Allied Machine & Engineering Corp. (www.allied machine.com) has released their new GEN3SYS advanced drilling system that offers a geometry engineered to provide improved chip formation, increased penetration rates and longer tool life. The initial offer includes two types of proprietary carbide coatings with the AM200 coating. GEN3SYS holders are available with a helical flute and flanged shank.

http://www.americanmachinist.com/304/Issue/Article/False/24797/Issue

Rohmer + Stimpfig, with head office in F&uumlrth/Germany, celebrated its 75-year anniversary with a big company party. In his speech, the shareholder and managing director Friedrich Stimpfig talked about the history and development of the company, which in the meantime has seen 4 generations. Founded in 1932 by Erhard Rohmer, the company had always been dealing with glass by manufacturing parts and machines for the glass-processing industry. His grandfather Friedrich Stimpfig joined the company in 1947, while his father Friedrich E. Stimpfig joined in 1962. When the current managing partner joined the company, it was divided into so-called business units to stay abreast of economic developments.

Thus the company today is focusing on the development, manufacture and international sale of CNC-controlled glass processing machines as well as on the manufacture of individual parts and machine components for the regional market. Recently, Rohmer + Stimpfig entered the promising market of renewable energy sources with a third business unit. The constant innovations and the introduction of new technologies, among other things, have led to the fact that in certain market segments we were able to gain a leading position on the world market today. Thus containers with high-performance systems are leaving the headquarters for the whole world today.

Friedrich Stimpfig was able to welcome numerous guests of honour and above all his employees. Lord Mayor Thomas Jung praised the development of Rohmer + Stimpfig, because today one can’t take it for granted anymore that a company can survive on the market for such a long time and keep on developing. He was especially taken with the inclusion of Christian values in a business culture of cooperation between employees, customers, suppliers and partners. Unfortunately this wasn’t practiced nearly enough today. After various panels had extended their words of welcome, F. Stimpfig donated a larger amount of money as well as a coupon for two wire box pallets of firewood to the Wärmestube F&uumlrth. On the occasion of the company’s anniversary some employees were also honoured for their long years of service to the company, ranging from 5 to 45 years.

Friedrich Stimpfig primarily thanked his father, his family and his employees in his speech; without their support this kind of development would have been impossible. He elaborated on the subject of celebration, which for him was an expression of thanks, joy and community. Being thankful to all that help out, and not least being thankful for God’s blessings, too; sharing one’s joy with the birthday child and the celebrants as one family.

After a tour of the company, Rohmer + Stimpfig invited everyone to a sociable evening of music and dancing in a pub, where the birthday child was duly celebrated until long after midnight.

http://www.glassonweb.com/news/index/7084/

If you remove the cutting head and high-pressure pump from a waterjet cutter, then you’d be left with essentially a machine frame and computer numerical control motion. A CNC vertical machining center also possesses both of these things.

With that in mind, Ward Jet (Kent, Ohio) recently developed its compact, enclosed M-Series waterjet module that, when installed on a shop’s existing knee mill or VMC, temporarily turns that equipment into a waterjet cutter. According to the company, the conversion takes 20 minutes and requires only sources of water and compressed air at the machine for operation. The module can be removed as simply as it installs, turning the mill back into a mill.

It’s easy to imagine the inevitable damage that would occur if a waterjet’s abrasive liquid cutting media happened to splash upon vital mill components such as ballscrews. That’s why the M-Series provides a self-contained waterjet cutting environment, isolating the entire cutting operation in a sealed “tent” module to keep harmful media from contacting mill components.

The module bolts to a mill’s T-slot table as would a fixture or vise. The mill must be capable of supporting the entire waterjet assembly’s weight of approximately 600 pounds and provide at least 23 inches of Z-axis clearance to accommodate its height. The base of the module is a shallow tank filled with ball bearings. These dissipate the waterjet stream’s cutting energy, which, on a typical cutter, is accomplished by a deep tank of water.

A toolchanger plate in the top of the tent installs in the mill’s spindle. The system’s waterjet cutting head then attaches to the underside of the plate inside the tent. Once water, air and abrasive lines are connected, then the mill becomes a waterjet cutter.

Two tent versions are available with X-Y work envelopes of 16 by 30 inches and 24 by 48 inches. The larger model allows a standard 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of material to be cut in fourths and loaded into the tent. The workpiece material is supported by grates inside the tent and held in place with a clamping system that accepts workpieces from 0.5 to 4 inches tall.

A 20,000-psi pneumatically powered intensifier pump permits waterjet cutting using existing shop compressed air. This pump, along with an abrasive hopper and electrical box, is mounted on a cart located next to the machine. Larger pumps are also available in 40,000 psi and 60,000 psi versions.

The M-Series is perhaps best suited for shops that currently don’t have a waterjet cutter, possibly because of a lack of available floorspace. The package not only works for mills, but it can also be applied to lasers, wood routers, robotic arms, oxy-fuel cutters, plasma cutters–virtually any type of CNC equipment.

Shawnee Steel & Welding, Merriam, am, Kansas , has recently added a new Cincinnati CNC Auto Form 230T (230-ton) 12′ press brake.

The company is a custom fabricator and job shop working with metals from 14 gage to 1″ thick.

“We needed the new equipment to improve efficiency and keep up with our growth,” stated Carl Orser, president and son of founder Loren Orser. “We have already seen improvements of up to 30% in cycle time with the 230T.”

The new CNC press brake enables faster setup and operation and has such features as: AutoCrown; Dynamic Thickness Compensations (DTC); 2-axis with back gage; Adaptive (for thickness and yield of material); program storage and tool libraries.

The new Cincinnati is another example of Shawnee Steel’s investment in technology and efficiency. In the past, the company has added: a Panasonic robotic welder; a FICEP single hole drill line; a Alltra high definition plasma cutter and a Hyd-Mech band saw.

“We firmly believe in getting the right people, with the right equipment and the right parameters … and then getting out of the way,” commented Orser. “Our management team averages over 20 years with the company.

Shawnee Steel , Welding, founded in 1945, has built a strong base of clients throughout Mid-America in such industries as: construction (building, mechanical, concrete pre-casters and bridge); utility contractors, agriculture and printing.

The company is certified by the Kansas and Missouri departments of transportation and under AWSD1.1 structural building code. All welders are AWS certified.

CHICAGO — The TW Metals division of Radnor, Pa.,-based Superior Group Inc. has installed an ESAB Avenger 1-8 Plasma Cutting unit at its Houston processing center.

The new plasma cutter is capable of handling stainless steel and nickel alloy up to 23/4 inches thick. The system features a CNC program with Sigmanest CAD/CAM capabilities and will import Autocad, DXK, CADL, IGES and CAD geometry files.

The Houston processing center serves customers in industries ranging from the heat exchanger and fabrication markets to the chemical processing industry.

“Houston’s new ESAB Avenger demonstrates TW Metals’ commitment to customers in this region,” said branch manager Harry Babin. “We’re extremely excited to be able to offer plasma plate cutting to our customers in Texas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, among other locations.

“The system will provide a variety of benefits for the Gulf Coast’s heat exchanger and fabrication companies–as well as chemical plants in the South–by providing the highest-quality product and cost savings associated with reduced processing time.”