The Key Role of Force Measurement in Composites June 1, 2018 Composite materials have clear benefits for manufactured parts in aerospace, medical, automotive applications and many other industries. Ensuring the highest part accuracy is critical. Force measurement and material testing are essential processes for product designers and manufacturers to gain insightful data to create high-quality composite components.
Change and Continuity in Manufacturing June 1, 2018 On May 9, I took a whirlwind tour of change in manufacturing by visiting several open house events. First up was BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc. in Hoffman Estates, IL, where Matt Tegelman, applications manager and product manager Kaiser, talked about the Industrial Internet of Things.
When the Going Gets Tough, Tough Toolholders Get Going April 23, 2018 As machining has evolved, toolholders have advanced to include rigid, secure systems with anti-pullout protection. These advanced systems are needed to take on difficult-to-machine materials, such as titanium and heat-resistant superalloys (HRSA), and accommodate ambitious removal rates and long tool overhangs. Think of them as insurance against tool pullout and breakage—a situation nobody wants.
High-Torque Retention Knob Gives Job Shop Spindles The Competitive Edge April 25, 2018 Despite the addition of more than 750,000 CNC mills in the past 15 years in the US, CNC machining job shops often hover at the bottom of the totem pole, where there’s little room for error as most bids are won by a 1–2% price variance.
Shrink-Fit Toolholder Offers Consistency When Setting Tools April 23, 2018 Shrink-fit toolholding is a simple concept—an induction coil is adjusted and fits over the top of the toolholder. The induction coil heats the toolholder end of the shrinker, expanding the inside diameter, which opens the engagement bore (IDs of shrink-fit toolholders are smaller than the shank diameter of the cutting tool).
Business Outlook for Tooling, Workholding on the Shop Floor Is Bright April 27, 2018 Manufacturers are always looking for signs of what the economy and the business outlook have in store for them. Since the election of President Trump and, more recently, passage of the tax reform law in December, confidence among businesses of all sizes has been overwhelmingly positive.
New Tool Designs Power Faster-Than-Ever Cutting April 23, 2018 Industry veterans often say the makers of machine tools, cutting tools, CAD/CAM software, and other components push each other in an endless feedback loop to deliver ever faster cutting speeds in ever harder materials. Lately it’s the cutting tool manufacturers who seem to be leading the charge. Let’s see what they’re up to.
Sunnen Products Company acquires BTA Heller February 2, 2018 Sunnen Products Company has acquired BTA Heller Incorporated, a US-based manufacturer of deep hole tooling and systems for primary hole generation. This move aims to expand Sunnen’s honing expertise to include tooling for initial hole creation and other complementary bore sizing and finishing processes.
Machine Tool Orders Start 2018 With Mixed Results March 12, 2018 Machine tool orders began 2018 with mixed results, dropping from December but posting a surge on a year-over-year basis, the Association for Manufacturing Technology (McLean, VA) said in a monthly report.
Cutting Tool Manufacturer Ceratizit Acquires Komet Group October 16, 2017 The Ceratizit Group (Mamer, Luxembourg) acquired the Komet Group (Besigheim, Germany) on Oct. 12, 2017. The transaction is still subject to the approval of antitrust authorities.
