When EMAG LLC USA held an open house for customers and other guests in September at its headquarters in Farmington Hills, Mich., the recession was still much in the news and manufacturing was in the doldrums. While manufacturing has made some modest gains since then, the honest assessment of the market made by Peter Loetzner, CEO of EMAG, at the event, probably still holds true. “It’s fair to say we have all had a difficult 12 months behind us and have probably another difficult 12 months in front of us.”

However, Loetzner provided a positive message in his keynote address at the open house. “The way I look at it is not gloomy,” he said. “Even with 10 percent unemployment, 90 percent of the population has a job, 90 percent of the population gets up every day, goes to work and consumes while they do so. The world is not going under, even though it feels like it at times.”

The open house provided a range of machining information in sessions on laser welding, grinding, vertical turning and multitasking, including machine demonstrations. Several supplier partners—such as Walter USA Inc., Rofin-Sinar Inc. and SuperAbrasives Inc.—presented case studies.

Because many manufacturers have idle capacity, Loetzner suggested this is a good opportunity for them to examine how to drive costs out of their operations and explore ideas on how to avoid output problems when demand picks up. He said several customers were testing new EMAG technologies in their U.S. facilities.

“We have the resources and capacity to work with customers to study different machining options,” Loetzner said. EMAG supplies a range of tools, including vertical machining centers, turning centers, grinding machines, laser welding machines and multitasking units that combine these functions. Many of EMAG’s machines are geared for medium- to large-scale production, but it also offers machines for job shop work.

EMAG focuses on the machining of round and shaft-type parts. The company’s self-loading machines typically include inverted pickup spindles that offer an open work envelope and are self-loading. EMAG’s parent company, EMAG GmbH, is based in Germany, and about 25 percent of its business comes from North American operations, according to Loetzner.

“The economy will bounce back and manufacturers are going to see the rebound sooner than equipment suppliers, because the capacity is there to begin producing again,” he said. “After they use existing capacity, they will start replacing machinery. There will likely be another 12 months of slow demand in the machine tool industry, but I am expecting sizable orders by the end of 2010.”

Marco Vulic, area sales manager, south region for EMAG, demonstrates the company’s VSC 400 DDS machine at the company’s recent open house. Photo courtesy EMAG.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, January 2010

Researchers at Purdue University are developing technologies to manufacture artificial implants 10 times faster, last three times longer and cost less than devices currently on the market.

Conventional manufacturing of orthopedic implants typically involves coating the surface of milled or molded titanium parts with a polymer material that adjoins the patient’s natural bone or tissue cells, said Dr. Yung Shin, professor of mechanical engineering and director of Purdue’s Center for Laser-Based Manufacturing. The polymer’s life expectancy of about 10 years requires some patients to undergo several implant procedures during their lives.

Shin and his team of researchers are working to improve implant longevity by using continuous fiber lasers to melt and combine titanium and ceramic (tricalcium phosphate or hydroxyapatite) powders, which are then deposited in layers to form the implants. The highest proportion of TCP is present in the implant’s porous, outermost layer, which directly contacts a patient’s bones.

“Titanium and other metals do not match either the stiffness or the nature of bones, so you have to coat it with something that does,” Shin said. “However, if you deposit TCP on metal, you don’t want an abrupt change of materials because that causes differences in thermal expansion and chemical composition, which results in cracks. One way to correct this is to change the composition gradually, so you don’t have a sharp boundary.”
Because TCP degrades at a much slower rate than polymer materials, Shin estimates the TCP-coated devices can last at least 30 years.

The laser deposition process also enables making custom parts with complex shapes. “Medical imaging scans could just be sent to the laboratory, where the laser deposition would create the part from images,” Shin said. “Instead of taking 30 days like it does now because you have to make a mold first, we could do it in 3 days. You reduce both the cost and production time.”

Though Shin and his team of researchers are still refining their laser-based technology, he said it should be ready for commercialization in 2 years.

Purdue I: Purdue researchers are using continuous fiber lasers to make hip implants via layer deposition of melted titanium and ceramic powders. Photo courtesy Purdue.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, January 2010

The index of U.S. cutting tool sales rose 4 percent from September to October, an increase exceeding the gain posted during the same period last year, according to the United States Cutting Tool Institute. From September to October 2008, sales climbed 3.7 percent; in 2007, September to October cutting tool sales posted a 10.8 percent increase.

Total Billings Index

(The index uses 1997 annual data, which equals 100 percent, as its baseline.)

The USCTI collected the above data from member-companies.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, January 2010

From Nov. 2 to 5, machinery manufacturer Mori Seiki USA Inc. celebrated the grand opening of its new headquarters and technical center in Hoffman Estates, Ill., near Chicago.

The company reported that its technical center received more than 2,200 visits during the 4-day event. (The company’s former headquarters was in nearby Rolling Meadows, Ill.)

The celebration opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by honored guests and dignitaries Dr. Masahiko Mori, president of Japanese parent company Mori Seiki Co. Ltd.; George Hisaeda, Consul General for Japan; and William McLeod, mayor of Hoffman Estates. Following the ribbon cutting, the showroom was opened to employees and guests for a reception. The next 3 days focused on machining demonstrations, seminars and tours of the facility, including Mori Seiki University. One focus of the tour was Mori Seiki University’s Learning Lab, designed to provide hands-on education. The space is adjacent to classrooms and separate from the showroom to minimize distractions. Worktables accommodate entire subassemblies so students can learn important points for maintenance. The new showroom, quality control room and workroom comprise 40,000 sq. ft., or roughly 40 percent of the facility.

During the event, 23 machines provided cutting demonstrations, and two skeleton models showed visitors the design features of the NMV and NT series.

