August • September 2007 • Vol. XXV No. 6 • An Arnold Publication

Industry  News • Executive Hotline

Executive Hotline

Colorado-built Space Probes will be Returned to Duty

Two successful space probes built by Colorado companies received new assignments in July  to explore comets, extending the lives of spacecrafts launched years ago that had completed their original exploration assignments.

Littleton-based Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. won part of a $25 million contract from NASA to manage a mission to fly the Stardust spacecraft it built to pass the comet Tempel 1 and map the comet’s surface.

The Lockheed Martin Mission Support Area in Jefferson County will oversee the performance of the craft and send it commands during what has been dubbed the Stardust-New Exploration of Tempel, or Stardust-Next, the company announced. The Lockheed Martin Corp.  division is teamed with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology and principal investigator Joseph Veverka, a Cornell University researcher.

Boeing to Hire 400 in Texas to Support 787

The Boeing Co. said it will hire 400 new employees at its site in San Antonio, Texas, to perform modifications work on 11 Boeing 787 aircraft once they roll off the assembly line in Washington.

Boeing  will assemble the plane in Everett, although workers at the Boeing plant at Port San Antonio will also play a major part in the airplane’s development.

The aerospace giant will hire new employees in San Antonio to install electronic and mechanical equipment, complete software upgrades, test functional systems and remove or replace wiring, if needed.

General Dynamics’ Scottsdale Unit Could Gain $200 Million From Army’s Futuristic Command Post

General Dynamics Corp.’s Scottsdale unit, C4 Systems, will provide support and engineering services for the Army’s Command Post of the Future under a contract that could reach $200 million.

The initial delivery order is valued at $18.4 million, but could rise over the contracts five-year term, according.

Texas Company Acquires Tucson Tech Firm for $42 Million

A public company out of Texas is acquiring Apex Microtechnology of Tucson for $42 million.

Cirrus Logic Inc.  a designer of high-precision analog, mixed-signal and embedded integrated circuits, made the announcement Thursday. Apex Microtechnology, founded in 1980, specializes in precision high-power analog amplifier products and has 90 employees. Sales have been running at about $4 million to $5 million per quarter, according to the release.

A spokesman said the Apex operation will remain in Tucson with employees joining Cirrus Logic.

Jacor Partners Looks at 900,000SF Industrial Project For Sky Harbor site

A fledgling Phoenix development company has purchased a prime parcel of land near Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and will build distribution facilities on the 65-acre site.

Jacor Partners, funded by Behringer Harvard, a Dallas-based real estate investment trust, is in the process of developing a site plan and negotiating with potential buyers and lessees. Jacor paid $7.4 million for the land.

The main entrance to the site will be off of 24th Street. Preliminary plans call for 900,000 square feet of Class A industrial space disbursed among nine buildings.

Washington Named Fifth Best States For Business

You use its products every day—when you take a cross-country flight on a Boeing jet, when you sip your morning Starbucks coffee, when you order the latest Harry Potter book from Amazon.com and when you use the Microsoft operating system on your PC. Washington state is home to these companies and more, befitting the state’s tagline, “Innovation is in our nature.”

In Forbes.com’s second annual Top States for Business, Virginia may be the top-ranked state for the second straight year, but Washington is the big story. The biggest mover (tied with Tennessee), rising from 12th to fifth place, Washington is also the only state to finish in the top five in three main categories (labor, regulatory environment and growth). And Washington’s numbers are up across the board when you look both backward and at projections into the future

Raytheon Nets $18.5 Million Infrared Marker Upgrade for

F/A-18 Targeting Pod

 The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company  an $18.5 million contract modification to provide an infrared marker upgrade on Hornet and Super Hornet targeting pods, which will enhance F/A-18 ground operations support.

The upgrade will affect Lots 4 and 5 of the Advanced Targeting Forward- Looking Infrared program. The work will be performed by Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems in El Segundo, Calif., and McKinney, Texas.

Invitrogen Develops Prototype Hand-Held Biothreat Detectors under $3.9M Contract

Invitrogen Corporation in San Diego a provider of essential life science technologies for disease research and drug discovery, announced that its subsidiary, Invitrogen Federal Systems, under a $3.9 million contract from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), successfully completed the development of a prototype hand-held device for the detection of multiple biothreat agents in a single sample.

Telelogic Signs $790,000  Agreement with Leading Defense/Aerospace Company

Telelogic in Irvine CA announced that it has signed an agreement worth $790,000  with a leading supplier of information solutions for the defense, space and homeland security industries. The deal includes software licenses, services and first-year maintenance for Telelogic Rhapsody . 

