“My Dad has been with the business since the late 70s and MD for the past 14 years, so we all felt the time was right for him to move upstairs and let a new management team build on the excellent platform he has built.”

Barkley Plastics is a member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network (MAN), a group of seven sub-contract manufacturers and a specialist engineering design agency.

Lee Wimmer invited us to tour his second-generation family-owned machine shop in Perkasie, PA. This video explores the production processes behind precision-machined parts for both Wimmer Custom Cycle and LS Wimmer Machine Co., and shows how ingenuity and determination are still at the heart of American manufacturing. Today, both companies are now managed by Wimmer’s three sons.

Looking to automate your shop floor? The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will connect shops with experts who can advise them through this transition.

New U.S.-based event announced in 2021 finally debuts next year: focuses on complete additive manufacturing value chain. More at formnextchicago.com.

In the latest episode of our View From My Shop series, MMS Editor-in-Chief Brent Donaldson visited the JN Shapiro Watches headquarters and production facility where Founder Joshua Shapiro—a history teacher turned watchmaker—realized his dream of "making a watch from scratch and everything in it."

Entrepreneur Scott Colosimo found early success in China producing parts for his Cleveland-based motorcycle company in the mid-2000s. This is the story of how IP theft issues overwhelmed the business, prompting Colosimo and his team to start over from scratch — and move production back to the United States.

Working closely with customers and making careful investments has enabled this Wisconsin machine shop to tackle difficult jobs with tight deadlines as a core part of its business.

He continued: “There’s a lot of challenges to contend with, but also a lot of opportunities as we look to take our toolmaking capabilities and injection moulding expertise into new markets, not to mention building on the success of our own interlocking floor product ‘PlasFloor’ by bringing a new home and garden range to market.

Are AMRs the next big trend in job shop automation? System 3R’s IMTS booth will emphasize both its specialty EDM tooling and its automation products, including an autonomous moving robot.

Modular fixturing reduced setups for this mold component during machining on a USC-M platform. Unisig’s use of this fixturing in its own machine-building process is a lesson taken from moldmaking customers. Mr. Fettig says it works like “stacking Lego blocks” to provide both repeatable, rigid mounting and single-setup access to six sides of a workpiece.

So far, Made in the USA has looked into system-wide effects of broken supply chains, automation, skilled workforce issues and our perception of manufacturing jobs — examining each topic through a prism of individual experiences. For this final episode for Season 1, let’s look at one more system-wide question and bring it back to personal perspectives: Is there today a new dawn, a new moment for American manufacturing?

The experimental mindset that benefited BDE Manufacturing Technologies as a prototype job shop has given it an adaptable edge as a production facility.

The MB45 series is designed to deliver the low cutting force benefits of positive inserts and the fracture resistance of negative inserts.

He attributes this precision to scale feedback and finely tuned, high-performance servo drives that facilitate precise interpolation. He also credits the company’s strategy of building machines “from the ground up” at the Milwaukee factory. Even CNC engineering is performed in house, including the defining of kinematics and other associated tasks, with components sourced directly from such manufacturers as Siemens, Heidenhain and FANUC.

In the latest episode of our View From My Shop series, MMS Editor-in-Chief Brent Donaldson visited the JN Shapiro Watches headquarters and production facility where Founder Joshua Shapiro—a history teacher turned watchmaker—realized his dream of "making a watch from scratch and everything in it."

Tool-holder-spindle-machine combinations each have a unique dynamic response in the same way that each person has a unique fingerprint, which can be revealed using modal testing.

He concluded: “I think that highlights our engineering knowledge and the vast range of manufacturing capability we can offer. That’s something we’ve got to leverage going forward.”

Learn more about the variety of technology and machinery Hwacheon Machinery America, Inc. is featuring at its IMTS 2024 booth.

In an era when manufacturers of all stripes seek to consolidate operations on fewer pieces of equipment, Unisig has taken the position that a gundrill does not have to be just a gundrill. Indeed, much of the builder’s equipment demonstrates a focus on external workpiece features as well as internal ones.

