General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Industrial Press Inc. says Warren Hammer's "Blueprint Reading Basics" has been a bestselling classic for nearly two decades, revered for its ease of understanding and for giving readers opportunities to practice what they learned.

The MU-8000V LASER EX from Okuma America Corp. enhances production by combining the latest laser additive technology with subtractive machining capabilities. This multitasking CNC machine implements laser metal deposition (LMD) technology with the ability to cut unique parts of many different sizes and shapes.

Launched in November, the FCP4 High Production Drill Grinder is capable of producing a completed drill in 20 seconds, according to ANCA Inc., Wixom, Mich. Intended for tradespeople within the high-volume commodity drill market, the company said the new FCP4 High Production Drill Grinder can produce drills from 0.8mm to 4.0mm.

CGTech is shipping version 8.1.2 of VERICUT CNC machine simulation and optimization software. In addition to new features making it more powerful and easier to use, more than 150 customer-driven enhancements and software requests have been implemented in version 8.1.2.

In connection with the abrasive waterjet machining article scheduled for our March issue, I spoke with Jim Draper, owner of Rocky Mountain Waterjet, Greeley, Colo., who said when a parts manufacturer finds that waterjetting is a suitable process for a part or family of parts, the decision to outsource that work to a waterjet job shop or buy a waterjet machine for in-house production depends on the part quantity.

Marion Technical College's new $500,000 mobile training lab has the potential to train hundreds of workers each year throughout central Ohio, writes Hasan Karim in The Marion Star. The vehicle's 400-sq.-ft. simulation center accommodates eight students, each with a laptop and other training equipment, officials say. Bob Haas, the college's chief strategy officer, says the purpose of the mobile lab is to provide on-site training to local manufacturers.

In addition to helping counteract any automation-caused unemployment, writes Brad Jones for the website Futurism, a universal basic income could provide a huge boost to the U.S. economy. A study from the Roosevelt Institute predicts that 8 years of universal basic income would result in a $2.48 trillion increase in the nation's gross domestic product.

Residents and activists in California continue to fight business interests over exposure to the carcinogen chromium-6, made famous by the 2000 film "Erin Brockovich." One issue involving the substance concerns its use at metal-treating companies. They oppose tightening air regulations. The metal-finishing industry provides about 9,000 jobs in the state, with more than half of them in Southern California.

In the decade since the beginning of the Great Recession industrial production (e.g. manufacturing, mining and electricity production) has been a political football of both the left and right. It's time to stop playing that game, and a good way to start is to review some facts about these industries, which continue to provide a significant share of the Midwestern economy.

Machine tool builder Niigata Machine Techno USA Inc., Elk Grove Village, Ill., opened its North American headquarters.

Imagine a beam of light traveling unimpeded for 13.5 billion light years, only to get deflected and distorted just before being captured by a telescope. That is something the builders of the Giant Magellan Telescope are working hard to avoid.

Jasper, Ind.-based toolmaker NAP Gladu, a Techniks Industries company, acquired Eide Saw & Tool Service Inc., Minneapolis.