Automation at Aztalan Engineering
A contract manufacturer expands its capacity using various approaches to feeding the machines.

Okuma Goes International, Launches “Storytelling” Campaign
The company has opened a center in Mexico.

Cell Designed for Aluminum Wheel Manufacturing
The All-Okuma wheel cell for cutting and drilling aluminum wheels is designed to increase productivity and efficiency while minimizing downtime.

Okuma Renews Sponsorship of Target Chip Ganassi Racing
The companies have chosen to continue their partnership.

Lathe with Multitasking Capability Helps Shop Stay Competitive
Purchasing a multitasking turning center has helped Mercer Machine Tool accept a wider range of jobs to ensure the future of its business.

Technology Showcase Highlights Partners in THINC
The organization brings experts together to solve manufacturing problems.

Where Grinding Still Beats Hard Turning
For many critical applications, grinding remains the optimal machining process.

When Reshoring Really Happens
Bob’s Design Engineering illustrates how a shop that used to be organized for short-run work transformed its process for ongoing production.

What JIMTOF Had to Show Us
We present here some of the interesting and visually appealing snapshots from JIMTOF 2012.

Five-Axis, High Speed HMC for Large Parts
The MU-10000H, a five-axis HMC from Okuma, is designed for challenging applications in aerospace machining, heavy equipment and other large parts.

Okuma Hosts Technology Showcase
The event is scheduled for December 4-7 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Missler, Okuma Collaborate on Posts
Other important capabilities of the software tailored specifically for Okuma machines include simulation and spindle synchronization.

Okuma Schedules Multiple Open House Events
The events are scheduled for November 12-13 in Sao Paulo, Brazil; November 15 in Houston, Texas and December 4-6 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Okuma to Host “Jobtoberfest” in Chicago
The event is aimed at helping area manufacturers improve productivity.

Managing Machining’s Thermal Effects
Thermal growth is an inherent factor in any machining process. Here's how one company constructs its machines to adapt to changing thermal conditions.

Go Beyond with Okuma…And Possibly Win an iPad
Okuma challenges IMTS attendees to “Go Beyond” by embracing new machining technologies and strategies as a means to capture greater opportunities, increase productivity, improve quality and reduce costs.

Vertical Multitasking Machine for Process-Intensive Machining
The VTM-1200YB five-axis vertical multitasking machine from Okuma is designed to turn relatively large, complex parts and provide process-intensive machining with five-axis multitasking to achieve high production efficiency.

Five-Axis HMC for High Speed Machining
 The MU-10000H is the largest of the Okuma MU range of five-axis, high speed HMCs.

Okuma’s Larry Schwartz Retires
Larry Schwartz, former president of machine tool supplier Okuma America Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina) has retired.   Mr.

THINC Group Welcomes Developer Organization
Okuma America Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina) has announced the addition of a new member to Partners in THINC: the THINC Developers Group, which provides the company with feedback from developers and end users to assist in the continuous development of THINC technologies.  The group focuses on de facto computer architectures in the machine tool environment.

Okuma, Partners Showcase Technology at TechTrek
Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation and its distributors hosted more than 200 manufacturing professionals at TechTrek, a three-day event in early December at the Okuma and Partners in Thinc facility in Charlotte, North Carolina.

More Effective Camshaft Machining
A leading manufacturer of high-performance valve train components installed a twin spindle/twin-turret lathe to bring camshaft machining work in-house. Here, the company explains how it has become more effective using its multifunction lathe to produce small batches of custom racing camshafts.

Delivering Value in Program Production
A contract manufacturer specializing in ongoing production programs describes the investments involved in winning this work.

Making Lean Connections
When Nilpeter embarked on a lean initiative 14 months ago, no one at the printing press manufacturer had any inkling that they had already taken an important first step.

Renishaw Process Control Seminar – The Start to a Better Finish
A metrology seminar on October 12 will address the need for increased process control using a systematic approach to reducing waste and variation in manufacturing processes.

Cycle Efficiency
Automated machining processes enable this maker of high-performance mountain bike parts to manufacture efficiently with minimal staff.

Okuma Appoints New CFO
Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation has promoted Lisa Rummel from vice president of finance to the chief financial officer (CFO). Mrs.

Productivity Help Via Online Experience
Okuma’s interactive, Web-based productivity tool is designed to provide real-time manufacturing solutions and ideas to help users increase productivity and improve CNC machine utilization.

Okuma Appoints New CFO
Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation has promoted Lisa Rummel from Vice President of Finance to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Mrs.

