June-July 2017
Digital Issue
It’s not just about keeping costs down anymore. The ‘need for speed’ is becoming more important in all aspects of metalworking as competition increases. In this issue, we examine new systems that can help shops (1) attain higher processing speeds to complete and deliver jobs to their customers faster, and (2) address the rapid changes that are taking place throughout the industry.
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A perfect storm: One million veterans leave the service every five years as a projected two million manufacturing jobs go unfilled in the U.S. over the next decade due to lack of skilled labor. Take a closer look at how veterans are forging new careers in metalworking through Workshops for Warriors – and how manufacturers can put skin in the game with support.
Looking to improve productivity and reduce costs to be more competitive? The one key to getting ahead is reducing the time spent on non-value-added activities – i.e., any time spent not welding. Here are some of the best ways to reduce downtime.
Laser etching is a useful tool, but its limits as a light surface effect are apparent when a part number needs to be visible through paint or a powder coat. In these cases, deep etching can provide a simple solution – the trick is finding the right combination of hertz, laser wattage, focal diameter, and gas for your specific material.
The No. 852 oven from Grieve is ideal for handling flammable solvents.
Cloud ERP from Global Shop Solutions eliminates on-premise servers and the costly IT support they demand so that shops can spend more time on the job at hand and pushing their business forward, knowing their data is safe and secure.
Why machine vision is a crucial technology for Industry 4.0.
Femtosecond and picosecond laser systems produce high quality small features with high dimensional accuracy, with minimal burring and debris that reduces or eliminates post processing. However, these systems are expensive, so choose the laser and system wisely. Here are some things to consider.
Here are some of the newest advances in high speed laser and plasma cutting systems that can help shops increase their productivity, add more capacity, and lower their operating costs.
A perfect storm: One million veterans leave the service every five years as a projected two million manufacturing jobs go unfilled in the U.S. over the next decade due to lack of skilled labor. Take a closer look at how veterans are forging new careers in metalworking through Workshops for Warriors – and how manufacturers can put skin in the game with support.
Laser etching is a useful tool, but its limits as a light surface effect are apparent when a part number needs to be visible through paint or a powder coat. In these cases, deep etching can provide a simple solution – the trick is finding the right combination of hertz, laser wattage, focal diameter, and gas for your specific material.
When a submarine manufacturer saved significant time and cost by using Electron Beam Additive Manufacturing to 3D print a titanium Variable Ballast tank, the technology became the only industrial-scale metal 3D printing process with approved parts for land, sea, air, and space applications.
Efficient attachment removal has always been tricky. Without the ability to mechanically position the tool so that a closer cut can be achieved with less residual metal, workers were forced to deal with the drawbacks of traditional removal processes. But not anymore: A small alteration has made a huge impact on the attachment removal process.
They have added a new DMG Mori NTX-2000 5-axis multi-tasking machining center for their build-to-print and design-and-build services.
Cloud ERP from Global Shop Solutions eliminates on-premise servers and the costly IT support they demand so that shops can spend more time on the job at hand and pushing their business forward, knowing their data is safe and secure.
Why machine vision is a crucial technology for Industry 4.0.
Boasting the best horsepower rating in its class, the ergonomic Dynorbital Extreme Random Orbital Sander from Dynabrade has a tactile soft grip overmold for a comfortable feel and a 12,000 rpm motor for enhanced power.
Next generation Sinumerik blackline panels for the Sinumerik 840D sl control system from Siemens can be used as an operating and programming station for job shop production, aerospace composite machining, power generation, medical part manufacturing, tool- and mold-making and rotary indexing machines.
To meet market demand for faster delivery of larger and stiffer rotor shafts, the huge WFL M80 mill-turn at Siemens Norwood has a turning, boring and milling unit arm that can perform 20 distinct CNC operations across five axes.
Think this technology has leveled off? Think again. Some of the latest advancements include integral-motor roller cam-style turrets, 90 deg-configured turrets, enhanced lower turrets, direct-drive milling spindles and servo drilling tailstocks. And that’s not all.
Advanced CNC programming software allows this shop to capture business with improved “one and done” efficiencies on their multi-axis equipment, from one-offs to tens of thousands of parts. Their quality and pricing is now so competitive that it is more economical to buy the part locally than pay for shipping.
Here are some of the newest advances in high speed machine tools can help shops increase their productivity, add more capacity, and lower their operating costs.
