May Industry Watch: Business

(CARLSBAD, CA) . . .
added a Live Chat feature to its website. Jim Watson, founder and president of this welding accessory parts supplier, says the newly installed tool “. . . will take our customer experience to another level and better serve customers. Now our customer-care team is online with shoppers in seconds, helping them navigate to specific welding products, answering technical questions to make sure the products fit the customer’s MIG, TIG and plasma arc welding application, and if we don’t have what they are looking for, we provide a referral.”

Live Chat support offers assurance that there are real people behind the website. Arc-Zone.com staff will be available online, Monday through Friday from 6 am to 5 pm Pacific time. Regular customers count on Arc-Zone to provide welding accessories for their applications, secure online ordering, and M&Ms with every order. www.arc-zone.com

(SUDBURY, MA). . .
is now the exclusive importer of the Fair Friend Group’s (FFG; Taipei, Taiwan) Feeler line of machine tools throughout North America. FFG is one of the largest machine tool manufacturers in the world. MMT has simultaneously introduced and extensively engineered a totally new range of Feeler vertical machining centers, turning centers, bridge mills and boring mills that provide users with unsurpassed performance and value. These machine tools will be available at Methods Technology Centers and at MMT distributors located across the U.S., along with MMT dealers in Canada and Mexico.

“This new lineup of machine tools is the result of our engineering group working very closely with FFG/Feeler to meet the needs of the U.S. customer,” said Mr. Bryon Deysher, president and CEO of MMT. “We are pleased to have them as our exclusive North American importer,” added Jimmy Chu, chairman and CEO of FFG. “Their applications expertise, support, and extensive network of technology centers will help us aggressively penetrate the North American Marketplace. We are excited about the agreement and are looking forward to establishing a long and mutually successful partnership.” www.methodsmachine.com

(MAPLE GROVE, MN) . . .
celebrated the official grand opening of its 3,800 sq ft West Coast Tech Center (WCTC) in Irvine, CA in April with an open house, tours, and an official ribbon cutting ceremony. The Irvine center has a wide range of metrology technology on hand: optical, touch scanning, CT X-ray, and measuring software, including the METROTOM 800, an X-ray-based computed tomography system specifically designed for 3D metrology of small, complex, low-density parts made of plastic, composite materials or ceramic. There is also the O-INSPECT, a multi-sensor system that uses both tactile and optical scanning for tremendous flexibility in measuring parts that approach the micro range of size.www.zeiss.com/imt

(ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL) . . .
recently loaned an FV1365 vertical machining center to Blinn Technical College (Brenham, TX). The machine will be used to train students learning CNC machining, programming, set up, and operations at the college’s A.W. Hodde, Jr., Technical Education Center, a new 12,000 sq ft educational facility. The college projects 1,200 to 1,500 students will train annually at the facility in manufacturing, electrical, construction crafts, mechanical, leadership and management and healthcare.

Toyoda and its Texas distributor, P. D. Browne South, were informed of the Technical Education Center being built and granted a site tour. While on the tour, Toyoda president Howard Michael noticed the Center’s lack of machinery and offered to lend the school the FV1365 through the upcoming year. Gerald Levesque, president of P.D. Browne South, says this type of action will help train students in machining and generate much-needed interest in the industry. He attended the Center’s Opening and Dedication event in February and spoke highly of the strong community effort that made the FV1365 loan possible. “There is currently not a big pool of young people to draw from in the manufacturing industry,” said Levesque. “It takes the strength of communities?local manufacturers, businesses, and schools?to join forces and bring a facility like Blinn to life and offer this specific type of training. This will give young men and women the exposure and skills they need to pursue a career in manufacturing.” www.toyoda.com

(NEWINGTON, CT) . . .
acquired Design Company, Inc. (DECO; Collinsville, CT), an engineering services provider for the aerospace, commercial, industrial and military industries. “DECO will maintain its name and customer base while it joins forces with us to create turnkey solutions for both companies’ customers,” said Mark Occhialini, president of Reno Machine. Ron Morris continues as president of DECO. www.reno-machine.com

(SCOTTSDALE, AZ) . . .
was honored by Northrop Grumman Corporation as a Platinum Source Preferred Supplier for quality control and on-time delivery of precision-manufactured airframe components for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the second consecutive year the company has won the award. Jason Boles, F-35 program manager, and Andy Bartle, director of aerospace products, represented LAI among 73 suppliers from the U.S., Canada and Switzerland that were recognized at Northrop Grumman’s annual awards program at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott.

