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April, 2005
Editorial
Let's get happy
I recently read that Prime Minister Tony Blair announced plans to create a "well-being index" for Great Britain. Slated to go into effect around the end of next year, its purpose is to try to...
Features
Tech Trends
Demo to focus on lean machining
Interested Eastec 2005 attendees can check out a special demonstration that pits conventional machining techniques against "optimized" lean practices. The demo, according to Kevin Bevan, president of...
NAC is iN-STEP
The National Automotive Center (NAC), Detroit, an Army agency linking industry, academia, and the government in developing ground-vehicle technologies, is introducing N-STEP to the industrial...
Cutting Tool Digest
Solid-carbide thread mills
Shur-Thread series solid-carbide thread mills consist of 20 tool sizes in two styles: type EZFI for thread sizes #4, #6, and #8 and type GFI for thread sizes #10 through 1.0 in. The cutters are for...
Workholding brochure
A brochure from Hardinge covers the company's range of spindle tooling such as collets, feed fingers, and pads for all machine brands. The brochure describes the company's...
Workholding/ barfeed literature
A pocketsized brochure — "Innovative Solutions for Your Workholding and Barfeed Applications" — describes Lexair's smallpart, colletworkholding applications, collet chucks, and Mini...
Business Trends
Boeing sells Wichita/Tulsa Division
After announcing a year ago it was studying the possible sale of its commercial aircraft plants in Wichita, Tulsa, and McAlester, Okla., The Boeing Co. has a deal with Onex Corp., a Canadian...
Machine tool consumption for 2005 off to good start
Figures from The American Machine Tool Distributors' Association (AMTDA) and AMT — The Association For Manufacturing Technology indicate 2005 machine tool consumption is up against 2004 figures....
Government Matters
Fixing the business-visa process
By Dr. Paul Freedenberg, Vice President Government Relations AMT—The Association For Manufacturing Technology
Law and Liability
Lack of intent means employer not liable for accident
While working for Delta Container in Louisiana, on Sept. 13, 2001, James Burrow and another employee set up a Revicart folder-gluer machine to run a small specialty box. On the initial run, a flap...
Casebooks
Grinders fulfill shop's business strategy
In the midst of failing job shops, Venture Grinding Inc. survives by concentrating on small, complicated jobs and giving customers a good price and quick deliveries. Such a business strategy requires...
Robots put production in motion
One of Epson's customers wanted to increase production from two to six parts/min, reduce changeover times, and handle a growing product mix by incorporating robots. It also desired one, programmable...
Software fits company's design philosophy
As part of its precisionengineering philosophy, Anderson Power Products (APP), Sterling, Mass., works with KeyCreator geometry-based design and modeling technology. According to the manufacturer of...
Technology makes shop money
The key to making money on the shop floor is keeping spindles turning, says Paul Hartz, vice president of engineering and finance at Mack Tool & Engineering in South Bend, Ind. But to live by...
Toolholding eases dental-chair production pains
A-dec is a North American dental supplier focusing primarily on ergonomics. Its latest product is the A-dec 500 dental chair that maximizes patient comfort and eliminates factors often leading to...
Tooling heals cut-off problems
Bayside Motion Group of Port Washington, N.Y., uses over 50 machines to produce precision gears, servo motors, and linear actuators. As a lean manufacturer, the shop expects both its machines and...
New Equipment
Compact CMM
With a unified, one-piece configuration and compact footprint, the Legex 322 CMM measures and inspects components sized up to 11.81 X 7.87 X 7.87 in. (300 X 200 X 200 mm). Production applications...
Compact turning center with large capacity
The E 280 turning center combines turning and largemachining capacity in a compact 104.33 70.87-in. footprint. The machine features a 25.6-in. swing, 15.75-in. cutting length, 11.02-in. cutting...
Control gives access to Windows
When combined with Windows 2000, Heidenhain's iTNC 530 contouring control is a second operating system and gives users direct access to Windows applications while machining. The iTNC 530 also has a...
Customizable control
TheAdvantage 900 CNC includes customizable controls for easy-to-integrate and cost-effective open architectures for OEM and retrofit applications. This control supports high-speed machining, dynamic...
Digital indicators
Two measuring ranges, with or without output options, are available for Maxum III digital indicators. With the user-configurable setup feature, operators select switchable in./mm, selectable digital...
EDM fluid for quality finishes
Rustlick EDM-500 synthetic EDM dielectric oil reportedly provides fast cutting, high-quality finishes, shorter delivery times, and extended fluid life. It is a cosmetic-grade formula that contains...
Fine finishes
Superfine lathe attachments quickly and easily install on most lathes to provide high finishes. Used with one or two stones, these attachments work in finishing operations where improved geometry,...
