General Machining & Manufacturing Processes

I sit down with Dr. Jeff Helm, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Lafayette College. We discuss, as an extension of today’s live show, the best ways to lead by example in creating the future leaders of manufacturing.

The Nakamura-Tome NT-Flex from Methods Machine Tools Inc. is a multitasking machine that features the two-turret, two-spindle NT-Flex for complex high-mix, small-batch production.

The new Speroni Pro Shrink TubeChiller 1100 from Big Daishowa. The combination shrink and cooling system automatically cools down tool holders immediately after heating to reduce burn risk to operators.

The Diatool easyZERO runout compensation nuts from Monaghan Tooling are designed for round tools using ER collets (ER16 to ER40). The easyZERO corrects runout errors and misalignment for round tools, providing reamers with the stability to hold tolerances as tight as 0.0011".

The TruBend 3000 bending machine series from Trumpf reduces throughput time by around 40 percent compared to the previous 3000 series machines. Depending on the machine type, the new TruBend 3000 will offer a press force ranging from 93 to 253.5 tons and a bending length of 6.5 to 13 feet.

The DoFeedTri high-feed cutter series from Tungaloy-NTK America, Inc. is now available with a broader selection of tool body diameters, offering customers enhanced flexibility in matching tool geometry to application demands, the company says.

Big Daishowa's new negative inserts for its SW rough boring and EWN fine boring heads feature proprietary six-edge designs to help machinists realize major productivity gains.

Precision is everything when it comes to manufacturing for the Oil and Gas industry. Gavin Schmitz and John Whitmore from WellHead Systems Inc. (WSI) take us behind the scenes on how their team, located in the small town of Hill City, Kansas, powers the industry with their products and Blowout Preventers (BOPs).

As a pioneer in friction stir welding (FSW) technology, Mazak MegaStir showcased its patented high-speed Instrumented Tool Holder (ITH) for friction stir welding (FSW) during Fabtech 2025. Mazak MegaStir takes the process to the next level with its fast-moving ITH that further boosts joint strength and provides practically zero part distortion. The tool holder is used in Mazak HYBRID Multi-Tasking machine operations that combine subtractive processes with that of FSW assembly/joining. This hybrid platform provides the ability to join assembly components on the same machine with the same operator and consolidates factory floor footprints while decreasing capital expenditures.

From its next generation of water jets, the OMAX Maxiem 1530X, to its latest plasma jet cutter, the XPR460 mechanized plasma cutter, Jake Brown, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Marketing, led a Fabtech tour showcasing the new products launched throughout the company's Hypertherm Associates and OMAX product portfolio. n

In an exhibit floor full of robots and robotic processes and accessories, Universal Robots made news during the Fabtech show with the addition of a collaborative robot that is fast and has a long reach. Jean-Pierre Hathout, president of Universal Robots, as well as parent company Teradyne, introduced at Fabtech the company's newest Cobot, the UR8L. Hathout said the "L" stands for long, and the collaborative robot "brings all the qualities and the high performance" of the UR-15 platform that it introduced at the Automate show last May. The platform brings the highest speeds to the company's portfolio.

Steve Ulmer, director of sales for OMAX Corp., provided Cutting Tool Engineering with a look at two of OMAX's latest generations of equipment during September's Fabtech show. The machines included the new Maxiem 1530X water jet machine and the ProtoMax compact water jet. The 1530X is the next generation in water jet machining, and it's an upgrade from the Maxiem product that was released over 10 years ago. It features a completely new design with more rigid uprights, more rigid axis on the X and the Y, greater bed capacity and greater flexibility with what is in the tank. ProtoMax is a compact water jet that can be used where it is needed. All the mobile water jet requires is single-phase power, and access to water and a drain, and you can be cutting parts.