LAI collaborated with its customers to engineer the panels for manufacturability, and its team coordinates supply chain management of several manufacturing processes ? including hot-forming, CNC machining, chemical milling, finishing and five-axis precision waterjet drilling ? to supply completed components for assembly on the aircraft. “This award classifies us in the top four percent of all their suppliers. Only 69 of 1,658 suppliers have achieved this distinction,” noted Steward Cramer, president of LAI. The manufacturer is one of only 47, or three percent, of Northrop Grumman’s suppliers to have achieved continuing status as a Platinum Preferred Supplier. Only 22 supplier were named as new Platinum Preferred Suppliers. The awards recognize companies for achieving distinction in product quality, on-time delivery, customer satisfaction, and robust lean processes. Companies honored this year provide products ranging from aircraft parts and assemblies to sophisticated electronics for spacecraft, as well as everyday services. www.LAIco.com

(ELMIRA, NY) . . .
acquired the assets of Jones & Shipman (Leicester, UK), a manufacturer of grinding and super-abrasive machines and machining systems that distributes surface, creep feed and cylindrical grinding machines used in the aerospace, medical, mold tool and die, power generation and high-end automotive industries. The Jones & Shipman business has operated continuously in the UK, under various owners, since 1899. “This transaction is a solid strategic fit for us, adding valuable product lines and their strong brand name to our grinding portfolio,” said Rick Simons, president and CEO of Hardinge. “Along with expanding our European-based grinding business, their products will help us expand our U.S. and Asian market presence.” Jones & Shipman is now part of the company’s Kellenberger grinding organization and will continue operations at the current Leicester location. U.S. sales of Jones & Shipman products will be handled by the current Hardinge Technical Grinding Sales team, along with the existing Jones & Shipman Technical Grinding Sales team. www.hardinge.com

(BLACK RIVER FALLS, WI) . . .
received the Wisconsin State Superintendent’s Business Friends of Education Award in April from Tony Evers, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, during the Wisconsin Association of Career and Technical Education (WACTE) Conference held in Appleton, WI. The manufacturer was nominated by Amy Yaeger, a business education teacher at Black River Falls High School.

In her nomination, Yaeger cited the creative business and education partnership established with the company, which has enhanced the education experiences of students and strengthened the Career and Technical Education program within the school district. According to Sherrie Hein, human resources manager for D&S, the company has long been dedicated to assisting local school districts in improving their technical education programs in spite of increasingly tight budget constraints.

D&S has purchased welding equipment and annually provides weld gases and wire for the Black River Falls High School Metals/Welding Technology Fabrication Lab and has assisted in the purchase of laser cutting equipment for Black River Falls Middle School. Area schools are also provided with steel for student projects. “In addition to offering the physical resources necessary to sustain these courses, D&S works directly with technical education teachers to provide supplemental no-cost instruction in math, basic machining and welding. D&S Education and Safety Administrator Gordon Dace has also invested significant time at area schools, reconditioning idled equipment so that it is fully operational for classroom use,” Hein explained.

Outside the classroom, D&S engineers work directly with participants in FIRST® LEGO® League (FLL), a global hands-on program designed to get children ages 9 to 14 excited about science and technology. The company also provides scholarships for STEPS for Girls, a summer program that encourages the pursuit of non-traditional careers requiring skills in the areas of math and science. www.dsmfg.com

(MINNEAPOLIS, MN) . . .
announced that Sun Automation (Chandler, AZ) is now a SICK-authorized distributor, supplying high-quality, innovative automation and process control components to a wide range of industries in Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada. Sun now carries SICK encoders, safety solutions, automatic identification products and sensors. www.sunautomationinc.com, www.sickusa.com

(MIAMI, FL) . . .
called for entries in its 8th Annual Image of Welding Awards program, the industry’s top awards competition saluting the year’s most outstanding public initiatives and programs that promote the image of welding. The entry deadline is July 12. The Image of Welding Awards is open to all welding industry professionals. The awards are presented by AWS and the Welding Equipment Manufacturers Committee (WEMCO), a standing committee at AWS. WEMCO is composed of executives of welding industry suppliers, to promote the welding equipment market.

