Industry News

CNC Software Inc., Tolland, Conn.-based producer of Mastercam CAD/CAM software, announced the 2014 Mastercam Innovator of the Future (IOF) national competition, designed to challenge students and young adults in the manufacturing world.

TechFab, Montreal-East, Quebec, has joined the KOMET SERVICE network as a licensed partner for the refurbishment, regrinding and manufacture of solid-carbide tools, with a Grand Opening scheduled for December 5, 2013. 

Gleason Corp., Rochester, N.Y., announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire IMS KOEPFER Cutting Tools GmbH from Eisenbach, Germany's IMS Gear GmbH and KOEPFER Verzahnungsmaschinen GmbH of Furtwangen. IMS KOEPFER Cutting Tools is a producer of gear-cutting tools and related products and services.

The MTConnect Institute and the OPC Foundation have announced the availability of the MTConnect-OPC UA (Unified Architecture) Companion specification release candidate (RC).

Michigan Manufacturing International (MMI), a supplier of mechanical assemblies and components, opened its  new headquarters in Stevensville, Md., on Thursday, Nov. 21. 

Liberty Hall Capital Partners, a New York, N.Y.-based private equity firm focused exclusively on the global aerospace and defense industry, announced the acquisition of Tulsa, Okla.'s Precise Machining & Manufacturing, a Tier II supplier of machined parts, kits and assemblies and processing services to the aerospace industry.

Machine tool manufacturer DMG MORI Manufacturing hosted its inaugural Manufacturing Days event, holding an open house at its Davis, Calif.,factory. The 4-day open house provided more than 1,300 attendees with a look into the 200,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility, as well as educational seminars and live cutting demos. 

Dörken MKS Systems, the German parent company of Dörken Corp. USA, welcomed 230 visitors from four continents and 25 countries to its Düsseldorf facility to learn about its latest coating developments. Visitors included representatives of the automotive industry, tier suppliers, licensed applicators and coating equipment manufacturers.

Toolmaker Kennametal Inc., Latrobe, Pa., and Osaka, Japan-based Sumitomo Electric signed a licensing agreement under which Sumitomo Electric will provide and support Kennametal's new KM4X spindle connection to its customers globally. Sumitomo Electric, a supplier of electric wire, optical fibers and cutting tools, has its U.S. headquarters in Torrance, Calif.

AFAB, a Lake Forest, Calif.-based manufacturer of machined parts and assemblies, is moving into the aerospace and automotive markets through acquisitions of new equipment,  hiring experienced personnel, and institutingnew systems, according to the company. 

United Grinding North America, Inc. welcomes manufacturers to its Fredericksburg, Va., facility on Nov. 20 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to experience the latest technology and trends in PCD tool manufacturing, featuring live demonstrations from its WALTER and EWAG brands.  

Jergens Inc., Cleveland, has been named the preferred Workholding solutions supplier for Penske Racing. Working with Penske Racing personnel, Jergens Workholding Solutions brings quick-change fixturing to the racing team's machine shop operations.

For the fifth consecutive season, igus is a sponsor for Botball, an educational robotics program produced by the KISS Institute for Practical Robotics. The Botball Educational Robotics Program provides STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills that are immediately applicable in college and demanding industries.

Affiliated Distributors' Industrial Supply Division recently named Seco Tools its 2013 Supplier of the Year for Marketing Excellence. The accolade is part of Affiliated Distributors' annual Spirit of Independence Awards Ceremony that recognizes individual affiliates and suppliers that demonstrate consistent excellence in marketing, performance and/or leadership. 

Okuma America Corp holds the 2013 Technology Showcase event on Dec. 10-12, 2013, in Charlotte N.C. The event gives attendees the opportunity to witness the latest technology via hands-on demonstrations, and allows them to learn how this new technology can be applied to their specific manufacturing challenges.

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."

E. Zoller GmbH & Co. KG, Pleidelsheim, Germany, has partnered with Machining Cloud GmbH, Stans, Switzerland, on the new Machining Cloud Intelligent Manufacturing application, a platform that offers applications, resources, services and information from a centralized database. Machining Cloud can advise parts manufacturers regarding best practices specific to each manufacturing process, according to the company.

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration launched two new Web resources to assist companies with keeping their workers safe from exposure to hazardous chemicals. While many chemicals are suspected of being harmful, OSHA's exposure standards are out-of-date and inadequately protective for the small number of chemicals that are regulated in the workplace. The first resource OSHA has created is a toolkit to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones.

RuMo Group LLC, Madison, Wis., has acquired CECOR, a Verona, Wis.-based manufacturer of coolant sump cleaners and material-handling carts. CECOR will continue to be headquartered in Verona, Wis. and do business under the CECOR brand.   

OMAX Corp. has integrated a company-wide custom-designed automated management system. This system, developed in house by OMAX, helps eliminate bottlenecks, provides active real-time measurable data and makes it possible to quickly adjust to fluctuating production schedules.