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February, 2004
Features
Stepping past features and functions
What shops should ask before selecting manufacturing software — from the basics to the hard questions.
TCO Delivers TKO In EDM Productivity
Total-cost-of-ownership analysis proves electrode material matters.
Tech Trends
A head for high-speed work
Shops can quickly modify large gantries, boring machines, and mills for high-speed, 5-axis work with a new milling head from French company CMW. The Hexapode CMW 380 features a 40-kW, 24,000-rpm...
Bearings give boost to aircraft engines
Aircraft engines could soon run more efficiently with new high-temperature magnetic bearings that support rotating shafts via a magnetic force and a feedback-control system. This allows for...
Diagnose linear guides and ballscrews
New acoustic sensors from THK GmbH, Ratingen, Germany, promise to diagnose damage to linear guides and ballscrews without having to dismantle machine tools. In addition, the Acoustic Emission (AE)...
Fasteners hold tight 750 million miles away from home
A special internal thread form combats vehicle vibration, shock, and temperature extremes found on Earth as well as on the frigid surface of Titan, Saturn's largest moon.
Finishing to the micro level
A new technology is competing against superfinishing when smoothing the surfaces of gears, bearings, and other load-bearing metal components that require precision wear surfaces. Developed by the...
Shaping beams of light for high-powered lasers
Until recently, laser-diode arrays (LDAs) have been limited in power output and brightness because of optical design and focusing issues. But Apollo Instruments Inc., Irvine, Calif. — with the...
Totally tubular welds
Shops can easily weld metal tubes to solids, sheetmetal, and other tubes thanks to a new resistance-welding method developed at Delphi Corp., Troy, Mich. Annular-deformation-resistance welding (ADRW)...
Cutting Tool Digest
Tough grade for interrupted cuts
Sumitomo's AC3000 grade has the toughness and wear resistance needed for severe interruptions in turning alloy steels, low-carbon steels, stainless steels, and die steels.
Government Matters
The U.S.-trade agenda is riding on a rocky road
An opinion column entitled "Second Thoughts About Free Trade" recently appeared in the New York Times. Authored by Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Paul Craig Roberts, a conservative author and...
Law and Liability
No penalty for post-accident safety measures
At Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corp. in Mingo Junction, Ohio, overhead cranes moved along tracks above a blast furnace. Walkways parallel to the path of the crane provided for exiting the crane in an...
Casebooks
System airs out component-testing problems
Testing oil pumps and other automotive components for their ability to hold and circulate high-pressure oil or water was a messy job at Metaldyne Powertrain/NVH Group in Middleville, Mich. The shop...
New Equipment
Adaptable machining centers
The SpeedMat table-type machining center line includes four models with X-axis strokes from 2,000 to 4,000 mm, Y axes from 1,600 to 3,000 mm, and Z axes from 1,600 to 2,200 mm. Each model...
Cleanable coolant filter
Centrifugal force from the Vortex Ultrafilter separates contaminants from machine tool coolant. Cleanable filter elements trap particles down to 2 µ. With abrasive fine particles removed,...
Drill deep holes
Beaumont Fast Hole Series 6-axis EDMs drill holes as small as 0.018 in. in diameter in high-strength-alloy parts for aerospace engines and other equipment. Available with 40 and 60-in. X-axis...
Filter fibers absorb oil
The Oil Separation Filter (O.S.F.) is an alternative to ultrafiltration for facilities that do not require instant removal of emulsified oils from fluids. It uses absorption to remove the oils, and...
Gearmotors handle adjustable-speed controls
Baldor Electric's inverter-duty gearmotors are designed for use with adjustable-speed controls. The motors are rated at 3 /8-hp, 230 V, 60 Hz, and three phase. A 10 to 90-Hz operating range offers...
Grinders use hydrostatic system
Delta surface-grinding machines feature hydrostatic way systems, which, in conjunction with traveling columns, provide stable, precise, and repeatable working envelopes. There is no metal-to-metal...
New CMM features
Besides offering all the benefits of its predecessor, the SI.2 Laser Tracker sports three additional, advanced features. They are Smart Warm-Up, which heats the tracker to a stable temperature in...
Orbitally form parts
The Model B-310 pneumatic orbital-riveting machine comes with real-time process monitoring and control for orbitally forming parts up to 0.312 in. in diameter or an equivalent area in tube, square,...
Pumping system removes pollutants
The compact Model AC1-70DE's special pumping system removes contaminants from dirty water-based or synthetic coolants without machine shutdown. It extracts particles down to 3 µ, as well as...
Refresh coolant
The Coolescer coolant refresher removes tramp and gray oils from machine tool coolant sumps. It pumps the top layer of coolant and oil through a coalescing cartridge, which separates oil from the...
Removes grinding solids
The Turbo-Separator T18-2 is an automatic solidsdischarging centrifuge that recycles grinding and polishing fluids. It removes 1 to 10-µ particles, and the centrifuge processes at a rate up to...
Self-centering punch/die sets
TruPunch self-centering punch-and-die sets feature pilot systems for perfect alignment when producing custom washers and shims. Operators simply punch the inside hole, insert the matching pilot into...
Software obtains part info from SolidWorks models
GB/GeoSolid software automates unit creation by extracting part geometry information from a solids part model in SolidWorks and bringing it into Mazatrol programming. Programming time, the developer...
Space-saving tester
Satec single-footprint, hydraulic, universal-testing systems combine frame, hydraulic-power supply, electronics, and control panel into a single machine. This reduces floorspace by more than 60%.
Washer saves energy
Through its internal ventilation, encapsulated spray, and blow-off-zone design, the Lean-Veyor spray washer reportedly provides energy savings greater than 50% as compared to conventional spray...
Practical Ideas
Supporting slotting cutters
Thin slotting cutters sometimes walk during operation, especially when they stick out a considerable amount from the arbors that hold them. To eliminate this deflection, I use special arbor collars...