Awards are issued in seven categories. All individuals, organizations and groups may be nominated for multiple categories. Self-nominations are also welcome. Winners will be honored at the Image of Welding Awards Ceremony (to be held during the FABTECH Show on November 2-4 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA) for outstanding achievement in:
? Individual (you or other individual)
? Section (AWS local chapter)
? Large Business (200 or more employees)
? Small Business (less than 200 employees)
? Distributor (welding products)
? Educator (welding teacher at an institution, facility, etc.)
? Educational Facility (Any organization that conducts welding education or training)

Nominations will be judged by WEMCO. Promoting the image of welding as a critical industry is among its priority programs.www.aws.org

(ST. MICHAEL, MN) . . .
selected MatCamNZ as its newest waterjet systems distributor covering New Zealand. As a distributor, MatCamNZ carries waterjet cutting and surface preparation equipment, waterjet cutting machines, waterjet intensifier pumps and portable waterjetting systems, and has been supplying and supporting CNC routers, laser, plasma cutters and other machine tools to the New Zealand metal cutting industry for more than 20 years, with extensive experience with water jet technology. MatCamNZ carries a comprehensive range of products including and water jet cutters. www.matcamnz.com, www.jetedge.com

(FARMINGTON, CT) . . .
announced that Hegman Machine Tool Inc. (Twin Cities, MN) is now their exclusive representative for for the entire state of Wisconsin. The privately-held machine tool distributor already provides services and support to Nebraska, Western Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and Western Wisconsin for Trumpf, and now adds the remainder of Wisconsin and the upper peninsula of Michigan to its territory. www.us.trumpf.com

(ROCKFORD, IL) . . .

announced the 2010 FMA/CNA Safety Awards winners to recognize metal fabrication companies that adhere to excellence in safety. The Safety Award of Honor is awarded to companies having perfect safety records, i.e., no recordable injuries or illnesses for the reporting period. Winners were selected by the Safety Council, an FMA committee sponsored by CNA Insurance Group and designed to promote safety in the industry. Three of this year’s honor winners have multiple year safety records: Main Steel Polishing Co. has won for six consecutive years, and Kastalon, Inc. and Plymouth Tube Co. have each won two years in a row.

Companies receiving the Safety Award of Honor include:

? ADM-Mechanical, Decatur, IL
? Eberl Iron Works, Inc., Buffalo, NY
? General Sheet Metal Works, Inc., Tomah, WI
? Kastalon, Inc., Alsip, IL
? Main Steel Polishing Co., Inc., Atlanta,GA
? Main Steel Polishing Co., Inc., Tinton Falls, NJ
? Olympic Steel, Bedford Heights, OH
? Olympic Steel, Schaumburg, IL
? Olympic Steel, Detroit, MI
? Plymouth Tube Co., Eupora, MS
? Olympic Steel, Arlington, TX

The Safety Award of Merit is awarded to companies posting an injury and illness incidence rate for the reporting period that is better than the published Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) rate by 10 percent or greater, based on their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. Of the merit winners, Commercial Vehicle Group Inc. has won a safety award for seven consecutive years and Anderson & Dahlen Inc. has won four years in a row. The merit winners selected by the Safety Council include:

? Olympic Steel, Chambersburg, PA
? Olympic Steel, Winder, GA
? AK Tube LLC, Walbridge, OH
? AK Tube LLC, Columbus, IN
? Olympic Steel, Bedford Heights, OH
? Olympic Steel, Bettendorf, IA
? Tampa Tank – Florida Structural Steel, Tampa, FL
? Big J Enterprises, LLC, Albuquerque, NM
? Shickel Corporation, Bridgewater, VA
? Cerro Flow Products, Inc., Shelbina, MO
? Olympic Steel, Siler City, NC
? Atlas Tube-Div of John Maneely Co., Chicago, IL
? GH Metal Solutions, Inc., Fort Payne, AL
? Anderson & Dahlen Inc., Ramsey, MN
? Main Steel Polishing Co., Inc., Youngstown, OH
? Laystrom Manufacturing Co., Chicago, IL
? Commercial Vehicle Group, Shadyside, OH
? Defiance Metal Products, Heber Springs, AR
? Olympic Steel, Chambersburg, PA

Olympic Steel, Plymouth, MN, Main Steel Polishing Co., Inc., Wheeling, IL, H&H Tube, Vanderbilt, MI, and AJ Forsyth/Div. of Russelmetals Inc., Delta, BC were recognized with a 2010 Safety Honorable Mention Award for posting an injury and illness incidence rate for the reporting period that was equal to, but less than 10 percent better than the published BLS rate, based on their NAICS code. The 2010 Most Improved Safety Record was awarded to Main Steel Polishing Co. for posting an injury and illness incidence rate equal to or better than the published BLS rate, and also having the greatest percentage of improvement over the prior reporting year.