Inventor of Numerical Control for Machine Tools - Dead at 93

John Thoren Parsons, inventor of Numerical Control for Machine Tools, born in Detroit, Michigan on October 11, 1913, died in Traverse City, Michigan, on April 18, 2007.

Best known for his work with Frank Stulen, he envisioned a new world of manufacturing using part dimensions in digital numerical form to move machine tool axes to the corresponding locations – quickly named “numerical control.” This was the fore-runner of today’s computer aided manufacturing.

The Society of Manufacturing Engineers recognized Parsons as the “Father of the Second Industrial Revolution”. The Numerical Control Society bestowed their coveted Marie Jacquard Award (1968) for his

invention of Numerical Control for Machine Tools. Other honors received included the Society of Manufacturing Engineers Founders Award (1982); National Medal of Technology (President Reagan, White

House, 1985); the University of Michigan Honorary Doctorate of Engineering (1988); and inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (1993).

BAE Awarded $49 Million Navy Contract

The Navy has awarded a $49 million contract for work on multi-platform demonstration turrets to BAE Systems Spectral Solutions’ Honolulu division. The company will design and build five “multi-platform demonstration turrets with a non-acoustic sensor suite for the Navy and government of Canada,” the Defense Department said. The contract was awarded without bids.

Ball Lands NASA Contract

Colorado based Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corp. landed a $127.9 million contract from NASA to design and build a satellite to take continuous images of the Earth following a launch scheduled for 2011.

The Operational Land Imager will be designed to take readings of the planets land masses in the infra-red and the near-visible light spectrum. Broomfield Colorado-based Ball also is contracted to support the satellite for five years following launch. The contract includes an option for an extension through 2021.

Flow Inks ‘Multimillion-Dollar’ Deal with Airbus Spain

Flow International Corp. said it’s signed a “multimillion-dollar” deal with Airbus Spain to provide waterjet products that will be used to build the aerospace company’s A320 airplane.

The Airbus plant in Illescass, Spain, is responsible for designing and manufacturing the A320’s rear section. The Flow system will machine composite horizontal stabilizer structures for the airplane when it’s delivered in 10 months, officials at the Kent-based company  said.

This is the second “multimillion-dollar” contract with Airbus, Flow said

Port Orchard Boat Maker Gets $2.8M Navy Contract

Safe Boats International LLC has received a $2.8 million contract to build a 49-foot Riverine Command Boat (RCB) for the U.S. Navy.

The boat, according to the Port Orchard boat maker, will be used as a command and control platform for the Navy’s Riverine force. Sailors on the boat are sealed from nuclear, biological and chemical contamination, a Safe Boat spokesman said.

The boat is based on a design by Swedish company FMV and was previously produced by Swedish boat builder Dockstavarvet. It will now be built in the U.S. by Safe Boats under license from the Swedish companies.

Air Force Contract Worth More Than $107 Million to Boeing

The Air Force awarded Boeing a $107.7 million contract to make parts for a satellite-based communications system. The contractor will build and deliver parts for the Combat Survivor Evader Locator. Work on the project is expected to be complete by August 2008.

Flying-Car Developer Nets Defense Development Contract

Moller International Inc. has been selected as a primary vendor for the Department of Defense development services, the Davis company said.

The 12-18 month contract will not have an impact on the flying-car developer’s bottom line, Moller  said.

The contract will take advantage of Moller’s experience with ducted fans, manned and unmanned vertical take off and landing systems designs and high power-to-weight rotary engines.

Motorola Tempe Collaborates with California Firm

Motorola Inc.’s Tempe operations and Wind River Systems of California have announced a pact to deliver bundled hardware and software designs for next-generation networking products used in the telecom, military and aerospace, medical and industrial automation industries.

Specifically, Motorola  and Wind River Systems said they will integrate AdvancedTCA and MicroTCATM communication platforms with Carrier Grade Linux and VxWorks runtimes.

The companies also will provide joint customer support, as well as collaborate on product development.

“Collaborating with an industry leader like Wind River demonstrates Motorola’s commitment to extend the benefits of leading-edge, multicore technologies such as MicroTCA and AdvancedTCA to our joint customers,” said Stephen Dow, vice president and general manager, Embedded Communications Computing, Motorola Inc.

Adam Aircraft names Chairman/CEO

Adam Aircraft named John Wolf chairman and CEO, effective immediately, the company reported Monday.

He and President Duncan Koerbel joined the company in February to help it achieve FAA Type Certification of the very light jet (VLJ) A700 and to build up the company’s manufacturing capabilities.

