Composite Resources

Manufacturers face "unprecedented global complexity," according to a Jan. 12 blog post on the website for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity and Innovation (MAPI). "The sector is now powered by software and data every bit as much as by steel and electricity," continued the post, which was authored by MAPI Marketing Council Manager Cam Mackey. "The ability to access insights about how to survive and thrive has never been more critical. "Recent shifts in technologies, demographics and markets have created a new normal for manufacturers. Those that adapt quickly will emerge more innovative and agile than their competitors, but not without undergoing a transformation in everything from the people they hire to how they create value," Mackey observed in report titled, "The Impact of Megatrends on U.S. Manufacturers."

Wringmaster Systems, Kalamazoo, Mich., recently introduced a new line of live bottom wringers, the company announced in a Jan. 21 news release. The smallest live bottom wringer features a 10" diameter bowl with pneumatic, top-mounted discharge, according to the company.

Scientific Cutting Tools Inc. (SCT) stocks UN thread mills for cutting from 4-40 up to 3-1/2-8, as well as NPT, BSPP and BSPT 1/16 to 2½ and up, according to the company based in Simi Valley, Calif. Except for staggered-tooth thread mills, all of SCT's solid-carbide, straight-flute thread mills are crest-cutting, and are used for cutting internal threads only.n

These enhancements improve operations, eliminate restrictions to the working area and allow an extremely precise display of the spindle position, the company said. The new sensor is said to be capable of fast, "math-free" positioning of the spindle axis on the edges of the workpiece, and offers precision of 0.01mm when used with original Haimer probe tips.

John Gardner, a founding partner of Razorform Tools, has started CNC Broach Tool LLC to provide a line of off-the-shelf, inserted keyway broach tools for CNC lathes and mills, Gardner announced in a news release Jan. 20. CNC Broach Tool will continue to sell direct to provide CNC keyway broaching technical support and cut costs for end-users.

Briney Tooling Systems, Bad Axe, Mich., recently worked closely with a leading medical manufacturer to develop a special HSK50E balanceable grinding wheel arbor for a precision CNC grinding machine producing shaped bone fragments for surgical grafting, according to a company news release issued Jan. 19.

CNC Broach Tool LLC, Marina del Rey, Calif., recently introduced a line of off-the-shelf, inserted keyway broach tools for CNC lathes and mills, according to a company news release dated Jan. 20. Rather than transfer parts to a separate broaching machine or farm out the job, CNC Broach Tool's patented design reportedly allows manufacturers to use the keyway broaching tools with CNC lathes and mills to broach blind or through internal keyways.

Titan Tool Supply Inc., Buffalo, N.Y., this month unveiled a new fiberoptic illuminator that reportedly brings sustainability, performance, efficiency and convenience to users of illuminated borescopes and microscopes, the company announced in a Jan. 19 news release.

Isotech Inc., a supplier of precision linear motion products based in Hatfield, Penn., has expanded its line of motion-control products to include ball and trapezoidal screw drives for positioning and other motion-control applications, according to the company website.

BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc., Hoffman Estates, Ill., this month introduced the RBX12 Air Power Spindle, a high-speed, air-driven spindle said to be capable of achieving a variable rotational speed of 100,000rpm to 120,000rpm, according to a BIG KAISER news release issued Jan. 18.

Hawk Technology Ltd., a leading designer and manufacturer of tooling, fixtures, robotics integration solutions, vision inspection systems, and other customized automation, recently announced the development of a new leadership team.n

AutoCrib Inc., an automated inventory vending systems maker based in Tustin, Calif., reached a milestone producing its 1,000th RoboCrib VX1000 machine, according to a company news release issued Jan. 18. The RoboCrib is the first carousel based, industrial vending innovation created by AutoCrib founder Steve Pixley.