To be eligible to receive recognition, companies were required to submit OSHA Form 300A, Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, for the period Jan. 1, 2009, through Dec. 31, 2009. Firms of all sizes were eligible. Winners were selected based on NAICS code categories and BLS injury and illness incidence rates. www.fmanet.org

(FORT WASHINGTON, PA) . . .
announced that its latest release of its suite of CAM products has been certified for use with Autodesk’s Inventor 2011 solid modeling design system by the Autodesk Inventor Certified Applications Program. To attain this certification, the suite of products met certain criteria and demonstrated a high level of interoperability with Autodesk Inventor 2011. The certification is granted by Autodesk only after the product has been approved after a rigorous testing process. PartMaker users can directly import Autodesk Inventor files in their native *.IPT format. 2D files are imported via a *.DXF interface. www.partmaker.com

(HANOVER, NH) . . .
established the HOPE (Hypertherm Owners’ Philanthropic Endeavors) Foundation to continue the efforts of the company’s philanthropy team by working to partner with nonprofit organizations and engage in activities that strengthen and create sustainable, positive change in the community and environment. “The creation of a foundation is a natural evolution of Hypertherm’s philanthropic efforts. It has been a vision of ours for some time and it is gratifying to see this come to fruition,” said Barbara Couch, Hypertherm’s vice-president of corporate social responsibility. The manufacturer will fund the HOPE Foundation with a yearly donation. In addition, as a nonprofit entity, the foundation can accept donations, invest funds, and grow the amount of money available for giving. A team of associates will continue to make funding decisions, while a board of both internal and external individuals will provide governance to the Foundation. www.hypertherm.com

(WHEELING, IL) . . .
expanded their Illinois operations through acquisition of the former MC Steel Company. In addition to a 72 in cut-to-length line, a 24-in slitting line with deburring capabilities, a sheared blanking line and a second edge conditioning line, Horizon added a state-of-the-art 72 in .250 gauge Red Bud Slitter with an in-line corrective leveler . . . generally regarded to be among the finest slitting machines in the world today.www.horizonsteel.com

(CHARLOTTE, NC) . . .
announced that a CAD/CAM pioneer CNC Software/Mastercam has joined Partners in THINC and is the first CAD/CAM supplier to become a member. Mastercam offers solutions for designers and NC programmers in milling, turning, wire EDM, router programming, plasma cutting, lasers, and 3D design and drafting. SMW Autoblok Corporation, a manufacturer of rotating hydraulic and pneumatic chucks, expanding mandrels, collet chucks, hydraulic self centering steady rests, hydraulic cylinders, pneumatic cylinders and a full line of driven tooling, has also joined Partners in THINC. www.okuma.com, www.partnersinthinc.com

(DÜSSELDORF, GERMANY) . . .
reflected the improving global economy with 2,400 exhibitors (compared to 2,200 exhibitors in 2008) and 69,200 visitors from over 100 countries. The latest machinery, equipment and products from the wire, cable and tube processing industries was showcased on 1.07 million sq ft of net exhibit space. 1,219 companies from 52 countries presented their innovations on 559,700 sq ft of exhibit space, an increase of 7.3 percent in exhibitor participation compared to the show’s last staging in 2008. From the U.S., 78 companies exhibited.

35,000 visitors came from 70 foreign countries. Attendees were mainly interested in machinery and equipment for wire production and processing (44 percent), materials, special wires and cable (41 percent), test technology (22 percent), measurement, control and regulation technologies (19 percent) as well as in tools for process engineering (20 percent). A slight increase in the number of executives was recorded. Visitors again confirmed the trade fair’s No. 1 status by giving it good to very good marks. 1,181 foreign exhibitors from 52 countries, including 40 U.S. companies, showcased their equipment on 484,300 sq ft of net exhibit space, an increase of 13.1 percent. Attendees were most interested in tubes and accessories (59 percent), tube finishing machinery (33 percent) and tube manufacturing machinery (28 percent). Raw materials were important for 26 percent of the visitors and 11 percent took an interest in the segment Pipelines and OCTG Technologies presented for the second time. www.mdna.com