August 2012
You buy the same equipment as your competitors. You hire from the same labor pool. The only difference is how you think. Unfortunately, you and your competitors also think the same way. So you are left to compete in a market where, from your customers’ perspective, you’re all the same. So they make decisions mostly based on price. Dr. Lisa Lang of the Science of Business explain some of the common ways our thinking goes wrong and the negative effect this wrong thinking can have on your business.
Kevin Ring of Institute of WorkComp Professionals explains why supervisors must respect the role of HR, carefully convey it to employees and be trained on their role relative to HR to handle all legal and personnel issues appropriately.
Want to eliminate all of the milling, drilling, cluster punching, coping, set-up and handling that comes with fabricating deformed, bowed and twisted tubing? Consider laser cutting.
Chad Shaffer of Roll forming Corporation reveals how his company is using six-axis laser technology to improve its operations.
You buy the same equipment as your competitors. You hire from the same labor pool. The only difference is how you think. Unfortunately, you and your competitors also think the same way. So you are left to compete in a market where, from your customers’ perspective, you’re all the same. So they make decisions mostly based on price. Dr. Lisa Lang of the Science of Business explain some of the common ways our thinking goes wrong and the negative effect this wrong thinking can have on your business.
Want to eliminate all of the milling, drilling, cluster punching, coping, set-up and handling that comes with fabricating deformed, bowed and twisted tubing? Consider laser cutting.
This new integrated CNC end machining center from BLM Group ideal for tube processing in order to cut, chamfer, face, bore, thread and profile.
These vertical turning machines and turning and grinding centers from EMAG ensure accurate component geometry while also guaranteeing low component costs when manufacturing small chuck parts or larger components.
Mount tools in combinations and cut different gearings on one workpiece or mill keyways and slots in one tool setup without reclamping the workpiece on the Bourn & Koch 100 H horizontal hobbing machine from Star SU LLC, which can hob splines and geared shafts up to 100 mm diameter.
New MV Wire EDM machines from Mitsubishi/MC Machinery Systems feature design and engineering improvements to exceed all other wire EDM machines on the market, including: non-contact cylindrical drive technology, an improved power supply, auto-threading, deeper submerged-wire threading capabilities and more.
Almost half of each EDM-focused job shop will perform simpler work that requires no more than 3 axes. These Wire and Die Sinker Machines from AccuteX EDM meet those needs with features that range from simple to sophisticated.
Check out how Blue Chip Engineering was able to engineer and machine a complex, mobile sculpture for renowned designer Tom Shannon using advanced CADCAM software from Gibbs and Associates.
A totally revamped surface machining module with some of the most powerful CAM machining algorithms on the market today for three-, four- and five-axis simultaneous milling operations is part of this new release of programming software from PartMaker for CNC mills, turn-mill centers, bar-fed mills and Swiss-type lathes.
This new cryogenic system from MAG marries a precision milling head with a ram-type boring mill for extended-reach machining on large, high-accuracy composite and sandwich structures.
This new tool feed technology from Sunnen servo-controls the force in the honing tool feed system to maintain the optimum cutting load on the honing abrasive throughout a cycle, irrespective of the incoming part’s hardness, geometry or size variation.
Randy Pearson of Siemens Industry shares some of the many reasons why CNC machines will provide your shop more profit today and more growth opportunities in the future.
Want to get more competitive? Mike Riley reviews the recent advancements, capabilities and advantages of Minimum Quantity Cryogenics machining from MAG that will be on display next month at IMTS, including dramatic increases in material removal rates and extended tool life on difficult-to-machine materials.
American manufacturers are looking to drive out variability, push down costs and speed-up changeovers to better compete with overseas companies. Brian Doyle of Miller Welding Automation explores how welding automation and the data flow into and out of the welding cell is turning out to be a gold mine of potential for creating a competitive edge.
Suitable for MIG/MAG, spot welding, laser and plasma cutting, MIG and TIG components protected by this spray from Creative CNC showed a substantial increase in service life, up to three to four times that of other anti-spatter sprays.
Outdoor grill manufacturers face considerable foreign and domestic competition, changing demands in public taste and the constant challenge of product innovation. To stay ahead of the competition, the control behind this automated spot welding system provides complete flexibility in producing all of the models, sizes, and quantities they need at any time.
This high accuracy 3D weld profile measurement method from Servo Robot uses a unique handheld non contact laser inspection system to bring objectivity, reliability and precise measurements to weld inspection.
