General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Celebrate the grand opening May 2 and 3 of Morris Midwest LLC's office and tech center at 2323 Corporate Drive in Waukesha, Wis. See live cutting demonstrations on CNC machines from leading builders integrated with tooling, accessories, software, automation and more. Discuss manufacturing challenges with Morris Midwest's productivity specialists, application engineers and technology partners. Learn about best practices and the latest advances in manufacturing. Network with industry leaders and peers. Enjoy a free, hot lunch; snacks; coffee; and other refreshments.

If you're an exhibitor planning to showcase a product or service at IMTS 2018, please click here to send a press release and image of the product or service to Cutting Tool Engineering Editor Alan Richter.

Gehring Technologies GmbH recently introduced a surface finishing process for internal combustion engines that reportedly reduces carbon dioxide emissions through form honing.

One benefit of expanding manufacturing employment is that workers are paid a premium. However, there is less of a pay advantage in manufacturing than there used to be. This suggests that policies to expand manufacturing employment should be accompanied by policies that maintain or strengthen compensation standards.

February U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $190.12 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute and the Association for Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was up 3.5 percent from January's $183.61 million and 8.7 percent when compared with the $174.98 million reported for February 2017. With a year-to-date total of $373.73 million, 2018 is up 7.4 percent when compared with 2017.

The United States Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) reported total billings of nearly $168 million among the 43 cutting tool companies included in USCTI's Current Business Report (CBR) for February 2018. The total represents an increase of almost 7 percent over total billings in February 2017, which topped $156 million, and a 6 percent jump compared to total billings of nearly $157 million in February 2016.

It's no secret that many manufacturers are scrambling to attract skilled workers to fill openings. A host of training programs are available to provide job seekers with the skills needed to get hired, and one in my hometown of Chicago that caught my attention is the Jane Addams Resource Center.

CNC machines rely on certain fundamentals to achieve peak performance for maximum productivity. This not only includes the machine but importantly the infrastructure of the facility, specifically ancillary services such as power, air and coolant.

Mitsui Seiki says its new Vertex 100 5-axis vertical machining center is engineered to fulfill manufacturers' demands for a compact, high-speed machine capable of high-precision milling of larger parts such as blisks for aircraft engines. The Vertex 100 can machine workpieces 1,250 mm in diameter and 850 mm tall while occupying only 3 m x 4.2 m of shop floor space.

A good friend and I have had a running argument lately about 3D printing. He says the fervor over additive manufacturing is, for the most part, hype, something he likes to call the boondoggle of the manufacturing century. He could be right.

There are many advantages to financing your equipment purchases instead of paying cash. Stearns Bank vice president of business development, Michelle Fuchs, has helped many businesses reap the benefits of commercial equipment financing. They've learned that financing, rather than cash, is the best approach for the long-term health of their business.

When productivity decreases, some leaders assume that machinists are not adequately doing their jobs. After all, they directly operate the machines. Before jumping to this conclusion, however, ask if you are being fair to these skilled workers who are the backbone of the manufacturing industry.