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Mark Albert , Editor in Chief
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Russia's Big Show.
MASHEX is the main metalworking machine tool show held each year in Moscow. I had the opportunity to visit this show late last month. It was my first trip to Russia. From that experience, I came away with three surprising impressions.
The show is intended primarily for manufacturers in Russia. It’s not a show that a typical U.S. shop would visit to find new technology. Although European companies and their domestic partners dominate the exhibitor list, major machine tool builders and related suppliers from Japan were well represented. A number of U.S. companies selling manufacturing technology were also exhibiting, but show sponsors would clearly like to see greater participation from U.S. metalworking suppliers. Of course, Russia has its own machine tool builders, and their machines appeared to be advanced and well-made.
My first surprise was the first-rate quality of the exhibit space. Held at the Crocus Expo International Exhibition Center, the show occupies halls in two large pavilions that are new, attractive and comfortable.
My second surprise was the level of technology on display. Apparently, Russian companies are looking for the latest developments in machining processes. These companies face the same challenges as U.S. manufacturers to compete on a global basis and they need world-class capabilities. They are somewhat less interested in automation than we are because labor costs do not exert quite as much pressure that as other developed industrial countries.
My third surprise was the city of Moscow itself. The city has rebuilt, restored or refurbished many of its cultural, historic and religious landmarks. The outskirts of the city, where the show was located, are undergoing a construction boom. Numerous office complexes, factories and high-rise residential developments are going up. The new buildings are shiny, sleek and fashionable.
The manufacturing technology suppliers from the United States that are not yet active in Russia have to weigh their options carefully. Establishing a market in Russia requires a significant commitment and a sustained effort. Some tough decisions may have to be made about allocating marketing resources. Other emerging markets may appear to be better bets. It’s a good bet, however, that MASHEX is a good place for companies interested in Russia’s fast growing market to test the waters and build business relationships. The four-day show drew an estimated 100,000 visitors.
ALSO In this issue...
Your Thoughts: Does everybody in your shop speak English?
Re: Your Thoughts: What it means to be clean
Inbox Insights: Simulated Acts
Our Next Issue: Cutting Tools
Newly Posted Products
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Share your views, win a prize
Does everybody in your shop speak English? If not, what are you doing to make sure there are no breakdowns in communication?
Please share your thoughts on this topic. If we publish your response, you’ll receive your choice of one free book from the Hanser Gardner bookstore (www.hansergardner.com).
To respond, send your e-mail (in English, please!) to Mark Albert (malbert@mmsonline.com)
Re: YOUR THOUGHTS
Readers Respond
Clean = Pride. A recent issue asked about shop cleanliness and how important it is. A slew of subscribers “came clean” on their attitudes about a neat and tidy shop. Here are some sample responses:
Tony Staub at Staub Machine (Hamburg, New York) wrote, “We have been working on epoxy floors for 12 years and they have contributed to a wonderful shop experience. There is a penchant here for cleanliness and organization. I find it very interesting that I expect our cleanliness but it is not driven by me. It has become a goal of the 15 shop employees. I believe one of the reasons for this effort is that they are proud of the shop and enjoy hearing the positive comments. I don’t know how many times I have heard “The floor is so clean you could eat off it.”
Roy Solomon at Prompton Tool (Honesdale, Pennsylvania) wrote, “I have worked for shops which were kept clean and shops that weren’t. The biggest determinant was the attitude of upper management. If they were willing to allocate sufficient time for cleaning, it was done. If they constantly pushed to get the next job running and make more parts, it didn’t get done.”
Dewey McCoy at GyrusAcmi (Bartlett, Tennessee) wrote, “In today's environment, clean is a requirement. I don't want that to sound as if we are in the mode of cruel and unusual punishment if we catch an operator with an unclean work area. It is a requirement simply because, through Lean Manufacturing, we found our way to pride in our work areas. We hired an engineer with a strong background in lean and started a wonderful journey. Our floors are swept at least daily, but this can be even more often if the operator is doing something that generates a mess. We believe in a Clean Machine Shop because we all now take pride in where we work as well as how we work. How do we maintain the environment? We have monthly audits that are performed by the employees that are members of the audit teams and each area has a daily check list that states what is to be done and at what intervals.”
Ric Lisano, a supplier quality engineer at Novo Nordisk in Hayward, California, wrote, “What I see when I do a quick facility tour says volumes about the company's manner of business. If I see a dirty place, I will most often tend to root around deeper into systems and documentation during audit activities because I know I will find essentially the same conditions there. A clean-minded supplier is a supplier who more often thinks lean and clean and in the end, has a full docket of orders.”
Chad Seelbinder at EverFab Inc. in East Aurora, New York, wrote, “Shop cleanliness is directly proportional to the level of quality and tolerances that can be held on an everyday basis and gives the employees a standard that they are challenged to achieve every day. It creates a more stable and predictable manufacturing process that catapults the organization into a fine-tuned machine that reaches previously unobtainable goals. It promotes self pride and reaches into their personal lives as well. Customers flock to this sort of pride, and feel comfortable entrusting you with their valuable projects.”
INBOX INSIGHTS
Simulated Acts
Having your CAM software run a simulation of a machining process is a great way to make sure you are not going to crash a fixture, gouge a surface or encounter a clearance issue. Siemens UGS PLM Software favors one of two different approaches to simulation.
Here’s the background: Some CAM systems use the programmed tool path as the basis for the simulation. Other systems use G codes as the basis. Toolpath data is generated by CAM software using algorithms that interpret geometry and apply the machining strategies selected by the programmer. At this point, the toolpath data is not yet formatted and customized for a specific machine tool and its particular control unit. That’s the job of the postprocessor.
The postprocessor is an auxiliary software program that takes toolpath data and turns it into the “language” that the machine tool/control unit combination understands, so to speak. The postprocessor takes into account where zeros and decimal points need to be based on the format required by the CNC’s own software. It also takes into account the configuration of the machine, limitations to axis travel and rotation, peculiarities in machine function command codes and so on. In some cases such as five-axis simultaneous machining, the “post” determines how the machine tool has to move in order to cut the part.
That’s one reason why using G codes (output of the post processor) for simulation is the better approach, UGS PLM Software says. G code-based simulation is less generic than toolpath-based simulation. NX 5 is the latest release of the firm’s CAD/CAM/CAE software. G code simulation gives you a more complete, more reliable prediction of exactly what is going to happen—or had better not happen—when you push the cycle start button, the company says. As you might expect, Version 5 of the NX CAM software applies the postprocessor before it does the simulation as an integrated function within the NC programming application. This allows it to precisely emulate the dynamics of the machining process on a specific machine tool model without having to transfer data to separate simulation applications that can read G code. |
NEW AT MMS ONLINE
MMS inMotion Multimedia Presentation
Makino shows you how to maximize throughput and speed your entire operation by Error-Proofing Your Production Manufacturing Operation.
For a link, go to http://www.mmsonline.com/inmotion/makino4/. Topics covered include reducing scrap, Poka-Yoke, safe start programming techniques and much more.
OUR NEXT ISSUE
Cutting Tools
The July issue of MODERN MACHINE SHOP talks about new and better ways to do plunge roughing. It’s a great way to hog out lots of material in a hurry.
The issue will also cover peel milling, which involves a tool that can handle a large axial depth of cut combined with a small radial engagement of the tool diameter.
In addition, we’ll look at tool presetters and how these measurement devices help a shop save time, control runout and improve tool management.
For more information on Cutting Tools, visit MMS Online's Cutting Tools Zone.
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