More than 20 Mori Seiki Qualified Peripheral suppliers supported the grand opening by demonstrating tooling, workholding, accessories and other products and services. The MSQP program identifies suppliers and products that meet Mori Seiki standards of performance.

Natsuo Okada, president of Mori Seiki Americas; George Hisaeda, Consul General for Japan; Dr. Masahiko Mori, president of Mori Seiki Co.; William McLeod, mayor of Hoffman Estates, Ill.; and Thomas R. Dillon, president of Mori Seiki USA; cut the ceremonial ribbon to officially mark the opening of Mori Seiki’s headquarters and technical center. Photo courtesy Mori Seiki.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

As a result of the economic downturn and $70 million in debt, metals producer Crucible Materials Corp., Syracuse, N.Y., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in May. J.P. Industries Inc., Cleveland, later formed Crucible Industries LLC to purchase the steel making and processing assets of Crucible Materials’ specialty metals division mill in Geddes, N.Y., for $8 million in bankruptcy court, according to media reports. The mill primarily produced valve steel for the automotive industry, stainless steel and compacted P/M for production of HSS and other high-alloy tool steels for cutting tools and wear parts.

Crucible Industries plans to rehire up to 200 of 675 former Crucible employees and resume operations in the second or third week of November, syracuse.com reported. “Our plans are not certain in terms of the number of employees,” said Jack Jankovic, a partner in J.P. Industries, the Web site reported. “Our intention is to run the plant for the long term.” Crucible Industries’ executives didn’t return several calls seeking comment.

In addition, Allegheny Technologies Inc., Pittsburgh, purchased Crucible Materials’ compaction and research divisions near Pittsburgh for $40.95 million at auction Sept. 21 as part of a U.S. Bankruptcy Court proceeding, BusinessWire reported.

Crucible Materials also operated 13 service centers/warehouses that cut and shipped steel to customers. Paris-based Erasteel SAS acquired the Romeoville, Ill., service center from Crucible Materials in October. According to Erasteel, the service center will complement the company’s sales and drawing facility in Boonton, N.J., helping develop sales of its HSS and ASP-grade P/M HSS.

The other 12 service centers are slated for liquidation as of press time, according to Mark Mullen, president of materials producer Griggs Steel Co., Troy, Mich. He estimated that Crucible Materials’ service centers supplied about 35 percent of the HSS to toolmakers in North America, including product from Crucible and other sources.

“Crucible has been going through a 6-month going-out-of-business sale,” Mullen said, “so for the previous 6 months they’ve been tasked to sell inventory at whatever prices they could to liquidate their holdings, which has put a lot of downward pressure [on prices] and they’ve gotten a lot of business that way.”

However, that distribution channel for North American toolmakers will disappear. “The new Crucible Industries is probably going to distribute through service centers like ours and other tool steel service centers throughout North America, but they’re not going through the infrastructure they had in the past,” Mullen said. “Part of the shock going forward is toolmakers realizing they don’t have the benefit of a going-out-of-business sale anymore.”

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

Toolmaker Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., has formed a new unit, the Widia Products Group, which will join the company’s current Kennametal Products Group and thereby complete the company’s migration of its metalcutting and tooling systems into two distinct portfolios.

The move is part of a company strategy to improve access to metalcutting products and services worldwide. The Widia Products Group includes Widia, Hanita, Rübig, Manchester, ClappDiCo, Greenfield Tap & Die and Circle brands, all dual-branded under the Widia name.

Tooling brands KM and Erickson will be available from both the Kennametal and the Widia products groups.

The reorganization “makes us much easier to do business with from a customer’s perspective,” said Bernie McConnell, vice president of the Widia Products Group and Services. “It enables the customer to have a much broader product portfolio from which to choose. Instead of pulling out the Circle catalog and placing an order, and then the Manchester catalog, they now can get that all under the Widia Products Group.”

In addition, the streamlining made business sense. “It enables us to put an intense amount of energy toward the Widia Product Group, which in the past would have been spread across eight or ten different brands,” McConnell said.

Both the Widia and Kennametal groups will be taken to market separately. The Widia products will be sold primarily through distribution and selected direct accounts, while Kennametal is a direct brand, sold through selected value-added resellers.

For current Widia and Kennametal customers, catalog numbers and tool markings will remain the same, but new packaging, Web site and product catalogs are in the works.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

Carl Zeiss IMT Corp’s new West Coast Tech Center in Irvine, Calif., will focus on high-tech application support, contract inspection services, equipment demonstration and software training. Located in a technology park, the center includes a full suite of industrial metrology systems. “We have the capability to support the inspection needs of everyone from micromolders, up through traditional CNC job shops as well as specialists such as gear and turbine manufacturers,” said Drew Shemenski, software and applications manager for the Maple Grove, Minn., company.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

In a move to offer customers a broader line of products and technical services, toolmaker Valenite LLC is being integrated into the Walter USA Inc. organization and will form the Walter Valenite competence brand within the Walter organization. Walter USA is a business of unit of Walter AG, Tübingen, Germany. Sweden-based Sandvik AB owns both Valenite LLC and Walter AG.

Mark Hemmerling, marketing director for Walter USA, Waukesha, Wis., said the merger builds upon the two brands’ complementary strengths: Valenite’s established brands, focused largely on turning and grooving, join Walter Tools’ expertise in milling, drilling and threading products. Muff Tanriverdi, president of Walter North America, will be in charge of the combined companies.

Walter Valenite will focus on indexable products and joins two other Walter competence brands: Walter Titex, for carbide drilling and milling tools, and Walter Prototyp, for HSS and carbide threading and milling tools.

