May 2020 U.S. Cutting Tool Orders Down 4.4% from April 2020 July 21, 2020 May 2020 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $136.6 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology.
The Ins and Outs of Laser Marking June 26, 2020 Part identification is a necessary step in any manufacturing operation. This might be as simple as a label on the shipping box, but more often shops are required to mark each component, especially those used in automotive, aerospace, or medical applications.
Laser, Fabrication and Automation Power Ahead June 26, 2020 Laser 3D printing and marking systems are among the heavy-duty cutting and welding systems that had been scheduled for the IMTS Fabricating and Laser Pavilion—testament to the growing impact of what once might have been viewed as ancillary processes.
Maximizing MRR with Tools for High-Speed Milling June 17, 2020 Advanced cutting tools can maximize metal removal rates (MRR) when machining even the most difficult-to-machine materials. Powered by the latest CAM programs, these machining strategies are known variously as high-speed, high-efficiency, optimized roughing and also by proprietary brand names like Mastercam’s Dynamic Milling.
High-Power Fiber Laser Welding With Filler Material June 26, 2020 Fiber laser welding continues to grow as it improves in weld quality, reliability and performance. Many fiber laser welding applications are autogenous, where the weld is formed entirely by melting parts of the base metal and no additional filler wire or powder is used
BIG Kaiser Celebrates 30 Years August 7, 2020 BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc., Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a manufacturer of premium high-precision tooling systems and solutions for the metalworking industries, is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Laser-Equipped Swiss CNCs Grow in Capability, Ease of Use June 25, 2020 Beginning around six years ago, one machine tool builder after another added laser cutting and even welding to their products’ already impressive repertoires.
Hainbuch Introduces 2-Jaw Module—A Compact Alternative to the Large Centric Vise July 22, 2020 Hainbuch America Corp., Germantown, Wis., offers a modular workholding system with maximum flexibility and designed for a wide range of part diameters, configurations and small quantities.
Precision Toolholding Delivers Shooting Accuracy June 3, 2020 For the highest levels of competitive benchrest and extreme long-range (ELR) shooting, feats of precision manufacturing and machining are required for success. Like Formula 1 racing cars or PGA golfers’ clubs, world-class competition rifles are made with highly engineered precision parts.
Targeting the Skills Gap in Forming and Fabricating July 24, 2020 As in other industries, U.S. forming and fabricating companies are experiencing a critical shortage of skilled labor. In this SME Media podcast, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Robert Tessier, National Director of Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Airgas about the skills gap in the forming and fabricating industry; changes needed in the education system to fill the need for skilled labor; how automation factors into efforts to reduce the skills gap; and efforts at Airgas to develop workers for manufacturing operations, including a special program for military veterans.