Waukesha, Wisc. —Walter has signed an agreement to acquire the U.S.-based GWS Tool Group, a manufacturer of solid carbide endmills and drills as well as HSS taps and PCD products. GWS is focused on highly engineered customized cutting tools for the American market. The acquisition suppor

Mitsubishi Electric Automation has announced the official launch of its workforce development program Diamondworks! The program’s mission is educating the future workforce to be better prepared for roles in industries that are becoming increasingly automated, the company said. Industrie

An agricultural energy ethanol maker that needed to optimize dryer performance adopted a physics-informed artificial intelligence (AI) model from Rockwell Automation. The closed-loop controller shifted drying load from the factory dryer to the evaporator and was customized to reduce heat losse

The Third Industrial Revolution (1970 – 2010) was characterized by the advent of electronics and information technology that enabled the automation of production facilities at a scale that was unprecedented. This paved the way for a wave of productivity that played a significant role in

One thing you can never say about the energy business is that it is boring. It’s always in the news—as the main villain in climate change, in debates over offshore drilling, and in coverage of the yo-yo-like increases and decreases in gas prices. After a pandemic helped reduce e

Concerns about climate change and global carbon dioxide levels have put green energy closer to the driver’s seat in recent years. According to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Global Energy Review, most experts expect renewables to produce nearly 30 percent of all electri

Hoffman Estates, Illinois -- BIG KAISER Precision Tooling Inc. will change its name to BIG DAISHOWA Inc., effective Jan. 1, 2022.  “BIG DAISHOWA is a global leader of tooling systems, and we have been a member of the BIG DAISHOWA group of companies for many years,” said Jack B

REUTLINGEN, Germany – They are small, powerful, and extremely efficient: semiconductors made of silicon carbide (SiC). After several years of development, Bosch is now starting volume production of power semiconductors made of the material, supplying automotive manufacturers worldwide. I

In a world where machine shops are struggling to stay open and maintain their business and in a day when “going into dad’s business” is not what it once was, Platinum Tooling is an exception to the rule.Located in Prospect Heights, Illinois, the company is set to reach an

Digitization and data dominated the discussion as EASTEC returned to West Springfield, Mass., after its 2020 pandemic hiatus. From the first media event to the three keynote presentations and a panel discussion addressing optimization of the factory floor, EASTEC 2021 firmly established tha

Fastems LLC of West Chester, Ohio announced the launch of its Flexible Pallet Tower (FPT), a compact pallet automation solution for a single CNC milling machine with 300 to 630 mm pallets. FPT integrates with any machine with a wide library of ready-made machine tool interfaces and multipli

McLean, Va. – Acme Alliance, a leading die caster in Northbrook, Ill., received the 2021 National Metalworking Reshoring Award in recognition of its success in bringing manufacturing back to the United States. The 2021 award was presented during FABTECH at McCormick Place in Chicago

Building on the success of the original NC4+ Blue, the latest evolution of the non-contact tool setter features an ultra-compact design and is now available in four sizes, with operating gaps ranging from 55 mm to 240 mm. Measurement repeatability has also been improved across the range, now d

It may be the thorniest part of implementing smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0: How to bring existing systems into the world of machine data production, collection and analysis? With a lack of standardization in software protocols for operational and informational technologies, it may se

Manufacturers are looking to boost use of automation, according to a report by Ericsson released today. “Manufacturing is in a constant race for productivity and efficiency,” according to the report’s summary “One way to bring down costs, while maintaining a high level

The ability to quickly and cost-effectively test large numbers of people, along with vaccinations and social distancing, are the three pillars supporting the solution to this pandemic. High-volume COVID-19 diagnostic testing, however, has presented a significant worldwide challenge. In a SA

There was excitement—and crowds—at the 30th edition of the RAPID + TCT show, held Sept. 13-15, 2021, at McCormick Place, Chicago. In this year of transition from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 6,000 participants attended, both in-person and virtually through the RA

Automakers will need more flexible manufacturing with the shift to electric vehicles, plug-in hybrids and other powertrains, automation company ABB said today in a presentation. “We need changes in manufacturing and production,” Joerg Reger, ABB’s head of global business line

As recently as two years ago, when Okuma America’s Brad Klippstein wanted to squeeze some operational data out of a legacy machine tool, he had to connect dozens of wires to the control cabinet and add a PLC. Once he was done, data flowed from the machine tool to the PLC and then on to a

NASA landed another rover on Mars in February, thanks in part to the work and leadership of Adam Steltzner. SME’s Smart Manufacturing interviewed him shortly thereafter—just as he got off the phone with U.S. President Joe Biden. Adam, what were the most interesting things you le