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October, 2005
Editorial
Features
Marrying product and process design
Digital manufacturing, a critical element of PLM, ensures that shops stay
competitive and profitable.
Product data available in visual format
Visualization technologies are inexpensive, easy-to-use tools for communication.
Cashing in on complexity
Production shops survive off-shore competition running complicated parts on
multispindle machines.
Making The Complex Simple
CNC multispindle and Swiss-type machines are sophisticated and require well-trained
operators.
Open for business
Those outside the engineering team must access critical design data for making
sound business decisions.
Tech Trends
Equipment updates for community college
Combining a $216,500 Duke Power Community College grant with $100,000 of its
own money, Isothermal Community College, Spindale, N.C., has purchased machine
tools for improving its...
FeatureCAM 2006 available
FeatureCAM Version 2006 has been released under a new company name, Delcam
USA.
Ford boosting hybrid production
Ford Motor Co. Chairman and CEO Bill Ford, in a recent employee meeting, unveiled
a plan to produce 250,000 hybrid vehicles annually by 2010.
GE/Rolls-Royce venture gets engine contract
The Fighter Engine Team joint venture between GE Transportation — Aircraft
Engines and Rolls-Royce will develop the engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
(JSF) program.
Hybrid drive development alliance formed
The BMW Group, DaimlerChrysler AG and General Motors Corp. are forming an alliance
to accelerate development of two-mode hybrid drive systems.
Inspection tool learns textures
In addition, if a product's patterns or textures change, the PC Eyebot stores
its previous "training" and learns the new patterns for inspections and outputs
the differences to PLCs and...
July tool consumption dips slightly
The
U.S. Machine Tool Consumption report from American Machine Tool Distributors
Association (AMTDA) and AMT — The Association for Manufacturing Technology,
shows July U.S. machine...
Mazak event to touch the future
Mazak Corp., Florence, Ky., will hold its largest North American industry event
Nov. 8-10. Touch the Future 2006 will feature 40 Mazak machine tools and production
technologies at work,...
More funding for material production process
The U.S. Air Force has awarded a research grant to a New York state company
to further develop a process that makes nanostructured material for military
use.
NTMA creates website to help shops damaged by Katrina
The National Tooling and Machining Assoc. (NTMA), Ft. Washington, Md., has
provided a website for member companies damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Spanish machine tool producers to merge
Two Spanish machine tool manufacturers are merging — Nicolas Correa,
S.A., Burgos, and Industrias Anayak S.A. of Deba — both of which make
milling machines.
Cutting Tool Digest
Hydraulic toolholders
Tendo Hydraulic Toolholders from Schunk Inc., Morrisville, N. C., have internal
pistons that force hydraulic fluid into a cavity surrounding a steel sleeve.
Lifting magnets
Ez-Lift
magnets from Earth-Chain USA, Indianapolis, come in five sizes and are rated
up to 4,400 lb.
Modular fixtures
Dual modular-style fixtures from Royal Machine and Tool Corp., Berlin, Conn.,
hold two strainer valves on one fixture.
Parallel grippers
B-Series
industrial parallel grippers from Robohand, a De-Sta-Co company, Madison Heights,
Mich., come in three styles for handling large, heavy parts.
Toolholder balancer
For
use with any rotarytransfer machine from Hydromat Inc., St. Louis, the Harmonic
200 toolholder balancer adds two eccentric rings or removes imperfections to
reduce or offset imbalance...
Government Matters
Law and Liability
No claim for job-test injury
In 1987, Gatha Blankenship began working for American Ordnance Systems LLS
in Milan, Tenn., where she assembled bullets.
Casebooks
Grinder tightens up barstock tolerances
While the market for precision-ground barstock grows, suppliers are often hampered
in their abilities to consistently produce the material at required tolerances.
Shop tracks tools and streamlines production
MetalQuest Unlimited, an automated machining facility outside Hebron, Neb.,
not only needed to control its tooling inventory, but also wanted to gather
tool-use information at point-of-use...
Software bridges design and manufacturing
Greiner Vehicle Technology, a Germany-based designer of special transportation
systems for moving large, heavy and awkward machinery via road and rail, took
on the monumental task of...
Software proves star performer
Half way through building three sky cycles — flying motorcycles without
wheels — for "The Island," a summer 2005 Dreamworks sci-fi movie thriller,
special-effects company Fxperts...
New Equipment
Collet chucks improve throughput
The
sizes of ProDyne fixed-length collet chucks from Lexair Inc. let machines run
at high spindle speeds for improving throughput.
Coolant inhibits microbial growth
While
providing corrosion control, rust protection and lubricity, Shur Cool 4055 heavyduty
semisynthetic coolant from T&L Specialty Co. also naturally inhibits microbial
growth.
Fluid performs like straight oil
Cimcool
Quantalube 270 XL grinding fluid from Milacron Inc. reportedly performs similarly
to straight oils but without the associated problems.
Grinder handles spiral tools
Gebr. Saacke GmbH & Co.'s UW I C universal tool and cutter grinder features
one workhead and a two-axis CNC with an integrated user interface...
Lathe cross machines
The
Type VII model of Cincom L-720 Swiss-type lathes by Marubeni Citizen-Cincom
Inc. features three cross spindles for cross machining.
Machine tackles complex parts
Reportedly
efficient in producing aircraft, construction and large, difficultto-machine
parts with complex configurations, the MacTurn550 from Okuma America Corp. packs
accuracy and...
Measure vibrating parts
Multiface
polygonal mirrors and high-speed motors make it possible for Mitutoyo America
Corp. LSM-544 Series laser-scan micrometers to operate up to 1,600 scans per
second. This is ideal...
Motion control for CNC machines
The
MN400 is a dual-processor motion controller by MicroKinetics Corp. that can
be used with CNC machines, robotics and scientific instruments.
Multispindles eliminate secondaries
As
a multispindle machine, the Multideco 32/6c by Tornos machines complex parts
using five tools that can perform back operations and reduce secondary machining
operations.
Process improves grinding wheels
Norton
BCG Vortex centerless grinding wheels by Saint-Gobain Abrasives incorporate
a technology that improves porous structure and abrasive spacing.
Reamers leave workpieces undamaged
Valenite
LLC Modco padded/indexable-style (PI) reamers feature a clamping configuration
that keeps their locking screws out of chip slots to minimize marring work surfaces
or damaging...
Spindle aids VMC rigidity
The
core-cooled spindle technology of the Makino V33 VMC for die/mold work contributes
to machine rigidity and low spindle vibration at high speeds for deep, fast
cutting without tool...
System removes fines from grinding fluids
The
Turbo-Separator T22/RCS filtration system by Sanborn Technologies removes fine
micron particles as it recycles grinding and polishing fluids.
Tap extensions reach difficult areas
The
Walton Co.'s Style B tap extensions machine and hand tap in hard-to-reach places.
Tapes protect composites
Scapa 572 and 573 from Scapa North America are two conformable polyester films
coated with silicone adhesive that prevent liquid composite materials from leaking,
especially on metal and...
Practical Ideas
Another auto-feed drilling idea
I
drill on a lathe using a special auto-feed method that produces better accuracies
and surface finishes as compared with manually feeding drills.
Pick the winning Practical Idea!
Select the best Practical Idea in this issue by logging on to the associated
URL.
Running in reverse silences chatter
Cutting grooves on a manual lathe often produces chatter that transfers into
workpieces and causes poor surface finishes. And the larger the groove, the
more chatter.
Retrospective