The integration includes Valenite’s operations moving from Madison Heights, Mich., to Walter USA headquarters in Waukesha. The transfer of nonmanufacturing operations is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2010. About 30 to 40 of Valenite’s operations personnel will be relocated to Waukesha. A large percentage of Valenite’s sales and service personnel are expected to be retained by Walter USA. The transfer of Valenite’s manufacturing operations to Waukesha should be completed by mid-2010.

The Walter and Valenite brands are largely complementary, with little product overlap between the two, according to Hemmerling. Walter has a strong presence in western Europe, while Valenite is focused largely on North America. With the integration of the Valenite and its MODCO brand, the percentage of Walter AG’s sales represented by North America will jump from 8 percent to 17 percent, Hemmerling said in a press briefing.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

During the National Tooling & Machining Association Fall Conference, Ron Overton, NTMA’s chairman, announced the creation of the Brock Babb Memorial Scholarship in support of students advancing their education and pursuing careers in manufacturing. According to NTMA, Brock A. Babb, the son of NTMA members Terry and Susan Babb of Apex Tool & Manufacturing, Evansville, Ind., was a Marine sergeant on his third tour when he died Oct. 15, 2006, in Al Fallujah, Iraq, after his vehicle hit a roadside bomb.

Although named after Brock Babb, NTMA reported that the scholarship is the association’s way of honoring all men and women who made great personal sacrifices for the United States. The association plans to give scholarships to current or soon-to-be students of employees within an NTMA member-company and who are seeking advanced education within a manufacturing discipline. The first scholarship, in the amount of $2,000, went to Tanner D. Babb, Brock Babb’s oldest son, who is enrolled in an engineering program and plans on a career in manufacturing.

Contributions will be held by the National Tooling & Machining Foundation. To donate, send a check, payable to “National Tooling & Machining Foundation” and indicating that it’s for the Brock Babb Memorial Scholarship, to NTMF, 9300 Livingston Rd., Fort Washington, MD 20744.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

The index of U.S. cutting tool sales rose 2.5 percent from July to August, a reversal from the decline posted during the same time period last year, according to the United States Cutting Tool Institute. From July to August 2008, sales dropped 0.1 percent; in 2007, July-to-August cutting tool sales posted a 15.6 percent increase.

Total Billings Index

(The index uses 1997 annual data, which equals 100 percent, as its baseline.)

The USCTI collected the above data from member-companies.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, December 2009

It’s been 30 years since the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant in Pennsylvania. Since then, construction of nuclear power plants in the U.S. has been close to moribund, though they continued to be built elsewhere in the world.

That situation seems to be changing. One new nuclear reactor is under construction, Watts Bar Unit 2, in Tennessee; nine other units have been planned and another 24 have been proposed, according to the World Nuclear Association. “Four to six new nuclear power plants should be under construction by 2013, and if these progress on schedule and within budget, then we can expect 30 plants online or under construction in 2020,” said Carol L. Berrigan, senior director, industry infrastructure for the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI).

The pressure is on for the U.S. to reduce its reliance on foreign oil and to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, particularly CO2, a byproduct of burning fossil fuels. Nuclear power’s selling point today is that it does not produce any such pollutants under normal operations.

“About 20 percent of U.S. electric power comes from nuclear power plants,” said Craig Hansen, vice president, nuclear power generation and product line manager for nuclear manufacturing, Babcock & Wilcox Co., Lynchburg, Va. “France is already at 80 percent. This technology is carbon free and extraordinarily safe. Nuclear is also a high operational rate technology. Uptime is 90 percent, more than any other type of [power] plant.”

While the U.S. has the manufacturing base required to produce nuclear power plants and the uranium-based fuel needed to power them, parts manufacturers typically lack the required regulatory qualifications for new construction and maintenance. “Thirty years ago, there were over 400 qualified nuclear suppliers in the U.S.,” Hansen said. “Today, there are just over 100.”

Like other industries, nuclear plant construction has benefited from significant improvements in manufacturing technology, including CNC machinery, laser welding, automated welding systems (including robotics), ultrasonic examination and computerized radiographic examination, said Scott Shaw, communications manager for nuclear power plants, Westinghouse Electric Co., Cranberry Township, Pa. Getting the business, however, means moving through various levels of regulatory approval.

“Machine shops and manufacturing engineers interested in doing business in the nuclear industry should consider the specific components they would like to supply, the necessary quality standards for these components and the potential customer base,” NEI’s Berrigan said. An inventory of the components for a nuclear reactor is available on the NEI Web site at www.nei.org.

Machining and fabricating operations involved in the construction of nuclear power plants include milling, drilling (standard and gun drilling), turning, grinding and electrochemical machining. There are also several welding operations typically involved in nuclear work, including laser, sub arc, TIG, MIG, narrow groove and stick.

Credentials are essential for shops that want to make parts for the construction and maintenance of nuclear power plants. “From an owner’s point of view, one special credential a machining company may need is the ASME NQA-1 Quality Assurance Program,” said Mike Franklin, supervisor, site engineering, nuclear plant development for Progress Energy Inc., Raleigh, N.C. “If the scope of the supply includes providing material in addition to machining, appropriate ASME Section III code certifications are needed.”

Machining companies need to exercise care and understand the regulatory requirements associated with handling, machining and storing items to prevent contamination. For example, materials that contact stainless steel or nickel-base alloys, such as cutting oils, solvents, tape, labels, storage containers and marking pens, can contaminate the metals, Franklin noted.

The U.S. energy industry is undergoing major change, and nuclear power will likely produce a greater share of electrical power in coming years. Manufacturers need to act now to claim their share of this growing business.

