May 2008 Edition

SHOP MANAGEMENT

The Strategy and Tactics of Hiring
Technology is only one part of the shop equation. Finding the right people to run the equipment can be as much of a challenge as selecting the right machines.

SHOP MANAGEMENT

Better Management Through Resource Integration
An enterprise resource planning system brought unity, and increased revenue, to a company suffering from data segregation

WELDING

Stitch-welding a Labor of Love
A truck manufacturer updated its welding equipment to continue producing its handcrafted pieces of art

EASTEC SHOW PREVIEW

EASTEC 2008 Preview
West Springfield, MA, hosts the machining trade show for the right side of the country

MACHINING CENTERS

Five Axes, One Setup, Endless Results
The one setup power of a 5-axis machine brought a machine shop into the future

CAD/CAM

‘Cutting’ Air is No Way to Make a Profit
A user-friendly interface helped a moldmaker machine electrodes in about half the time

DEPARTMENTS

Editor's Corner
Trade shows and magazine coverage may have to switch gears to meet industry needs

Industry News

NexTECH
Technology advancements coming over the horizon

From the Shop Floor
Dealing with complex cuts in a tricky alloy – part one

Spotlight: Swiss Turning

New Products

The Last Word
Manufacturing is alive and well in the U.S., despite rumors to the contrary

Industry News

Tornos/Tsugami Alliance Has Little Impact in U.S.
While Tornos S.A., Switzerland, and Tsugami Corp., Tokyo, announced the formation of an alliance in February, Bradley Morris, president of Rem Sales, the exclusive North American importer of Tsugami machine tools, clarified the announcement. He said the partnership agreement primarily affects Europe and Asia.

Welding Equipment and Supplies Predicted to Grow to $13.2 Billion by 2008 End
The global market for welding equipment and supplies will be worth $13.2 billion by the end of 2008 according to a report – Welding Equipment And Supplies: The Global Market – from BCC Research. It is expected to increase to $16.8 billion by 2013, a compound annual growth rate of five percent.

2007 a Record Sales Year for CAD/CAM Developer Delcam
CAD/CAM developer Delcam achieved record sales in 2007, continuing the strong increase that has been seen in recent years. Group sales for the year to December 31, 2007 rose by 11 percent to $59.3 million from $53.3 million in 2006. The results were driven by growth in software licence and maintenance sales in the core Power Solution range of software, and by additional revenue from the company’s newer software ranges, FeatureCAM, which was acquired in July 2005; PartMaker, which was acquired in July 2006; and Crispin, which was acquired in December 2006.

Las Vegas Machine Tool Show to Premiere in 2011
The American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association and Society of Manufacturing Engineers announced they will collaborate on the Machine Tool Experience-Las Vegas – MTELV – event to be launched in 2011.

CAD Growth Slows, but Remains Strong
The CAD industry has undergone a renaissance during the last five years as a result of factors such as hardware advances that put 64-bit, multi-core computers into the mainstream.

Conference to Examine Cutting Edge Manufacturing Innovations
The Society of Manufacturing Engineers announced the Innovations That Could Change The Way You Manufacture initiative. This member-driven initiative outlines emerging technologies with potential positive impact on manufacturing. It also provides an educational framework for SME members and manufacturing practitioners to keep up-to-date with the industry’s latest and greatest innovations.