General Shop Equipment & Supplies

Significant developments in CAD and CAM functionality in the latest release of VISI, from Vero Software, give users additional speed and quality throughout their design and machining processes. VISI Brand Manager Massimo Vergerio says CAD updates in VISI 2017 R1 are focusing on the user experience and adding enhancements to allow customers to speed up their design process.

UNISIG has unveiled newly developed technologies that substantially improve performance while reducing cost in its larger B-series machines. These advances are introduced in the newly launched B850 model and will be integrated into larger models in the series.

Mazak's VC-500A/5X vertical machining center has a trunnion-style rotary/tilt table that allows for the accurate, cost-effective processing of small complex parts via full 5-axis machining. The machine also features the MAZATROL SmoothX CNC that allows for easy programming and fast part cycle times, in either EIA or MAZATROL conversational.

Students at the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools in East Brunswick, N.J., recently earned some media attention for making a device that enables a disabled man to toss a ball from his wheelchair and play fetch with his service dog.

Have a great idea for a machine tool but lack the cash to fund its commercialization? Crowdfund it! That's what Matthew Hertel did when he leveraged a Kickstarter campaign to raise more than $355,000 for the development and creation of his Pocket NC 5-axis milling machine. And then there's the WAZER, the world's first desktop waterjet cutter, which runs $4,499 on Kickstarter, and is expected to be affordable to hobbyists and small businesses.

K2D-KeyToData GmbH announced the availability of KeyView's latest version V14. KeyView, the viewer powered by a CAD core, offers impressive engineering and analysis tools far beyond standard viewing functions for users in the area of purchasing, sales, project management, marketing, manufacturing, documentation and many more.

HELLER says it offers new levels of flexibility and precision with its FP 4000 5-axis horizontal machining center with twin drives in the Z-axis. The FP 4000 is a practical choice for a variety of industries, including tool and die or contract manufacturing where 5-axis milling is needed for productivity and process dependability.

ProfitTurning is a high-speed lathe roughing strategy developed by DP Technology Corp. for OD/ID/face cutting and other tasks. Fast, secure and efficient, it also extends tool life by significantly minimizing wear. Compared to conventional ramping methods, ProfitTurning reduces machine cycle time as well as the frequency tooling inserts need to be replaced.

BLM Group USA has announced the introduction of the CM602 automatic CNC sawing machine. The CM602 can handle tube and bar up to 4 in. in diameter, depending on the material, and can achieve blade speeds up to 5,000 rpm. It is ideal for cutting short and medium length steel, copper, brass and aluminum tubes, as well as solid bars and custom profiles.

Dialight launched its new high-visibility 670 series LED panel-mount indicators, providing a range of sizes and operating voltage in high-durability housings. Offering high-intensity daylight visibility hundreds of times brighter than its 600 series predecessor, the 670 series is ideal for main and remote power, status, maintenance, warning and instrumentation indication for front-panel mounting in hole sizes from 5mm to 16mm.

A shop asks Dr. Jeffrey Badger about applying Norton SG grits in the 74th episode of Cutting Tool Engineering magazine's Grinding Doc video series.

A partnership between AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, McLean, Va., and the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) is expected to increase access to apprenticeships and assist employers in developing new programs that reach diverse talent pools, according an AMT news release issued Nov. 15.