Workers mount a reactor closure head on a horizontal boring machine as they prepare to drill holes used to mount control rod drives at a Babcock & Wilcox Co. facility in Mt. Vernon, Ind. Photo courtesy Babcock & Wilcox.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2009

An engineering professor at Western Michigan University has developed a microlaser-assisted machining process, called μ-LAM, which combines a laser and diamond cutting tool to thermally soften and cut silicon semiconductors and ceramics.

The μ-LAM system integrates an infrared fiber laser and a single-point diamond cutting tool. Photos courtesy Western Michigan University.

“Generally, what happens with these materials is they’re so brittle that if you try to deform or machine them they readily break,” said Dr. John Patten, professor and chair of manufacturing engineering at Western Michigan and the inventor of μ-LAM. “By softening the materials, we can enhance their ductility, making them pliable and easier to machine.”

The μ-LAM incorporates an infrared fiber laser with wavelengths ranging from 1,000nm to 1,500nm. The laser beam travels through a single-point, optically clear diamond to the workpiece, heating the material to temperatures in excess of 600° C. The diamond radius, ranging from 5μm to 5mm, is joined to the laser either by an adhesive epoxy (for milliwatt applications) or soldered/brazed (1w or more), within a tungsten or carbide housing.

Other engineers have tried various methods to machine brittle materials such as ceramic. One option is to heat a workpiece in an oven and then cut it; another is to use a laser and diamond cutting tool separately. But Patten maintains there are clear advantages to integrating the laser and diamond tool into a single package. “It’s a lot simpler because you’re naturally aligned, and you’re getting the laser heat right to the cutting edge of the tool, where it does the most good,” he said. “Also, you’re not heating excess material.”

In addition, the μ-LAM can cut machining time and cost while providing optically smooth surfaces, Patten said. Using conventional manufacturing methods, he continued, “if you wanted to make an optical component—a reflective mirror, for example—you would generally start off with a molded part that’s rough and then do a series of machining steps: grinding, regrinding, followed by polishing processes to get it to the final form.

“[Our process] replaces that sequence with a single-point diamond tool, and we cut the part on a CNC machine. The advantage there is that you can maintain the form accuracy due to the CNC, and also get quite good surface roughness in the range of 1nm Ra to 10nm Ra.”

Patten is working with a Japanese company to commercialize the system. He anticipates his invention will find applications in several industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical device, semiconductor and optical. “Initially, we’re targeting the optical and semiconductor industries,” he said. “It looks like most of the applications will be for high-power, high-temperature microelectronic devices. Silicon is the workhorse for the semiconductor industry’s chips and circuits, and at higher temperatures people go to silicon carbide. So right now, we’re focusing almost all of our efforts on silicon-carbide applications.”

—Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2009

Mastercam-developer CNC Software Inc., Tolland, Conn., announced that Justin Amos (right), a student in the Advanced Manufacturing Program at Vincennes (Ind.) University, won its 2008-09 Innovator of the Future competition. For the competition, students created unique motorcycle gas caps for guest judge Jim Quinn (left), lead engineer for Orange Country Choppers. Amos’ cap has an F-16 jet soaring over a compass with a spinning brass arrow. For his efforts, Amos received a $1,000 scholarship and a trip to Newburgh, N.Y., to tour the OCC headquarters. In the documentation accompanying their entries, the contestants explained how the competition helped them to improve their Mastercam CAD/CAM software and machining skills. Photo courtesy of CNC Software.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2009

Toolmaker Kaiser Tool Co. Inc. is celebrating its 45th anniversary. Founded in 1964 by William Kaiser, the Fort Wayne, Ind., company is now operated by his daughter, Lenore Perry. Known for its Thinbit, Groove ‘N Turn, Deepgroove, Microbit, Minibore and Design-A-Groove product lines, Kaiser Tool provides cutting tools for lathe applications.

The 45-year-old Kaiser Tool Co. supplies the metalworking, sign supply and laser marking industries. Photo courtesy Kaiser Tool.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2009

In southwest Washington state, the Cowlitz Economic Development Council is making a concerted effort to buoy the local economy by helping businesses, including manufacturers, relocate or expand their current operations in Cowlitz County.

The nonprofit CEDC provides free assistance with site selection, permitting, business financing and incentives, which include a sales and use tax exemption available to manufacturers on their new equipment purchases, tax credits for new employment positions created and on-the-job training funds for companies that require customized educational programs.

Situated on the banks of the Columbia River and along Interstate 5 Highway, Cowlitz County has two deep-draft ports, a regional airport and railroad access. Companies that have relocated in Cowlitz County include steel coil producer Steelscape Inc., piping supplier North American Pipe & Steel Inc. and sheet metal manufacturer S&R Sheet Metal Inc. For more information, contact Mary Brown, CEDC vice president: brown@cowlitzedc.com, (360) 423-9921.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2009

The index of U.S. cutting tool sales fell 3.6 percent from June to July, a decline consistent with—though significantly less than—downturns posted for the same period during the previous 2 years, according to the United States Cutting Tool Institute. From June to July 2008, sales dropped 9.8 percent; during that same period in 2007, sales fell 14.9 percent.

Total billings index

(The index uses 1997 annual data, which equals 100 percent as its baseline.)

The USCTI collected the above data from member companies.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, October 2009

In addition to optimizing various gear hobbing processes, gear manufacturers are pursuing process stream consolidation, where different machining technologies are combined on one multitask machine. The objective is to reduce throughput times.

Multitasking also lowers the cost of setups by reducing their number, improves part quality by minimizing tolerance buildup from multiple setups, and reduces floor space requirements and capital outlay for production machinery. However, integrating different technologies on one machine is not always a sensible idea. The choice of a production process must also consider company-specific requirements.

