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January, 2004
Features
Retrofitting Roadmap
A machine-analysis program lets shops better plan and pay for future machine tool retrofits.
Tech Trends
Long-life cutter
Greenleaf Corp., Saegertown, Pa., recently introduced a new aluminumoxide-coated, whisker-reinforced-ceramic insert that reportedly lasts up to 6 longer than other ceramic grades. Called WG-600, the...
No-fuss, no-mess oil-hole drilling
U.S. automakers are turning to minimum-quantity-lubrication (MQL) technology to drill troublesome oil holes in forged-steel crankshafts. These holes typically measure 0.24 in. in diameter and nearly...
Shaping the future of manufacturing
Although Mazak Corp., Florence, Ky., highlighted new products at its recent Touch the Future 2004 event, its focus was manufacturing for a global economy. The four-day summit, which drew...
Ultrasound helps diagnose machining health
Researchers at Lasson Technologies Inc., Culver City, Calif., have developed an ultrasonic method to monitor and diagnose machine tool vibrations in real time. They have already demonstrated success...
Cutting Tool Digest
Adjustable boring bar
MD adjustable boring bars from Criterion use 80° diamond inserts, and dual insert pockets accept either 7° or 8° side-clearance inserts.
Collet holders for knee mills
ER-style one-piece R8 toolholder collets for Bridgeport and other knee mills grip drills, taps, reamers, end mills, boring bars, and special round-shank endworking tools. Each holder accommodates a...
Heating/cooling shrinkfit tooling
T.M. Smith's G5 shrinkfit tabletop induction-heating machine provides integrated refrigerant cooling and a three-station rotary toolholder table.
Jaws clamp short, wide parts
Series PFC clamps with a W jaw clamp short, wide parts close to tooling surfaces. The W jaw produces 7,200 lb of force 2.187 in. above tooling surfaces at 87 psi. Their modular design lets users...
Jaws for every chuck
Huron offers top jaws and accessories for any current chuck style or size. Products include soft jaws, hard jaws, full grips, jaw nuts, quick change systems, collet pads, swivel locks, and specials...
Short-hole drilling inserts
A series of indexable inserts — Womx-D57, Woex-E57, and Womb-B57 — excel in drilling to 4 diameter. They also work on boring and specialty tools.
Through-hole part grippers
PPC- Series through-hole parallel grippers work well when a component ejector is needed or where air is used for part cleaning. The grippers are available in three sizes and mount and operate in any...
Toolholder boosts reamer life
A new toolholder, which consists of only a head, holder, and differential screw, reportedly increases tool life, improves accuracy, and delivers higher speeds and feeds than conventional...
Tough milling grades
Two new basic grades from Seco-Carboloy for milling steel, stainless, and cast iron components are available in inserts for face milling, square-shoulder milling, and for disc mills and round insert...
Vise with hydraulic power booster
The Arnold twin high-pressure vise clamps one or two parts. Users manually clamp a part in either of the two stations, and a spring mechanism holds it while another part is loaded. Turning the vise...
Government Matters
Shoring up the defense industrial base
By Dr. Paul Freedenberg Vice President-Government Relations AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology
Machine of the Month
HMC flexibility takes on a grinding dimension
Makino's A99E-5XR-CD grinds, mills, drills, and turns all in one setup.
Bits & Bytes
Simplify designmanagement collaboration
With Solid Edge's Insight Connect, multiple 2D and 3D files can be interrogated using measure and mark-up commands.
Software slashes product-development costs
Using think3's fully integrated 2D/3D/PDM solution, Hydrocontrol cut design and development time on this directionalcontrol valve by 50%.
Wireless reporting captures accurate information
Made2Manage SFDC uses barcodes to generate joborder picklists. In addition, the software supports radiofrequency (RF) wireless connectivity and hardwired devices.
Law and Liability
Irrational fear no basis for worker's comp
In1984, Mary Guess began working as an assembly line worker for Sharp Manufacturing Company of America, located in Tennessee. On Nov. 6, 1998, one of Guess's co-workers lacerated his hand, which...
Terminated employee entitled to severance pay
Vargo v. Lincoln Brass Works Inc., 115 S.W.2d 487 (Tenn.App. 2003), Court of Appeals of Tennessee, March 13, 2003.
Casebooks
Builder benefits from soft CNC
Rolf Wissner GmbH was considered one of the first companies to specialize in the manufacture of high-speed cutting (HSC) milling and laser machining centers years ago. At that time, however,...
Elevator company closes the door on data-storage problem
With an average of 25 elevator shipments/week and more than 1,300 elevator jobs yearly, Minnesota Elevator manages its ever-increasing volumes of stored data with a fibre-channel storagearea network...
Grinders meet the challenge of flight-critical parts
A Studer grinder tackles the tough tolerances on Parker's electro/ hydraulic servo valves, which are inside hydraulic control modules for aircraft.