The tools most commonly associated with extreme length-to-diameter ratios, gundrills are available with single-effective geometry. This means the cutting action is all on one side, a contrast with the double-effective geometry that characterizes most conventional drills. This construction provides the necessary clearance for chips and coolant. Typically, wear pads on the periphery help keep the tool in place and provide a burnishing action that smooths the workpiece surface. Point angle and location influence cutting thrust and radial force on the tool at a given set of parameters. The most precise hole making is achieved when tool and workpiece rotate together, he adds, and rotating the workpiece by itself typically produces better results than rotating the tool by itself.

Solid-carbide gundrills are particularly rigid. These tools offer the advantage of resharpening, but they are effective only at diameters smaller than about 300 mm. After that point, they tend to become expensive and/or and fragile, Mr. Fettig says. For larger diameters, tools are available with steel shanks and brazed carbide tips, with “V” notches rolled into the steel for chip evacuation. Alternatively, indexable-insert models eliminate the need to discard the entire tool when worn. That said, these models might not be as precise as brazed-tip tools because each insert-tool connection is subject to variance.

Whereas a gundrill is designed for internal coolant delivery and external chip exhaust, BTA drilling routines involve evacuating chips and coolant through the center of the tool itself, in the opposite direction of the feed. As a result, holes should be at least a certain size—about ½ inch—before considering this tooling, Mr. Fettig says. As is the case with gundrills, BTA tools are available with both brazed and indexable cutting edges. These tools also come in spade-tip geometries, which Mr. Fettig says are particularly useful for cross-holes (such as those typical of the water-cooling lines in the aforementioned moldmaking applications). Although he emphasizes that the gap is closing, BTA drills generally offer higher feed rates, greater rigidity and improved chip control.

Legacy Precision Molds takes us on a tour of their moldbuilding facility. They've recently implemented two automated 5-axis cells for metal and graphite machining that run lights out during nights and weekends.

In this episode of Made in the USA, several executives and senior staff at Hardinge give their first-person account of how they formulated the plan to shift the manufacturing of its milling and turning product lines from its Taiwan plant to its plant in Elmira, New York, the major challenges they encountered and the rewards that made it worth the effort.

FABTECH 2024 will be held October 15-17, 2024, in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center. FABTECH provides a convenient ‘one-stop shop’ venue where you can meet with world-class suppliers, discover innovative solutions, and find the tools to improve productivity and increase profits. There is no better opportunity to network, share knowledge and explore the latest technology, all here in one place. Future U.S. Show Dates and Locations 2025 – September 8-11 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL 2026 – October 21-23 at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV 2027 – September 13-16 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL

Available with various options for automation, the USC-M series of machines are particularly useful for drilling the lengthy, crisscrossing waterlines used to cool plastic-injection-mold tooling. (Photo courtesy of Unisig.)

The most important consideration in drilling, Mr. Fettig says, isn’t necessarily the depth or the diameter of the hole: It’s more about the ratio between the two. “We perk up and get happy,” Mr. Fettig says about being presented with depth-to-diameter ratios ranging to 300:1. “We know we can take (customers’) problems away.”

Each tool setting technique has merit, and it depends on where you are as a shop and the type of work you do, as cost and efficiency all come into play.

When Puneet and Neelam Neotia moved from India to the United States several years ago, they brought with them a family background in manufacturing and CNC machining. Now the couple is working to get their startup machine shop off the ground, sourcing new customers and getting the word out about their shop in Clarksville, Indiana. The couple — proud to publicize their "Made in the USA" parts — is leveraging family connections and manufacturing capabilities back in India, but not in the way that some people assume.

Understanding all the things that contribute to a machine’s full potential accuracy will inform what to prioritize when fine-tuning the machine.

Formnext Chicago is an industrial additive manufacturing expo taking place April 8-10, 2025 at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Formnext Chicago is the second in a series of Formnext events in the U.S. being produced by Mesago Messe Frankfurt, AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology, and Gardner Business Media (our publisher).