The goal in one case was to find a method for machining armature shafts that reduced capital outlay for turning and lowered setup costs and throughput. The manufacturer intended to achieve this by integrating turning and gear hobbing on a special-purpose gear hobbing machine.

While the machine tool builder was designing a machine that allowed gear hobbing of bar material and some simple turning operations, the customer faced demands for an increasing number of workpiece variants with complex geometry, such as contours and knurls. This required an increase in the number of axes and tools for turning. The new demands quickly led to diverging cycle times for turning and hobbing operations. The concept of a gear hobbing bar machine with additional axes for turning was becoming too expensive when compared with the developments in longitudinal turning and “flying dry hobbing.”

Flying dry hobbing was developed as a quasi byproduct of an attempt at process stream consolidation. Grinding armature shafts between centers—a process that increases costs—can be replaced by flying dry hobbing in lieu of centerless grinding, which is also more cost-effective. Flying dry hobbing also avoids the disadvantages inherent in using a damper steady, which is employed when ground armature shafts are hobbed, and offers the shortest cycle times with close to no idle times.

If an end user divides machining times equally over the various spindle positions of a multispindle machine, he can start seriously thinking about using a machine that combines a diversity of integrated technologies. For example, when machining a gearwheel on a twin-spindle, multifunctional pickup machine, the process sequence of turning the first side, turning the second side, gear hobbing and roller deburring is divided in a way that ensures the main spindle is rarely idle. The advantages of a turning and hobbing center can only have the fullest benefit when there’s a balanced utilization of the two independent spindles.

Process integration is not always an economically viable solution. In the case of the armature shaft, it was not possible to achieve an important precondition for using a multitask machine: a sensible division of the various machining processes. Having spindles in the hobbing unit standing idle could not be avoided. Because producing an armature shaft allows an end user to achieve short idle times with individual processes, process integration would have become too expensive compared to highly automated individual processes.

Batch size is less important in deciding to use a multitask machine than component geometry and finding an effective way to divide the required machining operations.

Process integration does not necessarily significantly reduce cycle times. The central role is determined by throughput time and its importance, and a company’s component-specific logistics applied in the verification of multifunctional machining. The benefits and limits of multitasking depend on the workpiece and the company, and that calls for close scrutiny of the advantages and disadvantages encountered with individual processes on the one hand and multifunctional processes or multitask machines on the other.

—Thomas Koepfer, managing director of Jos. Koepfer & Söhne GmbH, Furtwangen, Germany

Turning, gear hobbing, drilling and milling can be performed on EMAG’s VSC 400 DUO WF twin-spindle, multitask machine. Photo courtesy EMAG.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, September 2009

Traditionally, facilities that produce smoke or oil mists often collect and exhaust the dirty air to the outside via roof-mounted blowers connected through a maze of ductwork.

By contrast, Clean Air America Inc., Rome, Ga., makes point-of-source air-filtration strategies to help reduce pollutants released to the atmosphere and slice HVAC costs.

“Any dumping of heated or cooled air to the outside is done at great expense,” said Fergie Haughton, systems sales manager at Clean Air America. “Whether it’s 0° or 97° F outside, bringing in makeup air at any volume above 50 percent is very costly. Some plants run 80 to 90 percent makeup air, and that not only throws money out the window, it also forces the HVAC system to work extremely hard. We found one new plant with the A/C coils covered with oils and soot from the welding. They were changing filters to the tune of $20,000 to $25,000 each month.”

Rather than taking an expensive, shotgun approach by managing air filtration on a plantwide basis, more facility managers area starting to target air-filtering efforts to only those areas that require them, according to Haughton.

“Heating and air conditioning costs are about $2 cfm and $4 cfm, respectively, at our plant,” said Glen Tuplin, facilities manager at F&P Georgia, manufacturer of subframe and suspension components for Honda and Nissan. The firm runs cutting, grinding, welding, stamping and painting operations.

While the original F&P plant was built in 2001 with a traditional air-ventilation system, when F&P expanded the plant in 2003, Tuplin opted to retrofit a new air-filtration system that consists of modular hoods for welding cells and dust collectors to filter and return the air instead of exhausting it.

Smoke, grinding dust, oil mist and other pollutants are collected and cleaned through modular air-filtration systems that often comprise a self-contained work center. No ducting is necessary, and all of the filtering apparatus sits above the production floor.

The use of down-flow filtering technology accounts, in part, for some of the efficiency of these modular systems. Incoming dirty air flows downward through filters positioned vertically—as opposed to at an angle—to shed dust. The filters trap most of the small particles, while larger ones fall into a dust-settling hopper. A jet-pressure wave cleans the system’s row of filters, further propelling trapped dust to move downward into the hopper.

“Our exhaust air volume is 103,000 cfm, and because the Clean Air system filters and returns plant air, it was simple math to see that we could save $200,000 annually with their system,” Tuplin said. “This strategy has really paid off. I believe the payback on our system was about 1 year, something that our own engineers and management would hardly believe.”

Clean Air America’s point-of-source air-filtration strategies help cut pollutants and slice HVAC costs. Photo courtesy Clean Air America.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, September 2009

The new international standard ISO 13399, titled Cutting Tool Data Representation and Exchange, aims to remove time-consuming barriers to gathering cutting tool information. Traditionally, metalworking professionals seeking such data were limited to poring through catalogs and handbooks, many of which vary widely in terminology.

But ISO 13399 provides metalcutting data in a neutral format, independent of any particular system or company nomenclature. Manufacturers can import the relevant information directly into a PLM, CAD, CAM and CNC simulation or tool management system. By quickly accessing the needed cutting tool data, shops can find the best machining solution paired with the most efficient cutting tool selection.