Okuma, Partners Gear Up for imX
At the upcoming imX (interactive manufacturing experience) industry event, Okuma America Corporation will present a series of seminars, workshops and hands-on learning sessions that demonstrate ways to use existing technology and resources to improve quality, increase productivity and reduce costs.

Okuma, RCR Renew partnership
Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and Okuma America Corporation, a developer of CNCs and machining technology, have extended their partnership through 2017.   During the partnership’s first year in 2000, the RCR Okuma Technology center housed four Okuma machines and five employees.

Troubleshooting and Monitoring Software
Okuma’s THINC-OSP-controlled machines are now equipped with Constant Care remote troubleshooting and monitoring software as a standard feature.

Leadership Change at Okuma
Jim King has taken the reins as president and chief operating officer of Okuma America Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina). Former president and COO Larry Schwartz has been named chief strategy officer.

Disaster in Japan: A Spirit of Generosity Will Prevail
Despite last week’s horrendous disaster, Japan will carry on.

Okuma Personnel Changes Emphasize Technology
Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation says its recently formed Technology Group will enable increased emphasis on the THINC-OSP control, the formation of technology partnerships and the utilization of the Partners in THINC and Okuma Tech Center facilities.

Automated Manufacturing Cells
The GENOS M460-VE machine features a double-column structure to deliver increased machining capabilities in minimal floor space, the company says.

Okuma, York Technical College Offer Online Training
Okuma America Corporation (Charlotte, North Carolina) and York Technical College (Rock Hill, South Carolina) have expanded their training curriculum to include online courses for specific Okuma machine tools.The comprehensive courses cover some of the machine tool builder’s latest technology, including the LB-EX series of CNC lathes and the MB-V series of VMCs.

What it Takes for Oilfield Success
Hunt and Hunt’s president says adopting turn/mill machines was one of the most challenging endeavors his 55-year-old shop ever undertook. He also says it’s the best thing the shop could have done to become more efficient at contract work.

Partners in THINC Welcomes First CAD/CAM Supplier Member
Mastercam/CNC Software is the first CAD/CAM developer to join Partners in THINC.

First CAD/CAM Supplier Joins Partners in THINC
CNC Software/Mastercam is the first CAD/CAM developer to join Partners in THINC.

Double-Column VMC with Small Footprint
The M460-VE VMC features a double-column structure for increased machining capability in reduced floor space, the company says.

Okuma, Hartwig Contribute To Training Facility
Machine tool builder Okuma America (Charlotte, North Carolina) and distributor Hartwig (St. Louis, Missouri) will provide machine tool equipment to Davis Applied Technology College (DATC) for use in its Machine Tool Technology Program.

Saving Labor Also Safeguards Labor
A manufacturer that aims to expand its workforce, without a high risk of layoffs later, sees pallet cells that can run through the night as being key to this goal.

Aluminum Molds In Three Weeks Or Less
While aluminum molds are commonly used to create prototypes or to serve as stopgap bridge tooling, they are starting to receive greater attention for production work. This shop’s approach to creating aluminum molds in one day to three weeks is the same for each of these situations.

Okuma Opens Two New Tech Centers
Okuma America (Charlotte, North Carolina) has opened two new Technical Centers, located in Houston, Texas and Roselle, Illinois, respectively. The company and distributor Hartwig will celebrate the grand opening of Okuma’s Technical Center in Houston, Texas with a ribbon cutting ceremony and three days of machining and productivity seminars November 10 through 12.

Okuma Appoints New Chairman and CEO
Okuma Corporation’s board of directors has approved the promotion of Takeshi (Tad) Yamamoto to chairman and CEO of Okuma America, a position that has been vacant since Kirk Kitagawa returned to Okuma Corporation Japan (Nagoya, Japan) in 2008. Mr.

The Part Is Longer Than The Lathe
Here is one custom machine builder’s system for producing a 40-foot part that has to be passed through the turning center and out the other side. INCLUDES VIDEO.

Okuma Hosts 2nd Interoperability Symposium
The second annual Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC) integration and interoperability symposium is quickly approaching. The event, hosted by Okuma America Corporation, is scheduled for December 3-4 at the Partners In Thinc facility in Charlotte, North Carolina. The keynote speaker is SAP’s Vivek Bapat, who is also the co-author of “In Pursuit of the Perfect Plant.

