Industry Trends & Analysis

In 2013, the U.S. passed Russia as the world's leading producer of oil and gas and became a net oil exporter for the first time in decades -- all thanks to shale.

After more than 30 years of working together, collet chuck producer BIG Daishowa Seiki Co. Ltd. (Osaka, Japan) and tooling provider KAISER Precision Tooling Ltd. (Rümlang, Switzerland) have solidified their longtime partnership in the European and Asian markets. The two companies have come together to create a mutually beneficial distribution network similar to the decade-old US-based BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc, Hoffman Estates, Ill. BIG Kaiser Germany ran as a pilot project to test efficacy of such a model in the European market and the company's success paved the way for a larger European partnership executed through KAISER Switzerland.

German clamping and gripping specialist SCHUNK has partnered with goalkeeper Jens Lehmann as the company's new brand ambassador. Managing Partner Henrik A. Schunk, an enthusiastic soccer fan, personally picked the athlete, citing "dynamics, precision, reliability and continuous top performance in the team." As a brand ambassador, Lehmann is able to communicate SCHUNK's credibly due to his proven competence in both soccer and society.

Like many manufacturers across the U.S., Greendale's Kinetic Company faces a shortage of skilled labor. Long-term, highly skilled employees are retiring, leaving the knife-making company with a younger, less experienced workforce. With that challenge in mind and armed with a Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grant, managers from Kinetic Company teamed with Milwaukee Area Technical College to enhance the skills of their incumbent workers.

Custom Window Systems Inc. (CWS), an Ocala, Fla.-based manufacturer of window and door products, has added a Lucifer RD7-KHE18 "Red Devil" bench model furnace to its tool room.

Tool Alliance, a manufacturer of solid and indexable carbide cutting tools, has announced that the updated Ultra-Tool 2014 catalog is now available. The new catalog can be downloaded under the "Downloads" tab at www.toolalliance.com. "We are thrilled about the updated and expanded catalog," said David Povich, president of Tool Alliance. "Ultra-Tool has taken the very best of all our technologies and consolidated them within our Monolith end mills."