The new standard was jointly developed by Sandvik Coromant Co., the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, French Cetim and other metalcutting stakeholders.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, September 2009

The index of U.S. cutting tool sales rose 5.6 percent from May to June, an increase consistent with—though significantly higher than—gains posted for the same period during the previous 2 years, according to the United States Cutting Tool Institute. From May to June 2008, the index was up 1.2 percent; during that same period in 2007, sales climbed 0.8 percent.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, September 2009

Like the body parts they replace, medical implants take a beating and the taper fit between the male and female components is critical to how well they perform over their lifetime. For example, most hip and knee implants have tapers because they provide effective alignment and can be “locked” into position.

Tooling for air gaging is custom-made for the application, and air gaging does not require special operator training. Photo courtesy Mahr Federal.

Orthopedic device manufacturers have options when measuring tapers, with a coordinate measuring machine being the most common, but air gaging is gaining popularity, according to George Schuetz, director of precision gages for Mahr Federal Inc., Providence, R.I. “Air gaging allows you to move the inspection from an inspection room out onto the shop floor right next to the machine,” he said, “and an operator can get measurements instantaneously rather than waiting an hour or so for the CMM operator to do that.”

Introduced in the 1940s—decades before economical electronic gaging—air gaging uses the principle of back pressure to determine the size of a part’s feature. “As the pressure builds up from the air jets being closed off, there’s a one-to-one relationship between the pressure and the distance to the surface you’re measuring,” Schuetz explained. “The air gage creates a pressure-distance curve, and the display monitors that pressure and converts it into a displacement.”

The noncontact measuring system uses orifices that are 0.050" or smaller. The orifices can be placed within 0.10" of each other and combined to produce various dimensional and geometric results.

Schuetz noted that taper and diameter tolerances for orthopedic devices range from about ±0.002" to ±0.0003", and surface finish requirements are typically 50μin. Ra or finer, with tighter tolerances requiring finer finishes.

Unlike a CMM that can measure various part features and geometries but needs a trained operator, air gaging requires application-specific tooling that does not require training to use. There are three basic types of air gages: jam fit, clearance style and simultaneous fit. Designed for a jam fit between the part and tool, that type of air gage taper tooling has two pairs of jets on opposing air circuits. If the taper angle is incorrect, there will be excessive clearance between the two surfaces at one or the other end of the taper.

Jam-fit tooling does not measure diameters, per se. Instead, it displays the diametrical difference at two points on the workpiece, as compared to the same two points on the master, which is used to set the reference. To gather more information about the taper components’ positioning accuracy, an end user needs a clearance-style gage in which an air taper ring cavity is sized to accept the entire taper part. Depending on where the part’s reference surface is, the part can be referenced on the end of the taper or on a flange against the part’s top surface. This makes it possible to measure diameters at known heights. “The clearance tool is the one that’s most commonly used,” Schuetz said.

A simultaneous-fit taper gage is a cross between the other two. It is basically a jam-fit tool with an indicator that references on the face of the datum surface. This indicates how far the air tool goes into the part being measured. Therefore, while the air gage provides a taper angle reading, the indicator identifies the diameters’ size.

Orthopedic device manufacturers face an increasing need to document and record all measurements, and air gaging enables 100 percent part inspection. “If they tried to do that by measuring each part on a CMM, they’d need a whole bunch of CMMs for the number of parts going through some of these shops,” Schuetz said.

In addition to enabling part measurement within a few seconds, the pressurized air from the gage provides an additional benefit. “The air cleans the part as you’re making the measurement,” Schuetz said.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, August 2009

Huffman Corp., developer of an abrasive waterjet (AWJ) system for removing bond and thermal barrier coatings (TBC) in gas turbine engines, has received patent approval for an X-ray fluorescence gun used to detect coating thickness and its new software to ensure uniform bond and TBC removal.

The thermal barrier coating on this jet engine liner was removed with Huffman’s abrasive waterjet system. Photos courtesy Huffman.

By precisely gaging the amount of remaining coating on the engines, the gun enables the AWJ to remove coatings as closely to the base metal as possible without causing damage.

Its waterjet stream is controlled to a specific distance from the metal surface, with feed and speed monitored by the software that keeps the offset uniform on the engine’s blades, vanes, shroud, liners and transition pieces.

“We sell in the industrial gas turbine market; [these land-based turbines] are big jet engines that make electricity,” said Roger Hayes, president of Huffman Corp., Clover, S.C. “We serve customers that provide repair services to the market.”

Subjected to temperatures from 1,700° to 2,200° F, the turbine engine base metals are treated with TBCs consisting of a ceramic insulation layer and a molybdenum-chromium-aluminum-yttrium bond coat. Both are designed to resist the oxidation and corrosion created by combustion.

But the coatings have a limited operating life of several thousand hours, at which point they’re replaced. The timeworn methods of removing old coatings are acid stripping and grit blasting—both of which pose problems.

The metal’s exposure to acid could produce stress corrosion, cracking, pitting and alloy depletion. And grit blasting can lead to uneven material removal and thinning of the base metal.

Because grit blasting is done manually, it generally requires more time than using the AWJ. Also, AWJ technology is a more streamlined process compared to acid stripping. Acid removal requires masking and demasking of parts that don’t require new coatings; and grit blasting after acid stripping is often needed to remove remnants and contaminants prior to recoating.

“With water, you just fill up the machine, push a button, take readings and you’re done,” Hayes said. “You don’t have to mask internals, rehandle it, iterate it or [test it in an oven]. Compared to acid stripping, [AWJ’s cycle time] is about the same, but each time you handle a product you run the risk of damaging it. So if you can turn several operations into one, you’re doing a good thing.”

