General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

Röhm Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., a subsidiary of Röhm GmbH, recently opened a new office in Monterrey, Mexico, in an effort to expand the company's sales, service and support capabilities to meet increasing demand for high-quality clamping and gripping technology throughout Mexico and Central America, the company reported in a Feb. 22 news release.

NT Tool's Hyper Spindles use a 1:5 ratio internal gear system to multiply the RPM of existing machines up to 5 times at the cutting edge, with a maximum of 30,000 min-1, according to a recent announcement from the Franklin, Tenn., company.

Haas Automation recently expanded its drill, tap and mill product line with a pair of high-speed, lean-style machining centers—the DT-2 and DM-2—that reportedly provide the same high acceleration rates, fast axis speeds and short tool change times as their smaller brethren. Yet, the new machines offer an additional 8" (203mm) of X-axis travel and table length, with only a slight increase in footprint.

An online San Francisco Chronicle report posted Feb. 18—"Hacker ethos comes to the factory floor"—suggests that large and small manufacturers alike "are beginning to think and operate like software companies." And, just for the record, that's a good thing, say the authors: Mark Muro, a senior fellow and the policy director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, and Kelly Kline, the economic development director and chief innovation officer of the city of Fremont, Calif.

Tech-Etch, Plymouth, Mass., which specializes in the etching, forming, heat treating and finishing of components made from metals with superior spring characteristics, offers prototypes delivered in 5 days.

Geometric Americas Inc., Scottsdale, Ariz., recently announced the release of NESTINGWorks 2016, new 3D software for automatically nesting layouts of SOLIDWORKS parts and assemblies for production. Integrated within SOLIDWORKS 2016 software, the new application enables automated nesting of flat or 3D part or assembly models made from sheet stock, including sheet metal, plates, plastics, composites and wood, according to the company.

The SS mighty mini is ideal for removing oil from machining centers and parts washers. The portable unit can service multiple parts washers and coolant sumps, avoiding the expense of multiple units. The belt picks up the oil, which is then scraped from both sides by dual wiper blades at a rate of up to 2 gph (7.6 lph).

The ROTA NCX, a power lathe chuck from SCHUNK, Morrisville, S.C., features a quick jaw change system and a large through-hole, according to a Feb. 17 announcement from the company. Optimized with reduced-weight, the ROTA NCX is described by the company as an essential upgrade over conventional lathe chucks.

Walther Trowal GmbH & Co. KG, Haan, Germany, recently introduced "trowalplast HDC," a newly developed, fast-cutting plastic media said to be ideal for grinding and surface smoothing of metal workpieces, especially die-castings, the company announced in a Feb. 11 news release.

Solar Atmospheres, Hermitage, Penn., recently announced a collaboration with Pressure Technology Inc. (PTI) that will offer an added-value service to PTI's HIP (Hot Isostatic Press) Facility in Concord, Ohio, according to a Feb. 15 news release. The collaboration is the result of an escalation of components being printed via additive manufacturing as well as the increased production of engine blade manufacturing to support newer more efficient aircraft, according to Solar Atmospheres. Such market forces means that hot isostatic pressing (HIPing) is in more demand for the densification of many materials.

NTB Interstate University of Technology Buchs, an institute that specializes in engineering informatics, recently announced a new website, gtc-tools.com, which provides information to the public on the Generic Tool Catalog (GTC) cutting tool data exchange format, according to a joint news release issued Feb. 9. The GTC data exchange format was developed through collaboration among machining hardware and software leaders Siemens PLM Software, Sandvik Coromant, Iscar and Kennametal.

Walter Surface Technologies, Windsor, Conn., recently launched the Walter Abrasives Selector app designed to help metalworking professionals select the optimum abrasive solution for any possible application they may encounter, according to a company news release issued Feb. 9.