A perfect storm: One million veterans leave the service every five years as a projected two million manufacturing jobs go unfilled in the U.S. over the next decade due to lack of skilled labor. Take a closer look at how veterans are forging new careers in metalworking through Workshops for Warriors – and how manufacturers can put skin in the game with support.
Ideal for drilling up to six-inch deep holes, the HMD918 portable magnetic drill from Hougen has a pressurized two-gallon coolant bottle that easily attaches to the drill arbor and provides pressurized coolant to the cutter, no matter the position of the drill.
Utilizing external weld monitors that work with any brand of machine and any welding process can help drive productivity and efficiency gains, improve quality, and help reduce costs and lost time. Here are some ways for your shop to generate greater profitability through better information management.
Here are some of the newest advances in welding systems and consumables that can help metal fabricators increase their productivity, add more capacity, and lower their operating costs.
A perfect storm: One million veterans leave the service every five years as a projected two million manufacturing jobs go unfilled in the U.S. over the next decade due to lack of skilled labor. Take a closer look at how veterans are forging new careers in metalworking through Workshops for Warriors – and how manufacturers can put skin in the game with support.
Looking to improve productivity and reduce costs to be more competitive? The one key to getting ahead is reducing the time spent on non-value-added activities – i.e., any time spent not welding. Here are some of the best ways to reduce downtime.
Is your weld fume solution a fan and an open window? Working on large weldments – such as heavy equipment, ships or wind turbines – makes fume capture a challenge. However, today’s manufacturers have more options for fume control than ever. The best option for manual welding of large components may be one you haven’t considered for a while: the fume gun.
Not every welding application requires the benefits that higher priced seamless wires provide. But when moisture must be controlled to help minimize the risk of hydrogen-induced cracking in demanding high-strength applications – and with it, costly repairs or potentially catastrophic weld failures – seamless welds are the ideal solution for the job.
The maintenance-free reduction gear drive unit on the High Force Lightweight Reduction Gear X-Gun from Dengensha America adapts with a high speed servomotor for production efficiency on Fanuc, Nachi, Yaskawa, Kawasaki, Kuka and ABB robots with small footprints.
Take a look at how Durr Ecoclean uses VR technology to efficiently train service technicians around the world on maintenance of the Scara manipulator used in their EcoCFlex 3 flexible cleaning cell.
The OWN IT NOW channel from EquipNet provides a new resource for shops needing MRO assistance and more.
Machine tool spindle and angular contact bearings from Boca Bearing are now available in a ceramic hybrid style that improves machine tool performance with increased speed, decreased temperatures and improved life.
These expanded product warnings address situations that could lead to a battery pack failure and/or other safety hazards.
They protect anyone working in the die area of a press from a free-falling upper die/slide if a brake or counterbalance fails, a pitman arm or adjusting screw breaks, or hydraulic pressure is suddenly lost. These devices look simple, but many shops struggle with what type of to use, how many to use, and where to put them. Here’s what you need to know.
This machine shop didn’t fully recognize the importance of balancing toolholders until they lost a spindle and realized that balancing is not a luxury – it’s a necessity.
The SST self-centering split point drill bit from Walter Surface Technologies allows for the drilling of any size of hole in a single operation.
Ideal for cutting non-ferrous metals, steel and stainless steel, German-manufactured saw blades from KLINGSPOR use large European carbide tips to ensure clean cuts and superior life.
Take a closer look at how DESTACO uses the Accelerate Vision VR digital design tool at the beginning of the design process to precisely build an end effector based on customer-supplied models and provide detailed information and data to die makers so that they can streamline their design and review process.
The move from conventional turning to helical milling allowed this job shop to feed faster, take lighter cuts, raise the material removal rates but not cutting forces, and transform a nasty turning job into a moneymaker.
Here are some of the newest technologies, cutting tools, workholding and related accessories that can help shops reduce their cycle times during and between jobs to increase their productivity and add more capacity.
The next time you think about setting up a tapping operation with a collet chuck the same old way you always have, you may want to think again. There are now tap holders designed specifically to mitigate the load imposed on the tap by essentially absorbing synchronization error.
This machine shop didn’t fully recognize the importance of balancing toolholders until they lost a spindle and realized that balancing is not a luxury – it’s a necessity.
Here are some of the newest measurement technologies that can help shops reduce their inspection cycle times before, during and between jobs to increase their productivity and add more capacity.