The GRC-R12 robot cell features a pneumatic single- or double-gripper system, as well as a drawer feed system with six drawers.

Employing 100 people at its Highgate factory, it can support its expanding client base with initial design and product development, right through to manufacture and assembly, with over 40 modern moulding presses – ranging from 5 to 650 tonne – able to produce the most intricate of components.

User-friendly inspection software for CNC machining centers is shown monitoring measurements between and after machining while performing SPC based on recorded measurement values.

Did you know that the show was postponed for WWII? Or that McCormick Place was expanded in the ’70s just to accommodate IMTS? A fascinating look at the show’s history from 1927 to today.

When it comes to utilizing the spindle’s power, there is a lot of headroom at the upper limits, provided it’s in short bursts. Be mindful of your time at these loads so you don’t stall out.

Steve Smith, Operations Director, went on to add: “The focus is undoubtedly on strengthening our automotive partnerships, whilst at the same time using our two-shot moulding, injection moulding and toolmaking expertise to win complementary work in new markets.

Lee Wimmer invited us to tour his second-generation family-owned machine shop in Perkasie, PA. This video explores the production processes behind precision-machined parts for both Wimmer Custom Cycle and LS Wimmer Machine Co., and shows how ingenuity and determination are still at the heart of American manufacturing. Today, both companies are now managed by Wimmer’s three sons.

Imagine the sound of a 55-gallon drum filling to the brim in minutes flat with a steady stream of coins dropped unceremoniously from high above. That is how Anthony Fettig, CEO of machine tool builder Unisig, described what it’s like to witness the company’s largest, most powerful deep-hole-drilling machines in action during a recent press event.

Across a range of technical presentations aimed at small and mid-sized job shops, the first-ever Automated Shop Conference (TASC) offered insights into several automated technologies, implementation strategies, shopfloor training tips, and even the untapped power of automated coolant delivery.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Mr. Fettig emphasizes that the reason why “deep-hole drilling” is inadequate to describe what Unisig does has as much to do with what goes on inside a hole as what goes on outside of it. Beyond basic drilling, reaming, tapping and so forth, potential operations include counterboring, slotting and trepanning. Profiling is common as well, including stepped diameters, precisely curved internal radii, sculpted contours and requirements for specific levels of surface finish.

Employing more than 1700 people across 12 different factories, MAN can offer every engineering discipline imaginable, including aluminium casting, automation and control systems, forging, plastic injection moulding, precision machining, high-volume pressing, tube manipulation and welded assemblies.

Though most frequently used for diameter measurements, an air plug and platen can be readily configured to measure perpendicularity.

Job shops are implementing automation and digitalization into workflows to eliminate set up time and increase repeatability in production.

Here are some examples of gundrills, BTA drills and specialty tools, including solid carbide, brazed-tip and indexable models.

Weldon Solutions is demonstrating three grinders at IMTS 2024. Though they differ in size and use case, all feature the company’s hallmark customizations.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Women in Manufacturing is excited to announce that the 2024 SUMMIT will be a hybrid event — both an in-person and virtual experience. Both program offerings will enable you to grow through education and connections that are insightful, meaningful and actionable. Join Women in Manufacturing Oct. 6-9, 2024, in Boston or digitally for an event filled with plant tours at leading manufacturing facilities, professional development sessions, roundtable discussions on important topics, and inspiring keynotes.  All while engaging and interacting with peers through social and networking events! __PRESENT __PRESENT

When it comes to this kind of internal machining, cutting tools literally take the initiative. “The majority of deep-hole tools and processes are based around the idea of the tool guiding itself close to the cutting edge,” he says. Standard deep-hole drilling tools come in two basic varieties: gundrills and Boring and Trepanning Association (BTA) drills.

Walter USA has acquired PDQ Workholding, intending to strengthen its offering of workholding products and develop future cutting tool sales.

