Materials & Raw Stock

Accudyne Products bar pullers, the EZ-Puller and the BigEZ, have a range of 0.093" to 1.750" and 1.625" to 3.00", respectively, and provide automatic bar stock advancement for CNC lathes.

Welding or soldering without heat seemed like a good idea to Hanchen Huang, professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University, Boston. He and his students dreamed of a better way to stick things together such as a computer's CPU to a printed circuit board, or the glass and metal filament in a lightbulb, according to a recent news@Northeastern post.

CECOR heavy-duty carts can be fitted with frames that allow users to dump loads from a forklift or hook hoist. The frame is secured to the cart with trunnion pins, which can be adjusted to accommodate loads that range from light and bulky to heavy and dense.

Mersen USA offers ultrafine-grain graphite for sinker EDMing. The top-performing DS4, featuring the DarkStar ultrafine-carbon particle, helps users confidently handle challenging EDM operations while saving money, according to the company. The easy-to-machine and strong DS4 imparts a fine surface finish and intricate detail.

GenSwiss, Westfield, Mass., recently partnered with Louis Belet SA to become the exclusive North American representative for Louis Belet precision carbide cutting tools and PCD-tipped milling tools, according to a Feb. 17 news release from Genevieve Swiss Industries Inc.

Solar Atmospheres, Hermitage, Penn., recently announced a collaboration with Pressure Technology Inc. (PTI) that will offer an added-value service to PTI's HIP (Hot Isostatic Press) Facility in Concord, Ohio, according to a Feb. 15 news release.

Walther Trowal GmbH & Co. KG, Haan, Germany, recently introduced "trowalplast HDC," a newly developed, fast-cutting plastic media said to be ideal for grinding and surface smoothing of metal workpieces, especially die-castings, the company announced in a Feb. 11 news release.

When drilling, perhaps no variable is as important as the workpiece material. It dictates drill geometry and substrate, tool coating, coolant application, and speeds and feeds. While known for its relative softness and ductility, misconceptions abound among those who regularly drill aluminum.

Researchers at North Carolina State University reported the discovery of a distinct form of solid carbon they estimate is about 10 percent harder than diamond and could play an important role in machining. They also claim to have developed a relatively inexpensive technique for producing the substance, called Q-carbon, at room temperature and ambient atmospheric pressure.

PFERD Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., today introduced Cast Cut, a new line of high-performance carbide burs specially designed for work on cast iron. The burs, which are characterized by an extremely high stock removal rate, reportedly offer a smooth milling action that significantly reduces vibration and noise.

Fischer Technology Inc., a Windsor, Conn.-based manufacturer of instrumentation for coating thickness, material testing, nanoindentation and material analysis, announced plans to open a new office in Livonia, Mich., to provide technical sales and service support for the Michigan area.

PCD oxidizes when cutting materials such as iron, cobalt, nickel, chromium and vanadium because of the high temperatures generated while cutting. Although not as hard, PCBN possesses superior chemical inertness compared to PCD.