Wolf has 39 years of experience in aerospace at Fairchild Aerospace, Teledesic Corp. and McDonnell Douglas Corp.

Englewood-based Adam Aircraft designs and manufactures aircraft for the civil and government markets. Its A700 AdamJet is undergoing flight test and development, and will carry seven people. The FAA has Type Certified its A500 airplane.

Industry News

Las Vegas to Host New Manufacturing Show in September

The American Manufacturing Expo will open in the Las Vegas Convention Center at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, September 18, 2007. Known throughout the Industry as the AMMO Show, this first-time event features the latest in manufacturing technology.

Accompanying the show will be the 2007 Annual Technical Conference of the National Tooling & Machining Association (NTMA). A wide range of substantive technical topics, endemic to manufacturing, will be presented by industry experts over the course of the three day conference and show.

 Of importance to manufacturing professionals from throughout the United States, AMMO shows the technology, software and systems necessary to keep them competitive in an increasingly global economy. New dimensions in manufacturing necessitate the constant improvement  at the individual plant level.

World leaders in this technology such as Haas, Toyoda, Doosan, Hardinge, Marubeni,  Vanguard, Clausing and more will have capital equipment on disply producing parts. Leading software companies such as Mastercam, Gibbs, Surfware, Epicior, Command and others will be demonstrating the latest in CAD/CAM. Tooling, workholding and other accessory companies such Kurt, Iscar, O.S. Walker, Kool Carb and others will have the latest in consumables on display.

Best of all these are OEM exhibitors. Attendees to the show will be talking directly with manufacturing personnel of the companies that have developed and produced the technology.

NTMA will provide a technical conference immediately adjacent to the show in the class rooms of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Topics will  include EDM Process Automation, Quality Management, In process Inspection, Failure Analysis for cutting tools Using Machine Simulation Software to Improve Post Processing and more

Romi Machine Tools, Ltd. Names Amaury Torres de Miranda as President

Romi Machine Tools Ltd., has named Amaury Torres de Miranda as president. He will manage the company’s North American distribution and service facility in Erlanger, Kentucky.

Mr. Miranda began his career with Romi in 1962 at their headquarters in Brazil. He was elected to the Board of Directors in 1990. He is also a  vp of the parent company and is responsible for Romi’s international business operations. Mr. Miranda holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautics Engineering from  the Aeronautics Technical Institute in Sao Paulo, and in Economics from the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas.

Mazak Announces Sponsorship of G2 Motorsports’ HRA Pro Stock Drag Racing Motorcycle

 Mazak Corporation will sponsor the G2 Motorsports (Americus, GA) Chip Ellis/DRAG Specialties/S&S Cycle S&S-powered Buell drag-racing motorcycle.

Driven by Ellis, the bike competes in the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Pro Stock series as well as the All Harley Drag Racing Association (AHDRA).

“We are specially pleased to have Mazak join as a supporting sponsor for the Chip Ellis/DRAG Specialties/S&S Cycle team,” says George Smith, co-owner of G2 Motorsports. “The Pro Stock motor that we campaign in the NHRA would not be possible without Mazak’s fine-quality machine tools.”

Smith co-founded G2 Motorsports along with partner George Bryce in 2003 to campaign the race bike. The company has evolved since then to include selling between $3 million and $4 million in turnkey racing motorcycles, racing engines and support parts to drag-racing enthusiasts

S&S Cycle, a long-time user of Mazak’s advanced-technology machine tools, manufactures virtually every component for its engines, including the crank case, cam chest, cam cover, cylinder heads and many others parts.

ATS Systems to Distribute Spanntop™ Collet Chucks

Hainbuch America Corporation recently announced that ATS Systems, Inc. has agreed to distribute its Spanntop Dead Length Collet Chucks.

Jurgen Bettray, president of Hainbuch America, says: “This agreement opens a very important channel of distribution in the U.S. and Canada.  Through ATS Systems’ large, consultative sales force and supported resellers, we can introduce more shops to the unique, innovative advantages of the Spanntop™ models.”

Sean Murphy, CEO of ATS Systems, commented: “Broadening our solutions makes it easy for resellers to supply the right workholding for each application. Spanntop is a terrific compliment to our products. This chuck is ideal for sub-spindle applications. It features a wide clamping range per collet, near perfect part run-out, minimum tool interference, excellent rigidity and clamp force, and quick and easy changeover.”

Hainbuch designs high-quality workholding systems. ATS Systems is produces collet chucks and other CNC accessories, having recently acquired SMW Systems and its Automation and Workholding lines.