The former logistics and business development manager will be joined at the helm by Operations Director Steve Smith and the duo are already setting their sights on maximising an £120,000 investment in automation and increasing its involvement in medical, construction and white goods.

Barkley Plastics, which is a founding member of the Manufacturing Assembly Network, has one of the largest toolmaking facilities in the UK, producing high precision tools capable of delivering 50 million mouldings for distribution domestically and throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

From quadruped robot dogs, to an in-booth putting green where you can test out a new golf putter, to a 3D-printed car and more, attendees enjoyed cutting-edge technology and innovations all week long. Take a look to see what (or who!) you might have missed this week!

Take a look inside James Engineering, a high-end CNC Deburring OEM that became a job shop when they decided to produce their own parts in-house.

A leading plastic injection moulding and toolmaking specialist has appointed a new senior management team to help it target diversification and international opportunities.

AccuRounds has created synergy between culture and technology, driving a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

In addition to Barkley Plastics, its membership includes Alucast, Brandauer, Grove Design, James Lister & Sons, Kimbermills International, PP Control & Automation and Muller Holdings.

Zoller’s open house in Ann Arbor, Michigan, provided attendees with a glimpse of the connectivity and efficiency the company’s products offer to users.

Join Mahr for an informative webinar to discover the latest advancements in precision measurement, designed to elevate your quality assurance processes and unlock peak productivity. It'll explore cutting-edge technologies — such as modern height gages and contour measuring systems — along with their applications, benefits and technical capabilities. Discover the power of height gages: Learn how intuitive and sophisticated height gages can revolutionize your measurement processes, enabling quick and accurate results in inspection and production areas. Explore the practical functions and ease of use that make height gages an ideal solution for manufacturers seeking high-performance and reliable measuring technology. Examine sample applications and industries where height gages excel, such as qualifying first parts, inspecting incoming parts and measuring series of parts in industries like aerospace, automotive and medical. Unlock efficient contour measurement: An introduction to the latest contour measuring technologies that enable fast, simple and comprehensive contour measurement in the production environment. Discover how these innovative solutions ensure reliable measurements, saving time and increasing efficiency while measuring a wide range of workpieces. Learn how to streamline your contour measuring process with speed and simplicity, achieving fast and precise measurements with incredible versatility. Register now and discover how to unlock peak productivity with new innovations in precision measurement. Agenda: Insights into the latest precision measurement technologies and their applications Understanding of how to improve quality assurance processes and increase productivity Knowledge of how to select the right measurement solutions for your specific needs Tips on how to optimize your measurement processes for maximum efficiency

JD Machine, 2024’s Top Shops Honoree in Human Resources, embodies its “Education for Life” core value with a robust apprenticeship program and significant continuous improvement efforts.

This presentation focuses on the vital role that linear and angular encoders play in ensuring precision in machine tools. Attendees will learn about the common challenges compromising accuracy, such as thermal expansion, mechanical misalignments and vibration. Whether you're an OEM, integrator, or machine operator, this webinar will offer valuable insights into optimizing CNC performance. Agenda: Challenges to CNC machine accuracy Understanding encoder technology How encoders address accuracy challenges

Ever wonder what sets Top Shops apart from the competition? Dive into their award-winning practices and explore behind-the-scenes strategies for operational excellence.

Working closely with customers and making careful investments has enabled this Wisconsin machine shop to tackle difficult jobs with tight deadlines as a core part of its business.

Okuma America Corp. announces its plans to create a global service and repair facility, set to open in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2025.

Matt Harwood has become Managing Director of Barkley Plastics, taking over from his father Mark who has become Chairman of the Birmingham-based business.

Thousands of people visit our Supplier Guide every day to source equipment and materials. Get in front of them with a free company profile.

