Come Together - acquisitions and partnerships among machine tool companies - Brief Article

Machine tool companies are buying one another. Machine tool companies are partnering with one another. This activity may seem unsettling . . . as if the number of players in the industry is in decline. However, the more important consideration is the potential of this consolidation and partnering to augment the productive capacity of shops. Viewed in this light, what we are seeing today represents a natural development from the very premise on which the machine tool industry was founded. This trend of consolidation is one we should have seen coming, oh, 100 or so years ago.

Information technology at least partly explains why this coming together seems to have picked up in the last few years. With computers moving electrons in place of humans moving paper, organizations are easier to integrate. This is true outside the machine tool industry, as well. Try to name an industry today that's not consolidating.

Among machine tool companies, strategic purchases or partnerships can help end users by saving them from having to deal with multiple sources. A recent partnership provides an example. A lathe maker, a machining center maker, and a robot maker all recently announced they would partner to offer complete cells to the wheel-making industry through a single point of contact. Presumably, a given manufacturer of wheels might have chosen equipment comparable to what these three companies have to offer anyway. But the partnership saves this manufacturer the time and effort necessary to deal with three different suppliers. The wheel maker gets to offload that hassle

Compare this benefit to the reason the machine tool industry got its start in the first place. Over a century ago, manufacturers routinely created for themselves the machinery needed to make their own products. Machine tool companies offered what was a novel idea at the time--the promise to let manufacturers outsource machine production.

Now, by achieving consolidated sources for related equipment, some machine tool companies are taking another step in the same direction. In addition to producing the machines, these companies now can also offer to eliminate some of the management burden associated with having a variety of machine tools in a single shop. In other words, this is one more way machine tool companies let shops devote less resources to determining how they will produce . . . and more resources simply to producing

Monarch Machine Tool Web site is simple and effective

Cortland's Monarch Machine Tool keeps it simple and effective.

The main page (www. monarchmit.com) features a black and

red border for links and a white background for text. Monarch

opens its page with a single-paragraph description of its

business followed by more specific information. Each specific

description is linked to a corresponding section. The site links

are also arranged in order of usefulness, listing classes of

machines. The linked pages offer further specificity, down to

individual machines. Monarch includes necessary specifications

for each model as well. The company's contact information

features several methods, including an online form. The

contact form requests relevant information in order to avoid general inquiries that may waste both parties' time. The

technical section offers documents in Adobe Acrobat format

and Monarch offers a link for visitors who don't already have

the program. For companies outside the area, Monarch lists its

distributor-network contact information. Like the rest of the

site, it's thoughtfully arranged, so finding the number of a

Monarch distributor in China or Singapore isn't a problem.

Monarch also includes a page of its history that now covers

nearly a century of metalworking. For owners of older machine

tools, Monarch has a page of its upgrade services. This site,

like the products shown, looks fairly simple, but is really

precision made.

Small diameter boring bars—Criterion Machine Works, booth 3039

Criterion Machine Works' 0.250" diameter solid carbide boring tools feature a length tolerance of [+ or -] 0.010" to minimize downtime when changing a tool during a production run. The tools are precision-ground flat to ensure that the cutting edge is centered. According to the company, this characteristic can maximize boring results, promote longer tool life and further contribute to reduced downtime.

Twenty-seven different diameter and length configurations are offered. Minimum bore diameters range from 0.140" to 0.200". Depending upon the bore diameter, the tools can bore holes as deep as 1.250".

Online training for Swiss-style lathes

The dwindling supply of talented machine tool operators is one of the metalworking industry's most conspicuous dilemmas. It has been especially difficult to find employees who are qualified to operate multifunction Swiss-style lathes, let alone more straightforward CNC mills or turning centers. Some machinists, though comfortable operating typical CNC equipment, may not even understand how a multi-axis Swiss machine functions.

Recognizing that the key in cultivating a knowledgeable workforce lies in intuitive training methods, Index Corporation (Noblesville, Indiana) teamed with Oxygen Education (Indianapolis, Indiana) to develop a graphics-driven online training course for the Traub line of CNC Swiss-style lathes. The course is based on an interactive "virtual machine" that includes graphical representation of all significant machine components, subsystems and the CNC.