Makino’s 2007 Die Mold Expo September 25-27, 2007

Makino’s bi-annual Expo has become a major event for tool, die and mold makers interested in cutting-edge technologies and techniques to improve their competitiveness. Held in Aurburn Hills, Michigan, the first day of the Expo will feature key industry leaders speaking about business improvement opportunities, including best-selling author Jeff Fox, IRN’s Chief Economist Erich Merkel, IRN’s VP Jud McKinley who will speak about his experience with customer diversification including the “new domestic” OEMs, and several other speakers.

On the second and third days Makino has organized a series of presentations on machining topics such as hardmilling and micromachining. In addition, there will be extensive machining demonstrations on sixteen machines under power and 20 select industry suppliers will also be exhibiting.

Makino’s Die/Mold Technology Center is located at 2600 Superior Court, Auburn Hills, Michigan, 48326.

Key Agie Charmilles Executives Take On New Responsibilities

On July 1, 2007, Harry Moser became chairman of Agie Charmilles US, and Glynn Fletcher became president. This transition coincided with the worldwide consolidation of Agie, Charmilles and Mikron machines under the new, unified brand name of GF AgieCharmilles.

Mr. Fletcher has served as executive vp of Agie Charmilles since the company became a unified legal entity in 2006. Prior to that, he served as president of Agie Charmilles in the U.K., and then of Agie US for over three years, overseeing substantial growth in sales.   “I am very comfortable handing the responsibility to Glynn,” says Mr. Moser. “His strategic vision and innovation have been key to the successful integration of Agie, Charmilles and Mikron over the last year.”

Harry Moser had served as president of Charmilles US and then Agie Charmilles since 1985.  Mr. Moser will help expand the markets for the company’s products and services while continuing to represent the company with a host of trade associations. He will be dedicating his energies to workforce development, advancing the competitiveness of US manufacturing and a host of other issues facing American manufacturers today.

Hangsterfer’s Laboratories, Inc.  Appoints Leslie Jones  New President

Hangsterfer’s Laboratories, Inc. global manufacturer of metalworking lubricants, announced they have appointed Leslie Jones as president. This appointment became effective in May.

Leslie Jones started with Hangsterfer’s in 1974 and has recently held the position of vice president overseeing manufacturing and finance. Leslie is a past president of the Independent lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) and is active in the Society of Thribologists and Lubrication Engineer (STLE).   Hangsterfer’s is  preparing  to celebrate their 70th  anniversary.

So Cal Machine Tools Named as Distributor  for Nexturn Swiss Turning Machines.

Tyler Machine Tool President Michael Tyler  announced the new partnership with So Cal Machine Tools as exclusive distributor for sales, parts, and service of the Nexturn Swiss Type Turning Centers in Southern California and Southern Nevada. “With the swiss  background of So Cal Machine Tools and Tyler Machine Tool’s excellent reputation of service support we can both best serve the Southern California market”.

“Nexturn Swiss turning centers offer excellent Japanese quality and components with lots of standard features  with great application and service support”, said Rene Castillo vice president of marketing and sales at So Cal Machine Tools.

2007 NTMA Technology Conference to be Held in Las Vegas, Sept. 18-20

More than 60% of NTMA members have reported that their biggest problem is the lack of trained workers to do all the work that needs to be done. As a result, the NTMA is approaching this issue on two fronts.

First there is the Precision Jobs for American Manufacturing (PJAM) project begun in early 2007 to help find the best ways to recruit, train and retain good workers.

Second, to help members better use technology to compete in the global market, the NTMA is sponsoring the 2007 Technology Conference, September 18-20, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The conference will be held in conjunction with the new American Manufacturing Expo, AMMO.

What is the difference between a NTMA Technology Conference and a regular NTMA National Conference? The main difference is the emphasis. At a national conference company owners and managers come to hear about the basic business problems they face. A Technology Conference, is all about new technology.

For this year’s outing, NTMA has 21 speakers scheduled over a 3 day time period. Company owners and managers are welcome, of course, but the conference is designed for those people who use and have a say in what technology is needed for tomorrow.

This will be the third NTMA-sponsored Technology Conference.

Previous attendees have said about the conference, “I loved the seminars but wish I had brought more of my staff to hear about it too. It was a great investment in my time.”

2007 Pacific Coast Machine Tool Expo In November

Cygnus Expositions, the tradeshow division of  Cygnus Business Media, will host the 27th Annual Pacific Coast Machine Tool Expo, November 13-15 at the Santa Clara Convention Center in Santa Clara, CA, sponsored by the American Machine Tool Distributors’ Association (AMTDA).