Agreement Links Business, Manufacturing Systems
Okuma America Corporation and Partners and Thinc say a recent agreement with Sap America, Inc. will allow manufacturers to link the front office with the shop floor. The agreement merges the technology of Thinc with Sap’s Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII) application to create a seamless solution for end users.

Rigid, Accurate Five-Axis Machining

Turning Cell Automates Oil Coupling Production

HMC Offers One Setup Machining

Flexible Two-Axis Grinder

Lathe Designed For Accurate Large-Part Production

Automated Production Of Oil-Drill Couplings
A machining cell combines lathes, a robot and a conveyor system to enable automated production of precision oil-drill couplings.

Thinking About Shopfloor Interoperability-And Making It Happen
The significance of “plug-and-produce” integration for machine shops and manufacturing plants becomes clear from the perspective of an ERP software developer.

Machine Tools Used As Dedicated Equipment…For A Little While
Two keys to this shop’s success are versatility and speed. It uses flexible machining centers, rather than dedicated equipment, and constantly reconfigures them into new cells for new jobs. The speed at which it can do this, in addition to in-house tombstone manufacturing capability, provides the nimbleness to quickly respond to its customers’ needs.

Machining Center Tool Eliminates Camshaft Burrs
A special tool performs burr removal inside the part where holes intersect.

Hard Milling With Tandem Toolholding
A combination of toolholding choices lets this die shop get the most performance from its small-diameter tools.

Turning The Tide
When Briggs & Stratton decided to make the crankshaft machining lines in its Poplar Bluff plant globally competitive, it had to choose between CNC lathes and dedicated special machines for its main turning operations. The company chose the lathes.

Mainstream Technology Keeps Shop On Track
In its toolroom, Branchline Trains takes a practical approach to machining with end mills as small as 0.005 inch in diameter.

Machining Composites By Conventional Means
Composites machining is dusty, messy and hard on tools. But this company accepts these difficulties, and machines the material using standard metalworking processes and equipment.

Just Enough Automation
Automated gantry loaders helped this shop make the transition from job shop to product line manufacturer.

Sourcing Automation
A new kind of 'automation project manager' helped this company install a roboticized machining cell, the first of several now operating in its plant.

Stitching Together A Strategy For Survival
This U.S. industrial sewing machine manufacturer is doing what it takes to stay competitive in a global marketplace.

CNC Robotics And Automation: Knowing When To Say 'When'
In metalworking, a shop's move from one level of automation to the next can be a business-busting decision if badly timed. This article looks at what you should consider when taking the next step toward automating an operation.

Flexible Unattended Machining Helps Improve Part Quality And More
In its desire to use new methods, the shop looked for a product that would increase tool life, improve part quality and decrease changeover time. It found the One-Touch flexible manufacturing system (FMS) from Okuma and became the first to own one.

High Speed Machining: Aerospace -- Boeing's One Part Harmony
Faster, lighter cuts can let one solid part replace an assembly of hundreds of components. Better manufacturing and a better airplane both result. But before Boeing could realize these benefits, a more finely tuned process was needed.

Consider Closing The Loop
Looking for a way to reduce process variability, speed setup, simplify your operation? Automatic measurement and machine compensation (Closed Loop Machining) may be something to consider. Here's a shop where it's making a difference.

Sizing Up The Future
This shop installed a bigger CMM to meet its current needs, but the software that came with it has the shop ready for what lies ahead.

No Experience Necessary
This shop assembled standard machine tools and components into a process for flexible production of a series of complex hydraulic cylinder components - all machined from solid, all accurate in some dimensions to +/-0.025 mm - in quantities that can exceed 3,000 per day, using only two operators per shift to shepherd this production from bar stock to shipping container.

Low Cost Turning Automation Yields A High Rate Of Return
Two CNC lathes, with live tooling, tool monitor, and auto-load short-bar bar feeders are helping this California manufacturer compete. They've seen impressive reductions in throughput time and manufacturing costs. And, they're just getting started.

Okuma America Introduces Next-Generation CNC Lathe
Machine tool builder Okuma America Corporation has introduced a new CNC lathe to address the growing need for a family of products suited to the needs of both first-time CNC users as well as experienced manufacturers supplying diverse industries with precision turned parts. Designated the Crown, Okuma's lathe offers a high-torque spindle motor, direct-drive headstock, servo-driven tool turret, an ergonomically-configured machine enclosure, and a compact 95. 47 by 69.

• Video: Grouping HMCs For Greater Efficiency

  VIDEO. In a lean machining facility, grouping horizontal machining centers close together allows a small number of operators to use the machines efficiently.