Bar Feeders Boost Turning Productivity March 1, 2004 One of the most cost-effective ways to obtain the benefits of automation is by adding a bar feeder to a CNC lathe or other bar machine. Costing anywhere from about $10,000 to $40,000 depending on configuration, the devices can add hours of untended operating time for part volumes of a few hundred to tens of thousands.
Data-Driven Predictive Analytics Can Transform Plant Engineering June 15, 2016 Q&A with Chad Stoecker, leader at Managed Services GE Digital, IPRC in Lisle, Illinois.
Converged Networking Drives Automotive Operational Efficiencies June 6, 2016 Automatic parallel parking, lane-keeping assistance, sensor-enabled maintenance, infotainment equipment and other advanced electronics are helping many automotive manufacturers differentiate their vehicles in a fiercely competitive, global marketplace.
A Crazy, Mixed-Up Method of Welding September 1, 2016 Friction welding may be just the recipe for joining lightweight materials
With Machine Monitoring, Instant ROI is Possible August 18, 2016 There have been many process improvement trends in manufacturing over the decades, and none have had more significant ROI than machine monitoring. The increase in machine monitoring is owed in large part to the rise in popularity of the open and royalty-free interconnectivity standard MTConnect.
Metal Cutting: Cells and Machining Centers August 1, 2006 There will be more than one new machine introduced at IMTS 2006 that will be billed as a China beater, or as an India and rest-of-Asia beater, for that matter.
Lean Automation February 1, 2009 Lean manufacturing principles and automation systems can coexist, although many lean purists contend that lean goals conflict with using automation. Smart applications of automation, however, can result in deployment of systems that are both automated and lean, with flexible manufacturing systems that can be easily reconfigured as factory operations change.
Minimizing Tool Breakage Cost March 1, 2006 When a tool breaks during a machining operation, the part being processed is often destroyed, and sometimes the machine is damaged. Aerospace parts are often complex shapes, manufactured from exotic materials that require prolonged machining cycle times. Therefore, a scrapped part is a significant loss in raw materials and value-added machining.
Advanced Materials in Automotive September 1, 2009 Advanced materials for automotive manufacturing are helping automakers build lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles.
Automation in Lean Manufacturing July 1, 2007 Common misperceptions about lean manufacturing and automation systems lead many manufacturing managers to dismiss the use of automation in a lean setting.