The process uses either a 5- or 6-axis CNC AWJ machine to deliver ceramic abrasives in water at pressures from 10,000 psi to 55,000 psi to strip coatings in iterative steps. Huffman reports that the technology is capable of holding a positional tolerance of 0.0005" or tighter.

Coating thickness is measured before the process to ensure full removal of the bonding and diffusion layer, along with any contamination or corrosion underneath. “The bond coat is usually 0.00010" or 0.00012" thick,” Hayes said. “What we do is take about a 0.0001" pass, take a reading with the X-ray gun that tell us how much yttrium remains, then we take another couple passes and take a reading. So we kind of sneak up on the coating until it’s gone.”

—Cutting Tool Engineering, August 2009

The college-based Centers for Applied Competitive Technologies in Southern California and industry partners have developed a short-term skills training program to meet an anticipated shortfall of skilled workers in aerospace fastener manufacturing.

More than 10,000 Southern Californians are employed by local aerospace fastener manufacturers and distributors, but many of these workers will retire within the next 5 to 10 years. The aerospace fastener industry in Southern California projects a need for 200 to 400 skilled workers annually during the next 5 years.

In response, the CACT at El Camino College, Cerritos College, North Orange Community College District and Los Angeles Community College District have joined with industry partners to develop an 8-week, for-credit training program. The curriculum includes 96 hours of industry paid internship at a local aerospace manufacturer.

Industry partners include the Industrial Fastener Institute, Alco Fastening Systems, Bristol Industries, B&B Specialties, Click Bond, California Screw Products, LISI Aerospace, Monogram Aerospace Fasteners, PB Fasteners, Cherry Aerospace and The Young Engineers.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, August 2009

IndustrialCOOP announced that it will open an online marketplace focused on metal machining and other custom manufacturing services on its directory at www.industrialleaders.com.

IndustrialCOOP, an industrial search engine filtered for engineers and other industrial buyers, said the new site will enable shops and custom manufacturers to promote their services at no cost to domestic and international companies in need of machined parts.

According to the company, the marketplace will include a section for users to locate a suitable precision machine shop in their market area. The marketplace will debut in its beta form this summer.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, August 2009

Albert T. Brennan, founder of welding end prep tool manufacturer Esco Tools, Holliston, Mass., died at the age of 87 after a brief illness.

In 1975, Brennan purchased the Evans Supply Co., Winchester, Mass., and later renamed it Esco Tools. The company established itself as an international supplier of boiler maintenance tools.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, August 2009

Members of the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute predict a tough year ahead for their industry, according to a spring survey conducted by the organization. In the survey, USCTI members were asked their opinions about a number of issues, including the outlook for the U.S. economy, forecasted cutting tool shipments, changing employment levels, raw material costs, exporting, financing and workforce actions.

More than 80 percent of the survey respondents have a negative outlook for the U.S. economy, acknowledging that the recession is having a major impact. This outlook is reflected in their near-term forecast for the cutting tool industry, with more than 60 percent predicting a decline in industry shipments of greater than 20 percent and more than 90 percent forecasting a decline of at least 10 percent.

Neither are exports making up for lowered domestic demand. Roughly half of those surveyed have experienced reduced exports so far in 2009, with average declines of 29 percent.

Most cutting tool manufacturers have already cut payrolls, with more than 85 percent indicating their employment declined in the first quarter of 2009. Average workforce cuts were 15 percent.

Also, most USCTI members have undertaken workforce actions in response to severely reduced shipments and incoming orders, with 70 percent shrinking their workweek, 35 percent implementing employee furloughs, 49 percent reducing shift hours, 23 percent ordering temporary plant shutdowns and 16 percent calling for mandatory vacation time.

When asked about financing, the results revealed a rapidly changing, increasingly challenging business environment. Twelve percent are finding it more difficult to finance equipment purchases, 44 percent have experienced more restrictive lines of credit, 19 percent are paying higher interest rates on their lines of credit, and 70 percent are having more difficulties collecting accounts receivable.

On a positive note, more than half of the USCTI members have seen a decline in the costs of raw materials used in manufacturing their tools.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, July 2009

Research findings at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine could prove vital to finding a treatment for a lung disease that afflicts machinists. It’s called hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), an inflammation of the lung caused by the body’s immune response to airborne bacteria and mold. HP symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and chills.

In 2000, scientists singled out a bacterium called M. immunogenum as a possible cause of the disease. During outbreaks of HP, the bacteria was discovered in metalworking fluids, which workers can inhale when it’s sprayed during machining. In the May issue of the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Proteome Research, University of Cincinnati researchers reported finding 33 proteins in M. immunogenum that appear to be responsible for causing the immune response that leads to HP. According to the researchers, the proteins could help in developing a test to identify contaminated workplaces and, possibly, medications to treat and prevent the disease.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, July 2009

In a recent study released by the American Iron and Steel Institute, the industry market research organization Ducker Worldwide estimated that the use of advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) in light automotive vehicles during 2009 increased by more than 4 percent of total body weight from 2007, while the average weight per vehicle decreased by 163 lbs.

While more than half of the vehicles produced worldwide contain some AHSS, the new BMW X6 contains the most, with 32 percent of its body structure and closures manufactured from AHSS.

The study predicts a 10 percent annual growth rate in the use of AHSS through 2020, as automakers strive to meet the proposed 35-mpg fuel economy standard. Ducker researchers estimate that to reach that goal, approximately 650 lbs. of mild steel, high-strength steel and iron will have to be replaced with 350 lbs. of dual-phase, martensitic, boron and other AHSS, as well as small amounts of aluminum, magnesium and polymers.

