STRATEGIC GUIDANCE FOR LARGE PLANT MANAGEMENT   

May 2008 Edition

eastec 2008

On the Eastec front

Latest in metalworking manufacturing awaits visitors to Massachusetts

For nearly three decades, EASTEC has been an East Coast manufacturing tradition. Each year, some 14,000 manufacturers, plant managers, and shop owners from throughout the region’s diverse industries visit EASTEC to evaluate advanced technologies, production methods, and management concepts. From the latest multi-tasking machine tools to Lean strategies, EASTEC keeps East Coast manufacturing competitive. EASTEC 2008, May 20-22, will be held at the Eastern States Exposition Grounds in West Springfield, MA. For more information on EASTEC, (click here).

Insert maneuverabilityKaiser Tool Co. Inc

MiniGroove ’N Turn is a new style of inserts for customers that require the ability to both groove and turn using narrow insert widths for small bores. The technology comes from Thinbit, manufactured by Kaiser Tool Co. The toolholder’s unique clamping geometry and built-in stop prevents slippage and rotation during axial or radial cuts and allows the user to groove, turn, and profile. MiniGroove ’N Turn toolholders start with minimum bores of 0.325".

Booth 5344, Kaiser Tool Co. Inc.


Lathe thermo-friendly designOkuma America Corp.

Okuma’s LB3000EX Space Turn CNC lathe offers 66 option variations, providing quality multi-tasking capacity for a two-axis lathe. Built on a box slant bed with a thoroughly tested thermo-friendly design, the LB3000EX is able to achieve machining dimensional change over time of less than Ø5µm. The LB3000EX is equipped with a new high-power, compact PREX motor, creating super rigidity and top rotation speed, horsepower, and torque. Up to 10 pairs of NC tailstock positions can be set, enabling continuous machining of workpieces.

 Booth 1305, Okuma America Corp.


VMC brings on the RevolutionGBI Cincinnati

GBI’s introduction of the Revolution Series CV4020, coupled with the MTI constant velocity control, boasts that its control is 25 times more efficient than any control on the market today. With a minimum block processing of 50,000bps in an eight-axis application, the CV4020 is efficient due its operating at a constant velocity.

The CV4020 doesn’t accelerate and decelerate like other machine tools. Instead, its repeatability provides significant increases in tool life, superior part finishes, less wear on drives and motors, plus major extension of the life of the machine tool.

Booth 1357, GBI Cincinnati


Boring mill has 3-axis DROKnuth Machine Tools

Knuth Machine Tools’ BO 110 is a heavy-duty horizontal boring mill with a three-axis Digital Read-Out. It has a spindle diameter of 4.25", with an infinitely variable frequency drive providing 8-1,000rpm. It has rigid, hardened, and precision-ground square guides to ensure years of accurate operation. Mechanical functions that are not able to run simultaneously are provided with interlocks. Also, the headstock and feed gears are equipped with an overload clutch.

Booth 1125, Knuth Machine Tools


Bar feeder raises expectations

IEMCA’s newest product in automatic bar feeders is the Elite 112, which is able to feed bars of 0.8mm to 12.7mm — even on lathes with high rotation and headstock acceleration speeds, without limiting performance. IEMCA’s hydrodynamic guide channel system enables quick changeover and reduced noise and vibrations. It has also been engineered with closed, calibrated, round section channels, enabling high performance, even with high-rotation spindle speeds.

Booth 1033, IEMCA


Newest in vertical machiningToyoda Machinery

With the introduction of the AF Series, Toyoda Machinery presents a rigid cast iron base and column, providing accuracy and durability in high-speed machining of die/mold applications. The direct-drive 12,000rpm, temperature-controlled spindle is paired with the powerful Fanuc 18i-MB control to meet the demands of complex die/mold applications. The BM Series, with 6,000-8,000rpm geared headstock, is suited for heavy-duty applications in ferrous materials.

Booth 1205, Toyoda Machinery


Straight shank FCRBIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc.

BIG Kaiser’s new Straight Shank FCR offers greater DOC and low cutting resistance. Its geometry expands capabilities in multi-functional milling, including ramping, helical-, shoulder-, and plunge-milling operations. This offering complements the recently introduced integral-shank version of the FCR, which is available in various length configurations for BIG-PLUS shanks CAT40, BT30, and BT40 as well as HSK-A50 and A63 versions. BIG Kaiser also offers the C-Cutter Mini, which features a compact design to reduce the cutting diameter to the lowest limit, helping achieve high spindle speeds and feeds.