With more than 300 horsepower behind the tool, holes can be drilled to extreme diameters and depths (20 inches and 32 feet, respectively) in even the most difficult-to-machine materials, including Inconel and other nickel-based alloys. Automatic toolchangers can accommodate shanks as long as 24 inches on some models, and the machines’ beds can be large enough to require shipping in separate sections, each measuring as long as 25 feet, for precision assembly later.

Although stock delivery machines are available, a significant proportion of Unisig machines are made to order from modular platforms. One example of such a platform is the USC-M line, which combines powerful hole-making with all the general machining capability of a five-axis mill. This machine is particularly useful for plastic-injection moldmakers that annot afford spending too much time drilling deep water-cooling lines. Unisig machines are designed to perform these operations in the same setup as the complex contouring required for exterior features, Mr. Fettig says. Although the machines trend large, workpieces don’t have to be, he continues, explaining that table rigidity and overall volumetric precision eliminate the need to ensure that smaller workpieces (or features of those large enough to overhang the table) are located in a specific “sweet spot.”

Standards for surface finishes and profiles are not static; they change as technology changes or new processes come along that need to be considered.

The Walter Turn toolholder features rake-face cooling to help break and control chips, and double flank-face cooling directly at the cutting edge to extend tool life.

While the company is known for deep-hole drilling, the term itself does not do justice to the breadth of these machines’ capabilities, nor to the breadth of the company’s engineering expertise. With the typical application defined by more than just challenging hole-making operations, he believes “deep-hole machining” is a better descriptor.

In this webinar, industry-leading experts will demonstrate how additive manufacturing can revolutionize your operations and answer the question: Can you afford not to? From rapid prototyping to robust fixturing and specialized custom tooling, it’ll showcase the diverse applications that can drive your business forward in a time where cost and time saving can be crucial. Discover how to reduce costs, accelerate production cycles and achieve unparalleled design freedom through the strategic integration of 3D printing technology. Phillip’s panel of seasoned professionals will share real-world examples and practical insights to help you understand the potential of additive manufacturing. Learn how to overcome production challenges, improve product quality and gain a competitive advantage. It will explore the cost-benefit analysis of 3D printing — including material and labor savings — as well as the potential for increased revenue. Join this webinar to discover why additive manufacturing is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for success. Agenda:  Prototyping example: quick-change prototype Custom tooling real-world example: press brake, tube bending die CMM fixturing and workholding example: CMM fixture and soft jaw

Internal geometry like this is a good fit for bottle-boring tools, which use CNC-actuated axes to drive cutting edges away from and back into the shank as needed to create internal profiles. Quality control is a particular concern with deep-hole drilling. Many applications require periodic destructive testing or more creative solutions, such as tracking the process via cameras that monitor changes and trends in chip formation. (Photo courtesy of Unisig.)

Attend TASC, The Automated Shop Conference, in Novi, Mich on Oct. 11, 2023 for a comprehensive look into how to use automation to transform your machine shop.

Heidenhain and Acu-Rite Solutions are offering several hands-on experiences at their booth this year, as well as internal components that reduce energy use.

“We’ve already had some significant success with this approach, with fire safety products exported to Eastern Europe and a new tooling project to help develop EV/Battery technology for agricultural and off-road vehicles. There’s even a project we’re doing to supply products for underwater boat lighting.”

The latest investment, which has been supported by WMG and the Made Smarter Programme, has seen the firm purchase six-axis collaborative robots that can work alongside an operator.

The choice between buying a new machine or refurbishing the current one will become clear after a thorough assessment of the machine.

Incremental mode can be more advantageous when programming sculptured surfaces or for certain hole-machining canned cycle applications.

When it comes to utilizing the spindle’s power, there is a lot of headroom at the upper limits, provided it’s in short bursts. Be mindful of your time at these loads so you don’t stall out.

Achieve higher metal removal rates and enhanced predictability with ISCAR’s advanced high-feed milling tools — optimized for today’s competitive global market.

Automation is no longer a luxury in manufacturing today – it’s a necessity. The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will connect job shops with experts who offer advice and considerations for this process.

