e-Bulletin, February 2005

February 18, 2005
Your newsletter of manufacturing news and technology. In this Issue... Sponsored by Engineering Geometry Systems (EGS)

• Commentary by Tom Grasson - automation is key to global competitiveness
• AMERICAN MACHINIST feature articles - factories of the future: probing for productivity
• Machine of the month - boring and milling machine stays the course
• Technology trends
• Hot products
• Latebreaking news
• Mark your calendar - how can you make your operation more globally competitive?

Newsletter sponsorEGS

Staying competitive requires completing jobs quickly, accurately, and with minimal cost! FeatureCAM is easy to use and lets you control the amount of automation! FeatureCAM gives you cutting-edge technologies, including feature-based, knowledge-based, and automatic feature recognition! Download a FREE evaluation copy now or call 1.888.393.6455 for a FREE evaluation CD! CommentaryAutomation is key to global competitiveness

Tom Grasson, publisher and editorial director, believes automation is key to U.S. manufacturing success. He says automation is necessary to overcome external forces such as foreign competition, a continuing skilled-labor shortage, and demands for a better working environment.
Read Tom's comments

American Machinist feature articlesProbing for productivity Get ready to measure and cut on the same machine tool. Advanced probing systems will shape the factories of the future, letting manufacturers automatically monitor, correct, and document in-process operations without operator intervention. Learn how such systems can help your shop remain competitive. Read more Machine of the monthBoring and milling machine stays the course PAMA's SpeedRam 1000 floor-type boring and milling machine won't drift off course. Its automatic counterbalance system compensate s for any potential deflection caused during the traverse of moving masses. Other key features contributing to machine accuracy are a special spindle-monitoring system that offsets thermal growth and an enclosed ram with hydrostatic guideways on four sides. Check it out Technology trendsMicromachining design competition taking entriesSmart Machine project gains partnerFinishing wheel is a smooth operatorIt's a truck - no it's a lifter Hot products Newsletter sponsors Banner's revolutionary PICO-GUARD Fiber Optic Safety System achieves highest Category 4 safety rating with a single switch point. Check it out Sunnen Products Company is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of bore sizing and finishing equipment. For more information, visit sunnen.com Latebreaking newsFocusing on U.S./China trade At the Summit County (Ohio) Machine Shop Group's February 8th meeting, featured speaker Alan Tonelson focused on U.S./China trade policy. The economist says that American manufacturing will decline unless we slash the trade deficit, energize the national will, and fix NAFTA. For more information, visit usbusiness.org
Gleason board member becomes CEO
John W. Guffey Jr. has stepped in as CEO of Gleason Corp. following the resignation of President and CEO David J. Burns. Guffey, who has been on Gleason's Board of Directors since 1995, was formerly chairman, president, and CEO of Coltec Industries.Read moreToyoda Machinery parent merger Toyoda Machine Works, parent company of Toyoda Machinery USA, is merging with Koyo Seiko. The merger is to be completed by April 2006. Koyo Seiko President Koshi Yoshida will become president of the, as yet, unnamed integrated company, with Toyoda Machine Works President Motohiko Yokoyama as vice president. Read more Mark your calendarFree "Increase Productivity Through Automation" seminars GE Fanuc, Charlottesville, Va., has assembled a winning team of industry experts to help you optimize your factory and become more globally competitive through automation. Attend this or one of the company's other free half-day seminars and you are eligible to win a trip to the 2006 Olympic games in Italy. Seminar topics include: Advanced Manufacturing, Solutions in Action, Renishaw Inc.; How Robotic Automation Can Save Your Factory, FANUC Robotics; Real-Time Data From The Plant Floor, GE Fanuc; and more:February 24: Milwaukee, Wis. Moraine Park Technical College, West Bend, Wis. Register on-lineMarch 24: Chicago Renishaw Inc., Hoffman Estates, Ill. Register on-lineMarch 1-3 Houstex, Houston, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, Association for Manufacturing Technology, and American Machine Tools Distributors Assoc., (800) 733-4763,Find out moreMarch 8 Environmental Compliance Collaborative, Cincinnati, (800) 345-4482 or (513) 948-2076, Find out moreMarch 14-16 Wear and Corrosion of Materials, Materials Park, Ohio, ASM International, Check it outMarch 15-16 Engineering Concepts for Roll Forming, Indianapolis, Fabricators & Manufacturers Assoc. International, Find out moreComing in March's issue:AMERICAN MACHINIST will focus on automation strategies. How are shops using automation to slash costs, increase capacity, and gain new business? Read the March issue and find out.

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