The first half of the chapter-based course describes the various machine components and demonstrates how they interact with each other. In these initial chapters, students are able to observe various machine components and their functions, which might not be possible when viewing an actual machine in action. By first displaying how a guide bushing, bar feeder or lubrication system works, for example, students will understand what the machine is before learning how to operate it in the second half of the course.

The machine operation section of the course covers the most routine tasks, including wiping barstock before installation, as well as more advanced duties such as presetting tools. The training CNC makes accessible and adjustable every button, knob and switch found on the actual machine control to allow students to play out "what if" scenarios.

Upon completing each chapter, students must pass an exam before advancing to the next chapter. This provides shop management with a mechanism to gage student performance, while allowing students to learn at their own pace. After completing the course, students can return to any portion of the course for review. Unlimited 24/7 access anywhere an Internet connection is available offers shops an alternative to having employees travel for their machine training. Index intends to create similar training courses for other machine models, including its multi-spindle machines.

Milling Cutter provides high feed rates

Available in 2.000-4.000 in. body diameters with 4-corner insert design, Metal Slash Mill directs cutting forces into machine spindle to achieve feed rate up to 0.078 ipt. Unit is available with CS3000 CVD-coated grade for high-speed milling of carbon steels and stainless steels, ACZ310 PVD-coated grade for general-purpose milling of die steels and cast irons, and ACZ330 PVD-coated grade for general-purpose milling of steels and stainless steels.

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Mount Prospect, IL - (August 24, 2006) Boasting feed rates of up to 0.078" IPT, the new Metal Slash Mill from Sumitomo offers high productivity milling.

The unique design of this milling cutter directs cutting forces into the machine spindle to achieve high feed rates even in low rigidity conditions.

A four-corner insert (screw on assembly) design yields low tooling costs per part. Sumitomo customers are already experiencing the benefits. "With the Sumitomo Slash Mill we realized incredible cycle time reductions by applying this high feed mill to our current manufacturing processes. Some of our cycle times were reduced by a matter of hours, actually seeing our long, complex parts made in half the time! With the unique design of this tool and it's reliable, longer insert life, it's a win-win for our shop. We can increase machine capacity without relying only on added operators or added hours, " stated Brian Shoning, machining center groupleader, Vermeer Mfg. Co.

U.S. stock standard Metal Slash Mill bodies are available in 2.000" - 4.000" diameters.

The Metal Slash Mill is available with CS3000, a CVD coated grade for high-speed milling of carbon steels and stainless steels, the ACZ310 PVD coated grade for general purpose milling of die steels and cast irons, and the ACZ330 PVD coated grade for general purpose milling of steels and stainless steels.

Germany hosts the world of machine tools and metalworking technology - Exposition mondiale de La Machine-Outil - Brief Article

One of the main reasons that EMO tends to peak when it goes to Hanover is that Hanover is in Germany; Germany is the second largest consumer of machine tools in the world (behind only the United States). Germany is also one of the leading producers and exporters of machine tools in the world. The German machine tool industry has been especially strong in this year and last, so the appearance of EMO in Hanover is very timely for its host country. German participation in this year's EMO accounts for about 45 percent of the number of exhibitors and share of the booth space.

U.S. participation is down this year compared to past shows. Recent reports indicate that 27 U.S. exhibitors will be displaying their products, about 22 fewer than in 1999. Weak domestic sales and the strong dollar have apparently discouraged a better showing. However, most visitors from the United States go to EMO to size up technology offerings from overseas suppliers.

Although machine tools are the main focus at EMO, it also covers manufacturing systems, precision tools, automated flow of material, computer technology, industrial electronics and accessories. In short, the fair covers manufacturing technology in its entirety. The product categories include machine tools for cutting, forming, parting and eroding; sheet metal and wire working machines; machine tools for thermal electrochemical and other processes; electronic controls; components for flexible automation; CAD/CAM; assembly systems and industrial robots; material flow and warehousing; industrial electronics, sensor technology and diagnostics; precision tools; measuring tools, testing and measuring equipment; abrasives; coolants and lubricants; welding, cutting, hardening, and heating equipment; and many types of mechanical, hydraulic, electrical and electronic accessories for metalworking.

