Industry News for 03/2018

Learn how to achieve good chip control when drilling with indexable drills. Effective chip control is the most important factor in indexable insert drilling operations and is essential for quality hole making. Poor chip evacuation can result in poor surface finish and can lead to tool breakage and damaged components.

Wohlers Associates Inc. announced the release of Wohlers Report 2018, the industry-leading global report on the state of the additive manufacturing (AM) and 3D printing industry, terms used interchangeably. Wohlers Associates has published its series of annual reports on AM for 23 consecutive years.

The optimal machine tool plus the optimal tool equals the perfect combination. And that makes cost-effective processes and impressive machining results possible. One good example of this is the cooperation between the machine manufacturer, F. Zimmermann GmbH, and MAPAL. For demonstrations and machine acceptance tests, Zimmermann equips its new horizontal machining center with milling cutters from MAPAL.

By now, you've probably already heard of the Internet of Things and everything it provides for tech-savvy consumers. An extensive, worldwide network that bridges technological gaps and connects everything from modern cellphones and ATMs to smart microwave ovens, thermostats and more, the IoT will include approximately 200 billion devices by 2020.

If you work in the San Antonio-area manufacturing industry, you’re in the right place at the right time.

Can dressing superabrasive wheels, segments, saw blades and mandrels increase productivity?Yes, dressing done properly increases productivity.

Electric motors are used in a wide variety of applications and must meet a broad spectrum of requirements. When it comes to axis motors in machine tools, for example, torque ripple and the inertia ratio between the motor and the load are crucial factors, along with the maximum torque. These criteria have a direct effect on the quality of the workpiece to be manufactured.

Optimism among U.S. manufacturers is growing as the nation adopts policies that prioritize them, according to an industry advocacy group. The latest tax changes have "transformed the business climate," said Jay Timmons, CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers. "Manufacturing in America is a confident industry."

Vincennes University and the Porter County, Ind., career center are partnering for an early college program. Students seeking careers in precision machining will benefit from a completed addition to the career center and an equipment grant from Vincennes University that provided more than $300,000 in new CNC equipment, manual/conventional equipment, tooling, cabinets, benches and tables.

United Grinding North America Inc., Miamisburg, Ohio, will host "The Artistry of the Grinding Universe Event" April 18-19 at its new 110,000-sq.-ft. headquarters. The free 2-day educational event will give attendees an opportunity to explore the latest grinding technologies, automation and measurement systems that provide the turnkey solutions required to keep pace in today's evolving manufacturing landscape.

The HAIMER Safe-Lock pull-out protection system ensures safe cutting tool clamping. Special drive keys in the toolholder match the spiral-shaped grooves on the cutting tool shank, thus creating frictional clamping forces and a positive locking form-fit. This effectively prevents the cutting tool from pulling out of the toolholder. Furthermore, it increases the productivity through faster permissible speeds and increased tool life.

Today’s manufacturing and industrial processing facilities face intense competitive pressures, challenging economic conditions and stringent government regulations. To thrive, companies must engage in operational “best practices” designed to continuously improve process and product quality and reduce costs. An often overlooked method of process improvement is to remove oil from your facility’s wastewater or process stream as soon as possible, preferably using a highly cost effective “tube type” oil skimmer. Properly applying a tube type skimmer can pay for itself within a few months by improving operational efficiencies, promoting employee and environmental wellness and generating new revenue.

The Digital Manufacturing Design and Innovation Institute (DMDII) announced today the launch of a “Cyber Hub for Manufacturing” with $750,000 in seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD). The hub will serve as a testbed for the creation and adoption of new cybersecurity technologies to secure manufacturing shop floors across the United States and complements DMDII’s public-private partnership as one of the Manufacturing USA institutes sponsored by DOD to advance the state-of-the-art in digital manufacturing in America.

Many manufacturers in the aerospace industry depend on high-precision, complex specialized cutting tools and want them as quickly as possible. However, not all tool grinding shops can meet that challenge. Almar Tools Inc., Camas, Wash., is one that can. To succeed where others often fail, the shop takes a simple straight-forward three-prong approach that consists of efficient production practices and highly trained machinists paired with the latest in tool grinding machine technology.

Julian Cornwall, a 17-year-old junior in the Butler Tech precision machine program at Colerain Career Center, has a big decision ahead of him. Companies looked at his portfolio and shop samples and talked to his instructor about his work during a recent skills competition. He had 11 job offers in hand when a trio of executives from the Feintool Group stopped by his machine to talk to him. When they left, his options had increased by another offer.

A precision machining supplier has come up with a way to address the skills shortage problem. Micron Manufacturing Co., Walker, Mich., lets workers create their own schedules. You want to be there for your first-grader's field trip? Do it. Want to have a long lunch with your aging mom? You can.

Nearly 100 percent of the solid-carbide tool assortment is suitable for reconditioning, according to Sandvik Coromant Co. Once a solid-carbide tool has been reconditioned three times and is no longer a candidate for reconditioning, it can be recycled.