When revising part designs, investigate the 3D CAD, the 2D drawing and the part’s functional requirements to determine which details should be tightened up.

Weldon Solutions is demonstrating three grinders at IMTS 2024. Though they differ in size and use case, all feature the company’s hallmark customizations.

Almost any shop can automate at least some of its production, even in low-volume, high-mix applications. The key to getting started is finding the simplest solutions that fit your requirements. It helps to work with an automation partner that understands your needs.

Other platforms are similarly configured for work ranging from oil and gas components to aircraft landing gear and various hydraulic systems. Each machine is made to order, with automation systems in particular differing widely from customer to customer. Beyond robot-tending and mulit-machine cells of multi-spindle drilling machines, automation systems range from pallet changers to complex conveyors, roller steadies and other systems involving in-process gaging and even extra servo-driven axes of motion dedicated to streamlining setup and unloading alike.

Chiron Group combines the best of both worlds at IMTS 2024, featuring live demonstrations of their Micro5 and Mill 2000 machines, alongside a cutting-edge virtual showroom. This innovative approach allows visitors to explore Chiron’s full product lineup without the logistical challenges of transporting large equipment.

Misapplication of these important CNC features will result in wasted time, wasted or duplicated effort and/or wasted material.

The L.S. Starrett Co. has been manufacturing precision measurement tools in Athol, Massachusetts, since 1880. Attention to U.S. manufacturing often focuses on reshoring manufacturing from other countries, but Starrett never left. The facility in Athol employs hundreds and produces thousands of tools that remain vital for measurement in machining and other fields.

Modern Machine Shop is the leading publication and media brand in North America devoted to CNC machining. MMS combines unprecedented editorial access to manufacturing facilities with decades of experience to provide long-form content that is both insightful and impactful. About Us

Part of Major Tool’s 52,000 square-foot building expansion includes the installation of this new Waldrich Coburg Taurus 30 vertical machining center.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Ever wonder what sets Top Shops apart from the competition? Dive into their award-winning practices and explore behind-the-scenes strategies for operational excellence.

Take a look inside James Engineering, a high-end CNC Deburring OEM that became a job shop when they decided to produce their own parts in-house.

Structured light scanning is used to create a digital twin of a manufactured part, but we must understand the measurement reproducibility to best use the data.

Part of Major Tool’s 52,000 square-foot building expansion includes the installation of this new Waldrich Coburg Taurus 30 vertical machining center.

Are AMRs the next big trend in job shop automation? System 3R’s IMTS booth will emphasize both its specialty EDM tooling and its automation products, including an autonomous moving robot.

Surface measurement is becoming increasingly important to ensure proper performance of a manufactured product. Advanced surface measurement tools are not only beneficial in the manufacturing industry but also have unconventional applications.

The Automated Shop Conference (TASC) will give shops of all sizes and production volumes key insights and practical guidance on how to implement automation.

Horn USA’s new booth concept is designed to enable attendees to (literally) get a better feel for its various tooling offerings.

Legacy Precision Molds takes us on a tour of their moldbuilding facility. They've recently implemented two automated 5-axis cells for metal and graphite machining that run lights out during nights and weekends.

Manufacturers continue to feel the pressure to reduce costs, increase efficiencies and meet their sustainability strategies. As the industry evolves to keep pace with these priorities, there are opportunities within metalworking processes to use less resources with advanced lubricants and technical expertise. Agenda:  An overview of metalworking lubrication Evolutions in metalworking lubrication Experience on the shop floor Key takeaways

Unisig’s line of deep-hole-drilling machines is not limited to these behemoths. On the other end of the spectrum are machines designed for holes measuring less than 1-inch deep and no broader than 0.04 inch in diameter.

Though most frequently used for diameter measurements, an air plug and platen can be readily configured to measure perpendicularity.

Q-Mark has built its metrology business by providing what customers need, when they want it. This goes for its IMTS booth, too, with free drinks alongside custom technology.

