No Two CFRP Materials Machine Exactly Alike August 31, 2016 Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite materials deliver the important performance advantages of high strength-to-weight ratio, durability, and extreme corrosion resistance in lightweight structures, valued especially for demanding aerospace and oil and gas industry applications.
3D-Printed Parts Restore Cars’ Glory August 12, 2016 Daimler may be the first vehicle maker to offer 3D-printed replacement parts, but racing enthusiasts and car collectors like Jay Leno have been using additive manufacturing and 3D scanning for many years to replace worn-out parts or to enhance their rides.
Automatic Cutting-Edge Measurement in Tool Production August 22, 2016 Tool life, geometry, and stability largely depend on proper edge preparation. Tool Flo, located in Houston, Texas, is a manufacturer of carbide cutting tools such as inserts for threading, turning, and milling. The company uses Alicona’s optical 3D measurement systems in the quality assurance of inserts.
Dig Deep Into the IMTS 2016 Toolbox for Innovative Solutions August 5, 2016 In conventional metal (material) removal processes like milling, turning, drilling, boring, and grinding, the challenge is always to hold the tool securely and rigidly against a fixtured workpiece without interfering with the process.
Lifting Devices Reduce Incubator Assembly Labor June 15, 2016 Thermo Fisher Scientific, a leading manufacturer of laboratory technology, designed new incubators to cultivate human and animal cells. With 55,000 employees worldwide and group sales of $17 billion, Thermo Fisher Scientific is one of the world’s largest providers of laboratory and analysis technology. The company headquarters are located in Waltham, MA, near Boston.
Fiber Lasers Continue to Gain Market Share in Material Processing Applications February 1, 2016 The first kilowatt-class fiber laser for material processing was introduced by IPG Photonics in early 2002. Since that time, the adoption of fiber lasers for production applications has grown at a rapid rate. Today, fiber lasers are becoming the choice for most major production laser applications as well as converting traditional welding and cutting processes to fiber laser technologies.
Plastic Injection Molder Turns to Gun Making October 1, 2015 In 2006, Jim Pontillo, founder of TRA Medical Inc. (Placentia, CA), saw two distinct trends: his medical mold-making workload was diminishing and demand for guns and gun components was rising. Sizing up TRA Medical’s core competencies, Pontillo saw an opportunity for growth in the development and production of 9-mm handguns. Today, these guns are branded and sold under their own brand FMK Firearms, which is a stand-alone business.
DIY: Creating Through-Tool Coolant Capability June 1, 2015 New retrofit systems make it possible to quickly, easily and cost effectively transform the standard external-coolant live tooling heads on turning machine turrets into those with through-tool-coolant capability. And shops that have done the retrofit are experiencing longer tool life, more efficient chip control and less heat generation.
The Increasingly Perfected Science of Machining Composites April 1, 2015 A 1965 Shelby Cobra 427 shown at the Detroit Auto Show was additively manufactured on a Cincinnati BAAMCI machine by DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), one of seven founding members of the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation. The Detroit IACMI branch will get $70 million to develop a robust supply chain to improve materials, handling, and machining properties for automotive composites.
Innovative Tools Remove the Jagged Edges October 1, 2014 Don’t overlook advanced technology available for removing the gnarliest burrs from parts large or small
