PM News: Swiss Machine Tool Society Marks 30 Years Of Service

Swiss Machine Tool Society Marks 30 Years Of Service In 2004, the Swiss Machine Tool Society (SMTS) will mark its 30th year in existence. The organization was founded in 1974 with 12 original member companies. Over the years, the organization has evolved into a networking group for information and experience-sharing with member companies.

Today, the SMTS is a membership-dues based association of metalworking companies with a direct interest in the sale, distribution and servicing of machine tools and accessories. The purpose of the organization is to promote Swiss metalworking technologies; to render service to Swiss machine tool manufacturers in their relations with fellow manufacturers, customers, employer organizations; the public and related trade organizations; and to promote the Swiss Machine Tool industry.

For more information about the Swiss Machine Tool Society or for specific information about members, visit www.smts.org or call (773) 274-7915.

Tooling University Adds CNC Courses. Tooling University (Tooling U) has announced that it has enlarged its online training program to include classes on computer numeric controls (CNC). The new classes include control-specific training for Haas and other major equipment manufacturers. Essential functions such as powering up and down, homing axes, manually jogging the machine, entering tool offsets, locating program zero, loading and deleting programs and interpreting G-code programming are included.

Tooling U provides on-demand Web-based training for industrial manufacturing companies and education institutions. Courses include metal cutting, metal forming, materials, workholding, CNC and more.

A free trial class is available at the company’s Web site, www.toolingu.com/free. More information is available at (866) 706-8665.

Court Finds Animatics’ Patent Infringed. Animatics Corp. (Santa Clara, California) received a favorable decision in a patent infringement case before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Animatics Corp. sued Quicksilver Controls for infringing on its patent for a servomotor with an integrated microprocessor controller.

In November 2002, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California found as a matter of law that the accused Quicksilver products infringed on two out of five claims.

The Federal Circuit reversed the district court’s finding of no infringement on the remaining three claims. For more information go to www.animatics.com.

Citizen Realigns Lathe Output. Citizen Watch Co. (Tokyo, Japan) is shifting some of its precision-lathe production from Citizen Machinery und Boley, GmbH (Esslingen, Germany) to Citizen Machinery Asia Co. in Thailand. The German location will suspend parts production but will continue engineering operations. Source: Metalworking Insider’s Report, (July 31, 2004)

DeVlieg Bullard II Files For Chapter 11 Protection. After making efforts to renegotiate its debt and seeking outside buyers, officers of DeVlieg Bullard II (Rockford, Illinois) filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 protection from creditors. A subsequent motion filed an asset-purchase agreement with Bourn & Koch (Rockford, Illinois). Source: Metalworking Insider’s Report, (July 31, 2004).