Beyond these basic tool types, many applications involve custom form tools for imparting more complex profiles. Generalities are difficult to draw about these widely varied offerings; suffice it to say that even familiar-looking geometries require manufacturing for a specific size bore, at the least. For example, bottle-boring tools use CNC-actuated axes to drive cutting edges away from and back into the shank as needed to create internal profiles. Without precise sizing, such action would be impossible. “Given that these tools have to guide themselves, careful planning is critical,” Mr. Fettig says. The same could be said of applications that require integrating that hole-making process with complex outside machining as well.

Tool-holder-spindle-machine combinations each have a unique dynamic response in the same way that each person has a unique fingerprint, which can be revealed using modal testing.

Imparting complex geometry on the inside (and the outside) of workpieces requires the right equipment, the right cutting tools and the expertise to make the most of both.

The latest episode “Made in the USA” podcast explores a company that uses collaborative robots, one of the key tools helping US machine shops and other manufacturers compete with lower cost countries by automating production.

Chiron Group combines the best of both worlds at IMTS 2024, featuring live demonstrations of their Micro5 and Mill 2000 machines, alongside a cutting-edge virtual showroom. This innovative approach allows visitors to explore Chiron’s full product lineup without the logistical challenges of transporting large equipment.

AccuRounds has created synergy between culture and technology, driving a commitment to customer satisfaction and continuous improvement.

Each tool setting technique has merit, and it depends on where you are as a shop and the type of work you do, as cost and efficiency all come into play.

Consistency is key for beryllium manufacturing, so the data visibility granted by Harmoni has swiftly become a vital, profitable tool in the shop’s arsenal.

Five-axis capability is a function of this rotary table as well as a dedicated, 50-taper, tilting milling spindle mounted parallel to the machine’s drilling spindle. Machining is said to be just as precise—that is, volumetric accuracy is the same—regardless of the tilting spindle’s angle and position within the workzone. “Performance and accuracy aren’t compromised in seemingly less rigid headstock positions,” he says. “Compound angles are effortless.”

Heidenhain and Acu-Rite Solutions are offering several hands-on experiences at their booth this year, as well as internal components that reduce energy use.

“Investment is a big thing for us at the moment. We must explore ways we can be more productive and efficient to help us offset rising energy prices and ensure we deliver competitive products to our global customer base.”

Rob Guiao, Chris Hall and Bassanio Peters will demonstrate relatable situations to equip you with data to improve predictability, future-proof operations and maximize ROI. Agenda:  Explore the importance of data in decision-making, especially for facility upgrades or new projects Learn how comprehensive solutions for manufacturing and construction projects can improve predictability and ROI See real demonstrations of machine integrations, facility layouts and automations to ensure proper throughput and integration

“2022 is a massive year for the business as we look to bounce back from the pandemic and the supply chain issues affecting the automotive sector,” explained Matt.

FANUC’s IMTS 2024 booth includes real-time demonstrations that show the abilities of its equipment, including robots, controllers and machine tools.

Effective team collaboration is a critical component of success in today’s manufacturing world. With cloud-based technologies that make it easy for team members to brainstorm and problem solve remotely from various locations, design-to-manufacturing processes can become faster and more efficient. This webinar will demonstrate how fully integrated CAM software can be utilized with 3DExperience SolidWorks in a seamless work environment to accelerate product development. Agenda: See how HCL CAMWorks can be used as an add-in for all SolidWorks applications working with the cloud-based 3DExperience platform Learn how fully integrated CAD/CAM saves significant amounts of time during the design to manufacturing process Gain a new understanding of how software can connect users worldwide to accelerate product development Watch a demonstration of team collaboration using platform tools in the CAD/CAM software environment

This will reinforce the firm’s traditional expertise in automotive, where it continues to produce tools and injection moulded parts for customers including Aston Martin, BMW Mini, JLR, Nissan and Toyota.

Mitsui Seiki USA Inc. appoints Joseph Farkas as its director of sales West and Terry Ritterbush as its director of sales East.