“This year should mark the third consecutive year of increases in machine tool consumption,” says Joyce Lortz, Show Manager. “With the continued strength of aerospace and demand for high-tech coast market is machine tools for medical equipment, the west coast market is poised for growth. The Pacific Coast Machine Tool Expo is uniquely positioned to help both buyers and sellers capitalize on this growth.”  

With more then 18,000 square feet sold, Pacific Coast Machine Tool Expo is   premier regional event for the machine tool, industrial, and manufacturing industries. It will feature the industry’s leading companies showcasing the latest products and services, including metal cutting & metal forming machines, measuring equipment, EDM, tooling, CAD/CAM, lasers, cutting tools, drilling, finishing, and other manufacturing and industrial products. 

Along with a number of returning companies, Pacific Coast Machine Tool Expo welcomes: Big Kaiser Precision Tooling, Inc., Bison/TMX, Byington Steel Treating, Inc., C & M Precision Spindle, Destiny Tool Company, DP Technology Corp., EDM Preventive Maintenance, Gosiger West, Graphic Reproduction, Helical Solutions, Hexagon Metrology, Kreager Machine Tool Corporation, MSC Industrial Supply Co., Multi Metrics, Inc., Peak Solutions LLC, Shop Tools, Inc., and Spectro USA/Yang.

Pacific Coast Machine Tool Expo will feature a free, comprehensive conference program offering the industry’s latest applications and innovations. The scope of the conference is designed to attract high-level decision makers in machine tools, manufacturing, and design engineering industries

Haas Automation Installs 75,000th CNC Machine Tool

It hardly seems possible, but on May 31, 2007, Haas Automation installed its 75,000th CNC machine tool. When one considers that more than two-thirds of that number have been sold in the last 7 years, and that the company designs and builds its machines at a single plant in Southern California – employing just 1100 people – it’s even more incredible. And to think, less than 20 years ago, skeptics the world over doubted that any U.S. company could ever build machine tools economically again, let alone on such a scale.

Recipient of the milestone machine was German company MEPO Minoudis GmbH & Co. KG, a family-owned, second-tier automotive components supplier based in Korb, in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg. The company already had four Haas vertical machining centers. The new VF-3SS high-speed machine will, like the others, be set to work making parts for local companies Porsche, Bosch and Mercedes, plus a number of other prestigious domestic and overseas car builders.

At a special hand-over ceremony to mark the occasion, Haas Automation General Manager Mr. Bob Murray traveled from the company’s U.S. headquarters to meet the owners of MEPO, and personally thank them for their purchase.

“Installation of the 75,000th machine is a very special occasion for Haas Automation,” says Mr. Murray, “and we’re very pleased that it has been installed at MEPO, a successful and growing company with high standards and demanding customers. They are very typical of the sort of companies we work with around the world.”

Omax ® Appoints Dr. Axel Henning Head of  R & D

Omax Corporation announced the appointment of Dr. Axel Henning as its head of Research & Development. Dr. Henning brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the field of abrasive waterjet technology, with an extensive background in production and quality engineering. 

Dr. Henning was among the first to develop techniques for precision machining, with special emphasis on increasing both cutting performance and cutting quality for various types of materials. 

Since 1991, Dr. Henning has been working with abrasive waterjets, gaining his initial experience at the Hanover Waterjet Laboratory carrying out research on precision cutting heads and turning with abrasive waterjets. After earning his Mechanical Engineering degree at the University of Hanover in 1995, he joined Stuttgart University where he headed the Stuttgart Waterjet Laboratory performing contractual research work. Dr. Henning pioneered an improved modeling approach for automatically determining angular adjustments of the cutting head to control both lag and taper as, e.g. a function of speed (feed rate), in 5-axis waterjet machining.  Over a decade ago, Dr. Henning implemented this approach into a then standard commercial CAD/CAM package, to significantly improve edge quality from 5-axis waterjet cutting.  In 2001, Dr. Henning moved to the Fraunhofer Institute full time, to lead the research group for Flexible Production Technologies.

 Sumitomo Acquires Master Tool, LLC

  Sumitomo Electric Carbide, Inc. announced acquisition of Master Tool LLC.  Finalized on June 29, 2007, the deal establishesd Sumitomo as the majority owner. Master Tool LLC, located in Grand River, OH, is a designer and builder of custom, inserted cutting tools.

Their area of expertise is the development of custom tooling to machine critical features on engine blocks, cylinder heads, connecting rods, crank shafts, transmission cases and various other automotive parts.

 Supplying the entire Master Tool LLC tooling package further reinforces Sumitomo’s reputation as a world-leading tooling supplier, and their commitment to offering quality solutions.