PM News: Machine Named A Notable Innovation

Machine Named A 'Notable Innovation'
Hardinge Inc.'s (Elmira, New York) Quest LMC42 Lean Manufacturing Cell was recognized by Industry Week Magazine as part of its 2004 Technology and Innovation Awards Program as a "notable innovation" for its potential to improve operations. The awards are given in the spirit of Josef Schumpeter, the distinguished Harvard economist and social theorist, to celebrate the innovators and technologies that forward the world's economic progress.

The LMC, which was launched at the 2004 International Manufacturing Technology Show, is a self-contained manufacturing cell with four distinct cutting zones that perform a multitude of machining operations. It is designed to help job shops and OEMs reduce operating expenses, job setups, crash potential, human intervention and waste, resulting in improved flexibility and throughput.

"The LMC makes significant advancements in the implementation of Lean principles in the manufacturing process," says Douglas Rich, vice president and general manager of U.S. machine operations. "It enables the operator to run only what is required—when it is required—in the most economical fashion possible."

In November 2004, Schwanog Siegfried Guentert GmbH (Villingen, Germany) founded Schwanog LLC.
Schwanog LLC began manufacturing and stocking its product line in the United States on March 1 this year.

It's production facility and warehouse will be based out of Warsaw, Indiana. Sales, customer service and technical support for Schwanog LLC will continue to be handled by Holger Johannsen at GST Tooling Corporation (Roselle, Illinois).

This decision will result in faster turnaround of Schwanog's product line as well as lower shipping cost, while all products ship from Warsaw.

In 2004, the Tornos Group (Brookfield, Connecticut) achieved a consolidated turnover of $175 million (CHF 205.7 million ), which corresponds to a growth of 17.7 percent compared to the same period the previous year. Although incoming orders were relatively moderate in January and February 2004, from March on, incoming orders increased progressively to stabilize later on a higher level.

With regard to the market development, 2004 profiled from a recovery of the electronics market (contact and assembling technology) and of the subcontracting industry; both segments had still been confronted with a cautious demand in 2003. The other main markets (medical and automotive) also developed positively. At different levels, this positive trend can be noticed in all countries where Tornos is actively present. Regarding product lines, this particularly applies to single-spindle machines, which are especially used for manufacturing high-precision small turned parts.

MTA International (Pawleys Island, South Carolina) has announced its association with Spego Inc. (Asheville, North Carolina). This association complements the newest equipment additions to MTA, and its selection for short, 6 feet, 12 feet and longer, automated bar loading and unloading equipment and accessories.

For many years, Spego has bee building and marketing its Turnamics multi-tube hydrodynamic bar feed system and its Versa Bot four-axis servo-controlled, gantry robotic system for loading and unloading, assembly and material handling of manufactured parts.

Allied Tools Products (Milwalkee, Wisconsin) sold the company to Stephen Loukanis, who assumed ownership of the company on January 1, 2005.
Mr. Loukanis has more than 25 years of manufacturing experience in the machine tool industry, specializing in threading and shallow grooving tooling.

In a letter to customers and prospects announcing the sale, Mr. Loukanis states, "It is my personal goal as the new owner to continue to provide you with quality machine tools you have been accustomed to since 1953. I also have taken action to improve response time for quoting and delivery. Along with this, I have expanded our presence in the field with the addition of manufacturing representatives throughout many parts of America to provide better service."