General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Hermitage, Pennsylvania-based Solar Atmospheres of Western PA has completed construction of a new brazing and assembly room. Though built primarily to accommodate a large aluminum brazing project for a specific customer, the room will be used for other brazing and assembly work, as well.

SMW Autoblok introduces the WPS/APS workpiece positioning system featuring manual zero point clamping system used in a variety of machining applications, including turning, milling, inspection and finishing.

New Unison Corp., a Ferndale, Michigan-based builder of precision grinding equipment, announced that Robert Baker has been promoted to its senior management team. As the new general manager, he will be responsible for the company's manufacturing operations, as well as assisting in equipment sales and service.

Machine shops looking to utilize tombstone workholding fixtures on their horizontal machining centers should know about the economical and convenient way of setting-up their machine using Kurt VersatileLock vises mounted back-to-back. The VersatileLock tombstone setup can be used on a wide range of existing HMCs, particularly smaller ones with work envelope size and weight limitations. The VersatileLock back-to-back tombstone can be 200 to 300 lbs. lighter (depending on model size) than a tombstone with clamps or vises.

Most political analysts agree that Donald Trump won the presidency on the backs of long-suffering blue-collar workers in industrial states. His campaign was propelled by a promise to revive manufacturing through trade, tax and regulatory policies. After nearly three years in office, the results are unfortunately tepid in terms of engineering a real boom in this sector, and the trends in recent months signal spreading weakness. Nonetheless, manufacturing is stronger than it was when he took office, and policy support is still in place for growth. Headwinds from trade policy and political uncertainty, however, are restraining a more robust growth path.

Colin Cooper, Connecticut's first chief manufacturing officer, will be involved with regulations, hiring and training. The new position comes after manufacturing companies in the state said they would like to hire more local workers but struggle to find candidates.

The UP! App, the digital platform that connects industrial manufacturers to people that can service and repair their machinery, has committed an initial gift of $3,000 to the Columbus State Community College Foundation to support the school's engineering, manufacturing and Engineering Technology Pathway programs. These degrees can help prepare students to join the industrial manufacturing workforce as service technicians with a two-year degree or transfer for further education.

Vision Engineering, a manufacturer of high-quality visual inspection and measurement technologies, announces that it has sold over 20,000 Mantis microscope products in the last five years.

Machine shops looking for a "second-op" machine can depend on Palmgren's vertical machining center for a compact solution. The 7-inch by 24.5-inch center is ideal for production lines, short runs, one-offs and prototyping.

Milltronics USA has named Foothills Machinery Sales as its exclusive full-service distributor for the states of Colorado and New Mexico. Founded in 1984, Foothills Machinery Sales is Colorado's oldest independent dealer of machine tools. Located in Broomfield, Colorado, Foothills Machinery Sales is home to both knowledgeable sales and service support staffs.

The Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence Production Software Business has hired four new team members in support of its metalcutting software, including EDGECAM, SURFCAM and WORKNC. Customer Service Representatives Kristi Adeleke and Anita Pilarski, Applications Engineer Mike Rowe, and Account Manager Michael Skerjance will provide support and facilitate services for new and existing metalcutting customers.

Ultimaker a leader in desktop 3D printing, today released its first 3D Printing Sentiment Index. Independent research conducted by Savanta, an international research firm, details a comprehensive view of the current and future potential for 3D printing in 12 countries, while covering the widest range of verticals and professions, including education. The quantified index reveals the U.S., U.K. and Germany have the highest expectations for implementing additive manufacturing and capitalizing on its opportunities.