Waterjet expands shop's partprocessing envelope
Carinox uses Flow waterjet machines to cut different parts out of large, thick materials, including 36-ft-long sections for ships.
New Equipment
ATD Automatic Door Openers
ATD automatic door openers feature built-in safety features, use standard 110-V electricity, and wire directly into a machine control. A self-contained design makes installation quick and easy.
CNC runs programs concurrently
The Series 30i-Model A CNC controls up to 40 independent axes and executes up to 10 independent NC part programs simultaneously. According to the manufacturer, the 30i's interpolation cycle is 8 as...
CNC sports new functions
The Sinumerik 840 powerline CNC features new hardware components and CNC functionality for improved workpiece quality. By linking with eight others, the Sinumerik 840D controls up to 248 axes and...
Compact measuring machine has large work area
The SmartScope Flash 500 measurement system provides large 20 18 8-in. X/Y/Z travel in a small footprint for budget-conscious shops. Its optical assembly moves in an X-axis as the workpiece goes in a...
Die/mold CNC
The 8070 CNC handles up to 16 axes and four spindles in forged die and aluminum injection-mold manufacturing. It interprets fourth-degree polynomial paths and converts a point-topointbased contour...
Eliminate traditional PLCs for small machines
The Rexroth IndraDrive M digital-drive system combines servo drive and frequency-converter technology in one platform. An optional drive-integrated PLC onboard, plus built-in safety technology, and...
Grinder's design offers stability
The compact and symmetrical gantry design of the Mgerle Modular System (MMS) for grinding, with ballscrews and wide-spaced linear roller bearings for all axes, provides high static, dynamic, and...
Laser measures errors
The MCV 500 laser-calibration system now measures 18 possible errors, including six angular, three displacement, six straightness, and three squareness. Setup is quick because only two components...
Lathe features toolmeasurement probe
The TF2000 CNC lathe tackles turning, milling, and center work. It includes a SEICOS 21L NC and functions such as automatic tool-nose-radius compensation, tool-code coordinate setting, and Q-setter....
Machining center additions
The VMC 2000 xp2 is one of several large bridge-types and C-frames Bridgeport is adding to its VMC line. The 2000 xp2 features an 80-in. X axis; 787-ipm Z feedrate; 24,000-rpm, 25-hp spindle; and 4...
Quick machine
The axes of Vision machining centers move up to 120 m/min, accelerate to 3 G, and provide 5.2-G vectorial axis acceleration. Chip-tochip time is 1.2 sec. The machines are ideal for medical...
Quick pallet changeovers
The RoboDrill PC2 pallet changer swaps out in 6.2 sec and reduces downtime by separating part loading/fixture changes onto one pallet while machining is done on a second one. The changer works with...
Red-metal coolant
Hocut 795-CU coolant is formulated for machining red metals including copper, bronze, and brass. Its ingredients prevent chemical reactions with red metals and protects such machined metals from...
Run any sized stepper motor
Rated up to 64 amp, the FTFc08 stepper-motor controller and driver powers any stepper motor, including a size 42. It works with custom machines, linear actuators, leadscrew assemblies, robotics,...
Safety Guards
This 30-page catalog, available in five languages, features a wide range of safety guards and accessories for various machine tools. Includes lathes; milling, drilling, sawing, grinding, and slotting...
Stiff platform for wheel dressing
As a replacement on Heald CF internal grinding machines, the heavy-duty lift-up dressing system (HDLU) sports a one-piece cast-iron body and largediameter pivot shaft with extra-wide bearing spacing...
TD Coating Extends Tool Life
Thermal diffused coatings are super pure, ultradense vanadium carbide that provide exceptional wear resistance and increased performance on metalforming tooling, high-wear machine parts, perishable...
Practical Ideas
Idea is a yoking matter
When saw cutting lots of parts, shops speed the job by cutting bundles of raw material in one clamping. Bundling works well for square and rectangular bars but not for round stock, especially if the...
Setup for slots
I cut four equally spaced 1/16-in.-wide slots in over two dozen 0.625-in. O.D. 0.437-in.-I.D. electrical connectors using a special setup. This 6-in.-long part had an I.D. depth of 5 in., and slot...
Retrospective
So did he get bathroom breaks?
Editors spotlighted communist propaganda in the January 19, 1954, issue. Editors shared a news item from a Soviet publication that proclaimed, "Americans indulge in an inhuman speedup that ruins the...
'Sophisticated-user' defense protects silica-sand supplier
LaverneHaase worked at the Neenah Foundry in Wisconsin from 1955 until his retirement in 1996. Haase wore a government-approved respirator during much of his work that exposed him to silica dust....
The first ethanol debate
In the January 29, 1904, issue, editors were predicting a bright future for the horseless carriage — if automakers could find an alternative to gasoline. "The Standard Oil Company controls the...