Trail gas shielding devices have been shown time-and-again to have a dramatic effect on weld surface mottling. Here’s why.
Rick Conrad of Hobart Brothers explains how full-service job shop Square Deal Machining has, by converting to metal-cored wire as part of its continuous improvement process, improved its productivity by 30 percent to 40 percent as a result of having faster, cleaner welds.
These magnetic and non-magnetic conveyors from Magnetic Products provide positive control of ferrous and nonferrous metal stampings, turnings, chips, fasteners and scrap.
These centrifugal mist collectors and modular static filters from Losma are ideal mist collection systems for all kinds of machine tools, from small lathes and grinding machines to the largest machining centers.
These new conveyors for metal cutting machine tool chip removal from Jorgensen Conveyors are designed specifically to handle heavy chip loads and large stringy chips and balls of chips generated in milling and turning applications where high work piece stock removal rates exist.
From individual control panels to plant-wide centralized process control, Vecoplan Integrated Controls serves machinery importers with control panels that meet all applicable North American codes and regulations and OEMs looking to add some touch screen “sales dazzle” to their machine controls.
These twistable hybrid, bus, motor and fiber-optic cables from igus meet the demands of increasingly complex movements, such as torsional motion on a robot, that are involved in modern-day automation.
These linear units from Rollon Corporation accept a variety of drive systems based on application needs that are ideal for highly dynamic robotic, automation and material handling applications involving stress cycles and high-precision requirements.
Modular integrated space-saving control box modules from LQ Mechatronik-Systeme GmbH take up to 50 percent less space, thanks to the way the functionality of the whole module has been intensively integrated.
This manufacturing execution system from FORCAM connects, collects and standardizes real-time data from heterogeneous machine controls and connects this production data to the enterprise resource planning system to arrive at a reliable Overall Equipment Effectiveness figure.
These oil-resistant and flame-retardant control cables from Helukabel are ideal for medium mechanical stresses with free movements in dry, damp, or wet indoor environments.
This powerful tool from Delta Computer Systems enables faster startups and quicker problem resolution when machine repairs are required in single and multi-axis hydraulic, pneumatic and electric closed-loop control applications.
All Sodick Wire EDMs use innovative linear motor driven capabilities and feature a 10-year warranty and Positioning Accuracy Guarantee.
These engineered switch products from Tapeswitch connect to machinery to safeguard the manufacturing process in accordance with safety standards and protecting assets, areas, personnel, equipment, and machinery.
The FX3 Flexi Soft modular safety controller from SICK efficiently adapts to a variety of safety applications by enabling users to build only what they really need.
The latest in innovative safety systems from MAG, Fortress Interlocks, Hennig and Danray Products that can help you protect your employees and equipment, reduce your costs and increase your productivity.
Kevin Ring of Institute of WorkComp Professionals explains why supervisors must respect the role of HR, carefully convey it to employees and be trained on their role relative to HR to handle all legal and personnel issues appropriately.
Phil La Duke of Rockford Greene explains why the skills and tools of this engineer are essential to the creation of a safe and predictable workplace that improves process capability by reducing variation in each stage of the product lifecycle.
Among the custom designed, multiple diameter carbide drills and reamers Star SU LLC are Single Pass Port Cavity Tools that allow complete cavity machining, reduce cycle times and hold industry tolerances for size and finish that are ideal for spool bore applications.
This ALCr-based coating from Star SU LLC is ideal for better heat resistance in high temperatures and better wear resistance for tough cutting applications with new and re-sharpened tools.
CNC machine tool efficiency is all about managing the components that must come together in proper alignment: the machine spindle, toolholder assembly and workspace.
By strategically moving to CNC automation and advanced tooling from Ingersoll Cutting Tools, this complex machining job at Canyon Hydro is now completed much faster and with much less operator attention as cycle times dropped by 50 percent, labor costs are virtually nil and tool life is reliable enough to run a lights out operation.
This high accuracy 3D weld profile measurement method from Servo Robot uses a unique handheld non contact laser inspection system to bring objectivity, reliability and precise measurements to weld inspection.
Its wireless operation facilitates use in small machining envelopes and allows fast checks with minimal interruption. Its volumetric accuracy testing adds a new dimension. For these reasons, a new ballbar technology from Renishaw is being touted as “just what the doctor ordered” for medical machine tools.
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