Heat treat copper
The No. 938 1,250° F electronically heated, inertatmosphere oven is heat treating copper parts at one facility. Workspacedimensions for the oven are 36 120 36 in., and 80 kW in Incoloy-sheathed...
Large-capacity lathe
The HK-25 Durga CNC lathe handles up to 23.62-in.-long material and diameters measuring 0.0625 to 9.84 in. It comes with a special 23-station servo turret for quick setups and fast chip-to-chip tool...
Low cost I/O alternative
Beckhoff KL2531 and KL2541 stepper motor terminals are compact and cost-effective I/O alternatives to traditional stepper controls. They integrate a compact motion control for small stepper motors up...
Lower consumable costs
Spectrum 625 portable air-plasma-arc cutters' electronic pilotarccontrollers boost pilot current only when needed for strong arc transfers, extending tip lives, and lowering consumable costs. They...
Mitsubishi display
Mitsubishi EDM is showcasing the FA10S wire EDM with PM4 control; EA12V sinker EDM with E.S.P.E.R. II software equipped with multiple programs for measuring, power settings for burning, and orbital...
Multifunction machines
SpeedCenter high-speed machining centers feature moving columns to tackle milling, boring, drilling, and turning in one setup. The machines' turning tables have pallet diameters to 62.99 in. (1,600...
No secondary operations
Nakamura-Tome Super NTJ turning centers perform multiface angular machining and contour milling in single setups to eliminate refixturing on other machines for secondary operations. With Luck-Bei II...
Remove submicron particles from fluids
Series 6000 magnetic filter rods for fluid reservoirs of lathes and threading and milling machines remove ferrous contaminants down to the sub 1-µ level. Reportedly, this results in less wear on...
Repairs at laserwelding workstation
PowerWeld enclosed laser-welding workstations handle repairs of worn tools and molds, design adjustments, and produce complex workpiece contours. An air-cushioned work surface ensures precise part...
Shaft grinder
The Mikrosa Kronos S centerless grinder for small shaft-type parts combines two processes — straight and 15°-angle plunge grinding — in one unit by changing out the grinding-spindle...
Silicon reducing wire
Tri-Mark Metalloy Vantage and Vantage Ni 1 gas-shielded metal-corded wires reduce silicon island formation and produce weld bead toe lines practically free of silicon deposits. Any remaining silicon...
Steppermotor-control
The Five-Axis Integrated Stepper Module (FAISM) controls up to five stepper motors and includes a stepper translator so output connects directly to the motor. Five channels of SSI encoder feedback...
Strong and light tooling system
Poz-E-Lok tooling systems combine modularity with durable, lightweight steel constructions. Their polar design and modular steel components reportedly eliminate additional transition components,...
System takes standard parts
The gantry of the Vicon Elite multifunctional plasma and oxy-fuel cutting system uses various standard and/or plasma-power supplies as well as oxy-fuel cutting heads, scribing tools, and drill heads....
Tackle tool/die and electrodes
Applications for the HSM 300 high-speed machining system include tool and moldmaking; machining graphite and copper electrodes; manufacturing punch and stamping dies, and micromachining small,...
Two ranges for height gages
No. 3752 electronic height gages come in two sizes and ranges of either 0 to 12 in./ 300 mm or 0 to 24 in./600 mm with clear bar graduations in 0.100-in. increments. The gages also include in.-mm...
Vegetable-oil-based metalworking fluid
Vasco, a vegetable-oil-based metalworking fluid, reportedly surpasses other water-miscible cutting fluids. It is well-suited for difficult machining and grinding applications and surface tolerance...
Welding system ensures ignition
The manufacturer of Synergic.Pro MIG/MAG welding systems claims its electronic, continuously-adjustable choke provides better ignition qualities and stable arcs. The choke is characteristic...
Wire comes in recyclable containers
Marathon Pac bulk welding wire ships in recyclable and environmentally friendly corrugated board coated with a thin moisture barrier. Sporting a special octagon shape, the wire is spun into the...
Wire EDM sports low head
A replacement for the Robofil 240 wire EDM, the Robofil 240SL features a low head. When paired with symmetrical XY and UV tables, this machine handles maximum taper angles up to 30° to the full...
Wire EDM tackles intricate machining
UP32i wire EDMs machine tackles items that require extensive and intricate machining such as high-accuracy precision parts, progressive dies, and engineered plastic molds. Makino's Crystal Machining...
Practical Ideas
Custom calipers
I needed to gage wall-bridge thicknesses on odd-shaped castings. Using standard outside calipers proved time consuming and produced inaccurate readings. I remedied the problem by modifying an old set...
Lathe work on a mill
Several spherical-shaped mold inserts with varying radii around 1 in. in 0.010-in. increments presented us with a machining challenge. A lathe wouldn't work, so we did the job on a CNC milling...
Retrospective
