Product News

Thomson Industries Inc. has expanded its WhisperTrak actuator line to give motion system designers greater ability to extend quiet, compact actuation to more demanding applications. New additions to the WhisperTrak linear actuator line double force-handling capability from 2kN to 4kN; provide higher-speed operation at 2kN; and offer new options for low-level switching, limit switching and position control at both 2kN and 4kN operation.

Amada Miyachi America Inc. announces the availability of the LMF70-HP, an addition to its popular LMF series of lasers. The 70-watt LMF70-HP is suitable for welding small components and thin metals up to 0.01-inch (0.25 mm) thick. It is particularly well-suited for welding battery tabs to cans (two thin sheets of metal), but can also weld thin wires (thermocouples, guide wires). In addition to welding, the unit is capable of engraving, deep engraving and cutting metal, plastic welding and general-purpose high-speed marking.

Walter says it has introduced a new and innovative cutting geometry, the MS3, teamed with a new high tech grade, WSM01. The new WSM01 grade, manufactured using the HiPIMS (high-power impulse magnetron sputtering) method, provides extremely smooth surfaces that are characterized by excellent layer thickness, outstanding layer bonding and high-level wear resistance, according to the company.

Rockford Systems LLC is bringing added safety to the factory floor with a new line of noncontact magnetic switches that ensure a machine's chip deflection shield is properly positioned between the operator and machine's point of operation hazard while running. Chips are very sharp and can cause serious, sudden injuries to the operator without the shield in place.

Power, speed, tactics, stamina – successful boxers need to bring together many different characteristics to emerge victorious from the ring. This image of versatility and talent is an apt metaphor for the new four-edged FIGHTMAX HPC roughing/finishing endmill for steel materials without a significant chromium content, developed by Inovatools.

New from Sumitomo Electric Carbide Inc. is the TSX series tangential milling cutter that is designed for exceptionally efficient shoulder milling. For stable, highly efficient machining at high feed rates, the TSX series is engineered with a tough and sharp cutting edge, according to the company. It provides the strength required for increased depths of cut ranging from a small job to a heavy-duty roughing application.

Palmgren says its two-speed belt grinders provide the ultimate flexibility from roughing, to intermediate grinding and blending, to final finishing. By changing the belt, the grinder quickly converts from heavy stock removal to shaping, forming, snagging, deburring, chamfering and finishing operations.

BENZ Inc. has introduced a new product called NanoFix, a modular quick-change system for Swiss lathe live and static tools applications. The BENZ NanoFix modular quick-change system is designed for Swiss-type tooling with a minimum spindle distance of 22 mm and makes it simple to change tools inside the Swiss lathe in as little as 15 seconds.

Fast and reliable milling of stainless steel, titanium, heat-resistant alloys or even CrC alloys is a huge challenge for many machine operators and tool manufacturers. To overcome the challenge, the Swiss cutting tool manufacturer Mikron Tool launched CrazyMill Cool, a product family that promises a valuable solution in a diameter range from 0.3 mm (0.012”) to 8 mm (0.315”). CrazyMill Cool Ball is the newest product of this line.

Simonds Saw introduces QUAD 7 carbide-tipped bandsaw blades for demanding production cutting operations, such as steel service centers, foundries and aerospace sawing applications. QUAD 7 blades are suitable for alloy; high chrome alloy; Inconel and other nickel-based alloys; titanium block and plate; stainless steels; and mold, tool and bearing steels.

In today’s fast-moving, just-in-time manufacturing markets, quick access to production data is critical to meeting customer demands. With Global Shop Solutions new manufacturing dashboards, manufacturers can now make smarter business decisions by visualizing their data anywhere on the shop floor and throughout the business.

Several new features have been added to Mahr Federal's Millimar C1200 Digital IC amplifier, increasing its application range and user security. The new functions include dynamic measurement capability, enhanced display tolerance viewing and password protection for the setup menu.

Easy-to-install, light-weight and robust, the OptoForce 6-axis sensors create a sense of touch for robots required to perform high-precision work, such as polishing, box insertion and other finer assembly tasks. Currently compatible with robots from Universal Robots and KUKA, and soon with ABB and Yaskawa, OptoForce sensors automate these tasks, increasing efficiency, speeding project development and decreasing overall production costs.

Trico Corporation, a leading provider of lubrication management solutions, today introduced Sensei, a real-time lubrication intelligence system. Sensei wirelessly transmits oil level and ambient air temperature to a customizable, web-based dashboard.

Wildeck Inc. Access products subsidiary, Ladder Industries, has announced its new LadderLink modular access system that provides an affordable and rugged framework of five core bolt-together components that will allow users to easily create a customized access solution for distribution centers, warehouses and manufacturing operations.

In the USA, time is the most expensive component of the manufacturing process. Tool set up prior to any job being run represents a significant amount of that time, which is why tool presetters represent a monetary savings for any shop, because they save time. Haimer’s new Microset tool presetting equipment streamlines tool setting processes, reducing set up times by as much as 70 percent, thereby minimizing idle time and increasing machine utilization.

Automation is essential in helping manufacturers achieve maximum return on investment from their machine tools. Makino offers the availability of a new design configuration for its MMC2 automated pallet-handling system, which enables full compatibility with the company’s a61nx-5E 5-axis horizontal machining center.

Seco Tools has expanded its family of Duratomictechnology-based TP grades to include TP3501, a grade that reportedly provides optimal application security. The new grade is ideal for steel turning applications that involve numerous interrupted cuts, less stable machines, short time in cut or weak setups due to part size or shape.

Fine filtered cooling lubricants represent an important cornerstone in tool manufacturing and are instrumental in achieving high tool quality quickly and economically. Tool manufacturers, who rely on the right technology and competence of their filtration system manufacturer, capitalize optimally on the many advantages offered by efficient coolant filtration.

Wildeck Inc. has announced its new NetGate pick module safety gate, which will transform open rack loading zones into protected, safe access areas by providing full height fall protection within the pallet zone.