According to the study, weight reduction will account for at least 25 percent of the necessary improvement in fuel economy, with advances in powertrain and other technologies—such as drag reduction, low-rolling resistance tires and a 42v electrical system—making up the difference.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, July 2009

The index of U.S. cutting tool sales fell 10.8 percent from March to April, a reversal from last year’s numbers posted during the same period but consistent with 2007 statistics, according to data from the United States Cutting Tool Institute. From March to April in 2008, the index of sales rose 4.7 percent; by contrast, during that same period in 2007, the sales index declined 21.8 percent.

The USCTI collected the above data from its member companies.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, July 2009

Scrap handling systems and equipment manufacturer PRAB Inc., has introduced a new division, PRAB/Monlan, to provide shops with integrated solutions for chip removal and fluid filtration.

PRAB/Monlan’s modular chip and fluid management systems, based on vacuum and pneumatic technology, can be scaled to meet the needs of plants of any size. Photo courtesy PRAB/Monlan.

Based in Kalamazoo, Mich., PRAB/Monlan combines the scrap management expertise of PRAB Inc. with the Monlan Group Inc.’s focus on fluid recovery and filtration systems. The new division follows PRAB’s 2008 acquisition of Envirodyne Technologies Inc., Monlan’s parent company.

PRAB’s chip handling equipment includes conveyors, modular chip briquetters, chip wringers and pneumatic scrap conveyance. PRAB/Monlan combines these products with a line of equipment for the recovery, filtration and recycling of coolants, lubricants and wastewater.

“We can now offer complete, turnkey solutions for all chip and fluid management needs, including system design, installation and ongoing support,” said Ned Thompson, CEO of PRAB and PRAB/Monlan. “We have had customers use PRAB for chip handling and then use three or four other suppliers to obtain fluid processing equipment.” The new division will help shops streamline chip and fluid management strategies, he added.

Thompson said that with the formation of the new division, PRAB will focus on its chip handling customers, while PRAB/Monlan will serve existing Monlan customers and new clients with a need for integrated chip and fluid management systems.

According to PRAB/Monlan, its chip and fluid management systems can help shops meet economic and environmental challenges. For instance, chip handling equipment turns wet metal chips into dry, shovel-grade material or compressed briquettes. Because processed chips are not considered hazardous waste, they have a higher scrap value and are not subject to surcharges assessed by downstream recyclers on polluted material. The company said its systems can reduce new fluid purchases by 40 to 90 percent and reduce waste fluid volumes by 50 to 90 percent, which can help manufacturers reduce costs, meet zero-manifesting goals and comply with federal, state and local discharge regulations.

In addition, company officials said its modular chip and fluid management technology will allow small and medium-size operations to incorporate waste management technology formerly only practical for large facilities. Tim Hanna, president of PRAB/Monlan, said the company’s modular systems, which are based on vacuum and pneumatic technology, can be installed above the shop floor and scaled to meet the needs of any plant size. With modular systems, chips are conveyed through compact tubes from individual machining centers to smaller fluid removal, chip handling and fluid processing stations. The modular approach can be an economical solution for small shops. “These shops have always had to incur the expense of hauling away truckload after truckload of polluted chips,” Hanna said. “They also had to worry about disposing of fluid they could be reusing. We’re offering these shops practical solutions that will reduce costs and make them more efficient, more sustainable and ultimately more competitive in the global economy.”

—Cutting Tool Engineering, June 2009

With the aim of improving customer service and minimizing the need for emergency on-site visits, BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. is expanding its presetter service offerings.

‘BIG Kaiser:’ BIG Kaiser’s new presetter services are designed to minimize unplanned downtime and emergency on-site visits. Photo courtesy BIG Kaiser.

The Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based company reported that Speroni S.p.A., Italy, is installing a secure PC-to-PC connection program on new presetters with a computer control. By purchasing an identical software license, BIG Kaiser can now install the free user licenses on existing customer machines. The expanded presetter service package includes three key features:

• Speroni online service management program allows BIG Kaiser’s service technicians to connect remotely to a Speroni PC to troubleshoot programs, provide online training and upgrade software.
• Presetter calibration checks for tool presetters from any manufacturer. This service provides reports on spindle runout and column squareness to the spindle centerline. No repairs are made during the routine calibration check, but customers can use the report to initiate repairs.
• Speroni preventive maintenance program minimizes unplanned downtime. This service includes cleaning, inspection and lubrication of all applicable machine parts, verification of repeatability and zero-point calibration, plus performance evaluation and verification of all functions.

Additional features include cleaning and adjustment of mechanical and optical assemblies and inspection and adjustment of bearing preloads on X- and Z-axis slide assemblies.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, June 2009

Taking as its theme “Smart Solutions for the Future of Metal Cutting,” the second High Speed Steel Forum Conference was held in Aachen, Germany, Jan. 20 to 21 and drew about 100 people from 15 countries.

Those attending represented HSS producers, tool manufacturers, coating companies and finishing firms. “In spite of the tough economy, we had almost as many attendees as in 2005 and some excellent talks, especially on machining of new titanium alloys such as Ti-5-5-5-3,” said Adeline Riou, general secretary for the conference. “Several talks highlighted how the most modern-coated P/M HSS tools can achieve much better performance, offering an economic alternative to cemented carbides.”

Other topics included reducing tool grinding costs, vibration-assisted dry drilling of holes up to 30 diameters deep using coated HSS tools and the effect of surface finish and coating on tool life. For more information on conference proceedings, visit www.hssforum.com.

—Cutting Tool Engineering, June 2009