Machining's role in making cancer "history": a machine shop in a new cancer treatment center produces components to precisely guide proton radiation t

Medical and metalworking technologies meld in an effort to heal in Houston, Texas. The two disciplines are working in concert to make cancer "history" at M.D. Anderson's new Proton Therapy Center, located in the heart of the Lone Star State's largest city.

One of only four proton radiation centers in the United States, M.D. Anderson's $125 million facility will serve more patients than any of the other centers, treating 3,500 per year when it reaches full capacity. In order to support such an aggressive treatment schedule, the facility houses its own machine shop that includes four networked CNC vertical machining centers (VMCs).

The primary duty of these machines is to produce two patient-specific components for the center's gantries, or radiation beam delivery devices. One of these components is a brass aperture that receives a window to shape the beam to match a tumor field's outline. The other is an acrylic compensator block into which is machined a cavity to shape the beam to release its energy at the appropriate depth within the patient's body. The ability to manipulate the beam in a way that damages a cancerous tumor without harming nearby healthy tissue is what makes proton therapy such a precise and powerful cancer treatment.

Most hospital-based machine shops are equipped with toolroom-type mills and lathes that are used to produce one-off fixtures or instruments. The shop at M.D. Anderson's proton therapy center does have such equipment for that type of work. However, it is first and foremost a production shop, as John Barr points out. Mr. Barr, the shop's supervisor, selected most of the shop's machine tools and related equipment. Four Mazak Nexus 410 VMCs will bear the brunt of the shop's production work. When the center reaches full capacity, those machines will produce thousands of apertures and compensators each yearMODERN MACHINE SHOP was invited to tour the center and its dedicated shop a few months in advance of the official opening in June 2006. During the visit, Mr. Barr and Paul Wisdom, a deft machinist who is currently "on loan" from M.D. Anderson's nearby instrument shop, explained the role that machining technology plays in support of an effective cancer treatment procedure.

Protons Pack A Punch

The 94,000-square-foot facility is topped by an open, inviting entrance with numerous offices and examination rooms. However, the building is an iceberg of sorts, because 42 feet of it is below ground. Located in this bunker are four proton radiation treatment rooms and the compact machine shop that measures 36 by 44 feet. These rooms are surrounded by 8-foot-thick concrete walls and a ceiling that's 12 feet thick. The subterranean location and beefy enclosure are required to contain stray radiation during treatment.

The apertures and compensators are the final two components in the subatomic beam delivery process. An injector first strips protons from the nucleus of hydrogen atoms and delivers them to a synchrotron, or particle accelerator. The synchrotron, essentially a magnetic "racetrack," accelerates the protons in a vacuum to an energy level approaching 250 million electron volts. The protons then travel at nearly light speed to rotating beam-delivery gantries located in three of the four treatment rooms. Though the huge gantries measure 35 feet in diameter and weigh 190 tons, they rotate smoothly, quietly and precisely 360 degrees around a patient and direct the proton beam to 0.5-mm positioning accuracy. The aperture plates (as many as four identical 2-cm-thick plates may be required) and compensator are inserted into the gantry's snout to shape and focus the beam as it exits the gantry en route to the targeted tumor.

The protons enter the a patient's body at a low energy level, peak their energy level within the tumor and effectively stop there so that surrounding healthy tissue is left unharmed. Apertures and compensators are matched sets specific to each patient and each different beam delivery angle into a patient's body. While no two sets of apertures and compensators are alike, the process for creating these components is the same for all.

Machining From A CAT Scan

The brass aperture plates and acrylic compensator blocks are first squared and face milled to size. The brass is machined dry; the acrylic is machined using high-pressure coolant. One corner of each component receives a notch, which serves as a key to ensure that the components are properly oriented when installed in a gantry snout.

The shapes of the aperture window and compensator cavity are determined by a model of the patient's tumor, which is obtained via a computed tomography scan, or CAT scan. The CAT scan captures the tumor volume one thin 2D slice at a time. The 2D images, taken at discrete depths throughout the tumor, stack together to create what is essentially a 3D model of the tumor. The electronic tumor model is part of each patient's file in the IMPAC treatment planning system, which the shop can access via the network.