Booth 5244, BIG Kaiser Precision Tooling Inc.


End mill for micro-machining

Emuge Corp.Emuge Corp. offers a Solid Carbide Micro End Mill designed to meet the requirements of micro-machining applications. An innovative, geometrically optimized cutting edge combined with a slim, concave, tapered neck, provides flexible, high-performance milling solutions in a variety of materials. The line of Emuge Micro End Mills include bull nose, torus, and flat end styles, and are available in 24 different designs. These tools are suitable for diamond coating, available upon request.

Booth 5222, Emuge Corp.


Tool measuring system allows presetting

Parlec’s latest advancements in tool measuring systems will be on display with the Series 1500 Parsetter TMM, which provides complete presetting, tool inspection, and tool measurement along with repeatability under almost any condition. The 1500 features an ergonomic, one-hand positioning, which allows the tool edge to come quickly into view while the dynamic crosshairs automatically find and track the cutting edge.

Booth 5367, Parlec Inc.


Diverse product selectionTravers Tool Co. Inc.

Travers Tool Co. Inc. is offering OTMT T-Slot Blocks, NACHI High Performance Roughing End Mills, and TTC Long Length Solid Carbide Drills. Travers provides a diverse product selection, including cutting tools (drills, end mills, and indexables), measuring tools, abrasives, hand and power tools, fasteners, safety supplies, and material handling items.

Booth 5824, Travers Tool Co. Inc.


Holders shrink when cooledLyndex-Nikken Inc.

Lyndex-Nikken’s Shrink Fit Holders are designed and constructed for optimum accuracy, rigidity, and balance. When used in combination with Shrink Fit Unit, Shrink Fit Tool Holders rapidly heat up to expand the inside diameter. As the holder cools, the thermal contraction exerts a uniform pressure that shrinks down around the tool for uniform gripping. This process not only ensures accuracy, but also allows for tool changes of less than 30 seconds.

Booth 5355, Lyndex-Nikken Inc.


Waterjet machines offer high speeds

With the introduction of the Integrated Flying Bridge and WMC2 waterjet machines, Flow International is offering 87,000psi waterjet cutting, enabling faster, more cost-effective cutting, lower part cost, and higher production. Benefits include cutting speeds that are 20 to 50 percent faster than standard 60,000psi; 20 to 30 percent lower part cost than 60,000psi; lower abrasive consumption; and faster maintenance. Both new waterjet machines give users the ability to control the cutting edge.

Booth 1515, Flow International


Drills’ range boostedAllied Machine & Engineering Corp.

Allied Machine has boosted the range on the GEN3SYS High Penetration Drilling System to 12-32mm, with 3x, 5x, and 7x drill depth-to-diameter ratios. The GEN3SYS is available with straight and helically fluted and is engineered to provide improved chip formation, increased penetration rates, and a longer tool life. The GEN3SYS is coated with AMEC’s AM200 coating to ensure optimum tool performance.

Booth 5347, Allied Machine & Engineering Corp.


Bar feeder features range in diametersLNS America Inc.

LNS America’s Alpha Series Model ST 320 feeds round bar stock from .12" to .78" diameter and Alpha ST 212 is designed to load small diameter, round bar stock from .078" to .47". A synchronization system for use with high-speed sliding headstock machines or when running special materials is standard on the Alpha 212 and an option for the Alpha 320.

Booth 1117, LNS America Inc.

Industry News

GM, CMU partner to create driverless ‘vehicle of future’
By the year 2020, chauffeurs might no longer be exclusive to the affluent.

At least that’s the implication of the research currently taking place at Carnegie Mellon University as part of a joint five-year, $5 million partnership with General Motors.

Egypt named top emerging overseas market
Companies looking to invest in emerging overseas markets would do well to look beyond Brazil, Russia, India and China, according to research carried out by Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The accounting firm’s inaugural report, The EM20 Index Balancing Risk & Reward, ranked 20 key emerging markets and found that for manufacturers looking to invest overseas, Egypt is the most attractive destination, while for services businesses, Poland comes out top.

Briefly
In motion
Acme Manufacturing Co., Auburn Hills, MI, has opened an office in Bangalore, India. Acme designs and integrates deburring and grinding systems … Ford Motor Co. will expand its Cuautitian, Mexico, operation in order to build the new Fiesta subcompact, and its Chihuahua engine plant, which builds I-4 engines. A transmission plant in Guanajuato will be established in a joint venture with Gertag.