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Weekly Update 06/07/2007

June 11, 2007
June 7, 2007 NEWSLETTER SPONSORHigh-Output, Air-Cooled YAG Laser Marker is Maintenance-Free The Keyence MD-H9800 YAG Laser Marker has 5x the output power of conventional air-cooled laser ...
June 7, 2007
NEWSLETTER SPONSOR
High-Output, Air-Cooled YAG Laser Marker is Maintenance-FreeThe Keyence MD-H9800 YAG Laser Marker has 5x the output power of conventional air-cooled laser markers. Industry's deepest focal depth of ±7mm provides accurate printing on irregular or curved surfaces. The MD-H9800 slashes operating costs by eliminating water cooling facilities and reducing installation space. Dedicated software simplifies setup. For details, click here.
Thoughts and ideas on making your shop more efficient
The focus of this week's newsletter is to present several concepts that can be put to work individually or together. These concepts are not connected by a specific theme, except that each of them addresses an area of operating a machine shop, and each provides a way to make a shop's operations more competitive and, hopefully, more profitable.
The Overthrow Of Mass Manufacturing, And A Look To The Future
A historical moment in manufacturing passed in April: Quarterly sales reports for car companies noted that Toyota Motor Corp. sold more cars than General Motors Corp., making Toyota the leading car company in the world. The fact that Toyota surpassed General Motors comes 20 years after lean manufacturing was called "The Machine That Changed the World" in the famous study and book produced by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones and Daniel Roos. If you haven't, you should read that book. MAG Maintenance Technologies Launches Productivity Solutions Unit MAG Maintenance Technologies (www.maint-tec.com) has formed a business unit to provide productivity enhancement products worldwide to operators of any of more than 50 machine tool brands and the manufacturing industry. The MAG Productivity Solutions group was launched as a single source for productivity enhancements and to help manufacturers to reduce the cost of equipment ownership, while providing core contract maintenance services. . Metalworking Associations Cooperate In Healthcare ProgramsThe Precision Metalforming Association, the Industrial Fasteners Institute, the Forging Industry Association, the Non-Ferrous Founders' Society and the Spring Manufacturers Institute have formed the Metalworking Manufacturing Coalition to develop and offer a new health insurance program for the metalworking manufacturing industry and their member companies. One of the coalition's missions is to help member companies to control spiraling costs of health insurance. Creation of the MMC Trust allows members of all five associations the potential to pool the claim experience of more than 1,600 metalworking companies and nearly 125,000 employees. The large risk pool helps to stabilize insurance costs for small and middle-market businesses that otherwise would have to purchase a plan on their own, and is expected to help balance out premium increases over the life of the program. The program is offered by Trustmark Affinity Markets, underwritten by Trustmark Life Insurance Company, Lake Forest, IL. New space telescope relies on precision machining of its mirror05/07/2007 FRANKLIN LAKES, NJ - John Mather, winner of the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physics and project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope, is one of many overseeing the project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled for launch in June 2013. James Webb Space Telescope is designed to study the earliest galaxies and some of the first stars formed after the Big Bang. Book provides growth plan for small- and mid-size manufacturersMike Collins wants to change the tone and tenor of the conversation manufacturers are having about their future in the United States. In his new book, Saving American Manufacturing, Collins says too many U.S. manufacturers have become "Defender" organizations that are locked in a "less-is-more" mindset by depending on the internally focused strategies of cost-cutting and process improvement while other manufacturers have turned to the government to fix policies that they say hinder their global competitiveness. While these are worthy efforts with significant pay-offs, Collins says to succeed in the 21st century global economy, manufacturers must do more -- and more important -- things.
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American Machinist Sponsors Machine Shop Workshop 2007
Participants at this in-depth workshop will learn a systematic approach to identify and prioritize opportunities for improvement in the machine shop, with a goal of efficient operations, increased customer satisfaction and earnings growth. Attendees will learn how to use benchmark measurements to achieve continuous improvement, and to link any improvements to a differentiating business strategy. When: November 7 - 9, 2007 Where: Cleveland Marriott Downtown at Key Center, 127 Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44114Click here for more information.
Upcoming Webcast Series
The CNC Best Kept Secrets Series of educational webcasts from GE Fanuc and American Machinist is designed to educate manufacturers on the often overlooked ways to prevent downtime, enhance the speed of machine tools, and improve part quality. Click here for more information.
Practical Machinist Metalworking Forum
Giant CranesSome colorful historical anecdotes. Rare Surface Gauge in period photo 19th Century Lathe (with pictures). One Unique Engine Readers weigh in on early 20th century car engines (with pictures).
AMERICAN MACHINIST DIGITAL EDITION
Now you can get the latest edition of American Machinist delivered directly to your PC.
Click here to learn more about the digital edition.
Welding Webcast Series
Four hot topics you need to hear about.
  • ERP for Gases: On the Edge of Enough - July 18, 2007 @ 2:00 PM ET
  • Best Practices in Electrode Selection: Maximum Profit Starts With the Process - September 25, 2007 @ 2:00 PM ET
Click here to attend these free Webcasts.

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