American investment continues its slide - The World Machine Tool Output & Consumption Survey

Machine tool purchases by United States metalworking factories have been declining since 1998. The latest annual survey shows the trend continuing in 2002, with the one-time undisputed leader now in fourth place behind China, Germany and Japan.

For most of the 1990s, the United States led all other countries in annual installations of productive new machine tools.

But the capital investment slump that started a few years back continues, and in 2002 the United States consumed only $3.3 billion, down one-third from 2001. A year ago it had moved out of first place among consuming countries for the first time since 1993.

It's some consolation that the decline is widespread among the world's industrialized countries: Of the top dozen purchasers of machine tools, all but one had a lower investment in machine tools than in the year before.

The one exception in that pervasive cutback is China. Last year it actually increased its purchases by 20 percent, to the point where China is now the world's leading consumer of machine tools. It bought an estimated $5.7 billion worth of the machines in 2002, outspending Germany's $4.8 billion and Japan's $3.4 billion. (See Top Consumers table.)

The international statistics come from the 38th World Machine Tool Output & Consumption Survey (WMTO& CS), conducted annually by Gardner Publications, Inc., publisher of this magazine. The study measures output, trade and consumption from major industrialized nations.

The term "consumption" is a derived statistic. It's what economists call "apparent consumption," and it's calculated by taking a country's local production, subtracting out the value of its exports, and adding the value of its imports. So in the case of the United States, domestic builders shipped $l.9 billion and exported $0.9 billion. At the same time, importers brought in $2.3 billion, so apparent consumption for 2002 comes to $3.3 billion.

The United States isn't likely to see a quick rebound. New orders, which predate consumption deliveries by anywhere from a week to many months, continue to slip.

Orders for new machines, tracked by an unconnected series of monthly reports from the two machine tool trade groups, fared poorly again last year. The latest U.S. Machine Tool Consumption (USMTC) survey of participating member companies shows total orders written during the year 2002 at 19 percent below the previous year.

The most recent monthly figure in that series, for January of this year, is also 19 percent behind the bookings posted for January 2002. That ledAlbert W. Moore, president of AMT -- The Association for Manufacturing Technology, which conducts the orders survey, to comment about America's productive capacity. "Over half of U.S. manufacturers are working with machines made in the 1960s and '70s," he says.

"The only way they can regain international competitiveness is to allow hem to fully expense he purchase of equipment in the year that it s acquired," Mr. Moore continues. "The clock s ticking for American manufacturing; the time for action is now!"

While the monthly USMTC reports orders for future consumption within the United States, the annual Gardner Publications' WMTO&CS collects statistics on actual shipments in 28 countries around the world.

Biggest Output

In addition to calculating consumption, the World Survey also lists countries by the output of their domestic machine tool industries. Germany ranks at No. 1 with $6.7 billion in 2002 shipments, slightly ahead of Japan's $6.4 billion. Italy's machinery sector, characterized by many small firms rather than a few big ones, is third, followed by the Peoples Republic of China and then the United States. (See Top Producers table.)

The total output of the surveyed countries in 2002 came to an estimated $31.0 billion, or about 14 percent less than those same 28 participants produced in 2001. The largest bloc of producers is the CECIMO consortium of mostly Western European countries. Its 15 members shipped a total of $16.1 billion, or 52 percent of the world's output.

The survey also tracks export activities. In general, the leading producers are also the top exporters, the top five of which are Germany, Japan, Italy, Switzerland and Taiwan. The latter two export more than 80 percent of their domestic production.

China's spending spree on machine tools in 2002 puts it at the top of the list of importers, which also includes the United States, Germany, Italy and South Korea. The American market continues to be highly import oriented, even though imports dropped one third from the previous year. The $2.3 billion worth of overseas-built machine tools it brought in has the U.S. market with a 70 percent import penetration (imports as a percentage of consumption). Other highly import-oriented markets include the United Kingdom (89 percent) and Canada