Industry Trends & Analysis

News • December 10, 2014

Okuma holds tech showcase

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corp. hosted more than 500 customers, partners and distributors at its 2014 Technology Showcase event December 9-10 at its Charlotte, N.C., headquarters. The event featured learning opportunities for attendees, including hands-on demonstrations, a facility tour highlighting titanium machining at the new Aerospace Center for Excellence, and a look at Okuma's electrical and mechanical repair operations.

News • December 8, 2014

Industrial Surplus Solutions launches toolingmarketplace.com

Industrial surplus reseller Industrial Surplus Solutions Inc., St. Charles, Ill., has launched www.toolingmarketplace.com, an online resource for buying and selling surplus cutting tools.

Articles • December 1, 2014

Innovations drive manufacturing

It goes without saying that the heart of manufacturing is innovation. From the cotton gin to the steam engine to the assembly line to the CNC, the manufacturing process is always being reinvented, refined and reimagined. Today, a lot of the talk is about additive manufacturing, and justifiably so. Since its dawn in the 1980s, AM has moved from a "that's neat" tool for hobbyists to a valued tool for prototypers to making fixtures and long part runs.

News • December 1, 2014

Marposs acquires FL Tool Holders

Measurement and control manufacturer Marposs S.p.A., Bologna, Italy, has acquired FL Tool Holders LLC of Livonia, Mich., a manufacturer of tooling and gaging products for the automotive, aerospace, marine and off-road manufacturing industries.

News • November 24, 2014

OSG to open Ga. warehouse

OSG Tap & Die Inc., Glendale Heights, Ill., will open a new regional service center in Forest Park, Ga., on Dec. 1. The 21,198-sq.-ft. facility will stock a complete line of OSG cutting tools including taps, end mills, drills and indexables, as well as other products including thread gages and toolholders. OSG expects to create at least 10 new warehouse and customer service positions with this expansion.

News • October 29, 2014

NIMS launches new employer website

The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), a governing body for education and training in manufacturing, launched a new website designed for employers seeking to fill open jobs and build a network of competitive talent. Nimsready.org provides information, tools and how-to guides to help employers learn about and implement industry-recognized credentials at their companies, according to NIMS.

News • October 20, 2014

Okuma to host Dec. tech showcase

Machine tool builder Okuma America Corp., Charlotte, N.C., will host its 2014 Technology Showcase event December 9-10, 2014. The theme of this year's event is "Make the Leap" and will include demonstrations of simple technology upgrades that enable users to enhance the productivity of their CNC machines and operators and improve overall profitability, according to the company.

News • October 20, 2014

Sandvik opens new Productivity Center

On Oct. 16, Sandvik Coromant Co. celebrated the opening of a Productivity Center in its new U.S. headquarters in Fair Lawn, N.J. The company held a grand opening ceremony for the headquarters on July 1. The combined $26 million, 100,000-sq.-ft. facility includes office space, meeting facilities, the Productivity Center and an aerospace-focused Engineering Competence Center for customer training, engineering and process development.

News • October 20, 2014

New ‘online trade fair’ platform launches

KommaTrade, an online mechanical engineering trade fair, was recently launched at www.kommatrade.com. Through the Web portal, based in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, manufacturers from different sectors can make presentations with product pictures and a company description. The website allows users to click through to an exhibitor's website, which provides communication coordinates and contact information.

News • October 20, 2014

GF Machining Solutions opens California facility

GF Machining Solutions LLC, Lincolnshire, Ill., welcomed more than 150 guests, including city and state officials, at the Oct. 9 grand opening of its Irvine, Calif., facility. The event featured a ribbon cutting ceremony, guided tours, product displays, machine demonstrations and presentations. The new facility, which also houses GF Piping Systems, provides support and training for customers in the West and aids collaboration between GF Machining Solutions and local manufacturers on technology development and process improvement.

News • October 20, 2014

Mazak to host MTConnect event

Toolmaker Mazak Corp., Florence, Ky., will host a free MTConnect lunch-and-learn event for manufacturers on Thurs., Nov. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at its Northeast Technology Center in Windsor Locks, Conn. The presentation will cover how MTConnect, an open-source, royalty-free manufacturing protocol, can improve the utilization of their equipment and boost productivity, according to the company.

News • October 20, 2014

Additive manufacturing sees increase in production parts

In its research for Wohlers Report 2014, Wohlers Associates, Inc. found that revenues from the production of parts for final products represents 34.7 percent of the entire market for additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing—terms that are used interchangeably. Since 2003, this market segment has gone from less than 4 percent to more than one-third of total revenues from AM products and services worldwide.