a new product family that is a merger of HEIDENHAIN bearing and angle encoder technologies. Resulting in the MRP 2000, 5000 and 8000 (as well as customer-specific variants), these unique modules contain bearing sets not conventionally available and are able to be integrated with various encoder types to yield highly stiff modules that are easy to install.

Methods Machine Tools Inc., Sudbury, Mass., recently announced the appointment of Jerry Rex as Chief Operating Officer of all Methods Machine Tools operations, effective May 3. Rex, a manufacturing industry veteran with more than 25 years of management experience, complements Methods' strategic plans for future growth, according to a Methods Machine Tools news release.

Cheryl Bush, Director of Global Strategic Pricing at Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Penn., recently received honors at the 4th Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Awards, which is presented by The Manufacturing Institute.

The AMT Board of Directors, which represents the American manufacturing technology industry, recently named Richard L. Simons, President and CEO of Hardinge Inc., Elmira, N.Y., to serve as its Chairman.

Mahr Federal, Providence, R.I., recently named Stuart Manser Director of Sales, Precision Gages for North America. , Manser will be responsible for planning and directing the sales team for the Precision Gage product line, including defining sales territory and hiring sales staff.