Current pulse

HANNOVER MESSE boosts US partner country relationship

HANNOVER MESSE and Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII) shared information about upcoming opportunities in Chicago, Illinois, as part of the activities leading up to HANNOVER MESSE 2016 in Hannover, Germany. The U.S. is the partner country for the upcoming manufacturing trade show, taking place April 25-29, 2016.

Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA, welcomed speakers and attendees to the information event, saying, “Our presence in Chicago at Goose Island is particularly appropriate because we are at one of the premier advanced manufacturing hubs initiated by President Obama, as the U.S. has been selected for the first time as the partner country for HANNOVER MESSE 2016, a leading global manufacturing event that draws over 220,000 visitors and 6,500 exhibitors from more than 70 countries.”

Greg Scheu, president of the Americas region for ABB, says, “As an American, I’m proud of ABB’s 67 year history with HANNOVER MESSE and pleased to introduce the United States audience to Hannover’s long tradition as the world’s largest and most important industrial technology trade fair. One of the most important things that ABB does is make manufacturing more competitive by increasing productivity and efficiencies, and Hannover, whose attendees are opinion leaders and decision makers, has long been a showcase for that.” www.hannovermesse.com

New CEO appointed at Doosan Infracore America Machine Tools

Y.K. Choi has been appointed CEO of Doosan Infracore America Machine Tools (DIA). During his more than 30 years in the manufacturing industry, Choi served in several positions including: vice president of strategy, sales, and marketing for the Doosan Industrial Vehicles business, vice president of aftermarket business for Doosan Infracore Construction Equipment; vice president of strategy for Doosan Infracore Corporate center; and senior vice president of strategy, finance, and operations for the machine tools business. Choi’s early experience includes four years as a production engineer for machine tools and eight years as a research & development engineer/manager for industrial vehicles.

“Manufacturing in America is rebounding in a big way, and doing so very quickly,” Choi says. “I know that Doosan is going to meet those needs and provide superior products with unparalleled customer support and service. We are going to feed America’s appetite for quality machine tools and our support and service will keep them coming back.” https://www.dn-solutions.com/main.do

New vice president of operations at Lowell

Edward Jaeck has joined Lowell Inc. as vice president of operations. Jaeck comes to Lowell with extensive experience in operations, quality, supplier development, and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing. His experience includes leadership positions at Intel and most recently Medtronic where he was a quality core team member and principal design assurance engineer. Jaeck holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and Master’s degrees in Industrial Engineering from Arizona State University and Engineering Management from the University of Colorado. In addition, he is a Six Sigma Black Belt and a Senior Certified Professional to the ASME GD&T standard. www.lowellinc.com

Quick die and mold change system catalog

Hilma’s 256-page catalog features state-of-the-art quick die and mold change systems. The catalog contains photos, engineer drawings, and specifications on Hilma’s quick-change clamps, die lifters, power units, magnetic systems, and accessories. Hilma systems can be designed for specific applications, allowing users to cut costs and reduce setup time. Request a printed copy, or access the online catalog at www.clrh.com/hilma.

Mastercam ranks 1st in installed seats worldwide, 21 years straight

The most recent analysis of CAM software seats produced by CIMdata Inc. shows that CNC Software’s Mastercam is the world’s most widely-used CAM software for the 21st straight year. With more than 211,000 installed seats, Mastercam has almost twice the installed base of the closest competitor, worldwide.

“We are grateful to have many of these real-world shops giving us feedback and suggestions on what they need to make the most of their time and money,” says CNC Software President Meghan Summers West. “If you’re looking to hire, it means there are many qualified Mastercam programmers in the workforce. And, if you’re looking for work, it means you have more opportunities with a shop that uses Mastercam. It means there is a greater variety of training tools available to help you make sure your skills stay sharp.”

Mastercam holds almost 25% of the educational market. www.mastercam.com

Mitsubishi Materials partners with MachiningCloud

Mitsubishi Materials has partnered with MachiningCloud to simplify the process for customers to find the right machines, cutting tools, and workholding for their manufacturing jobs. Customers will have instant access to current and complete tooling data without searching through printed catalogs and multiple websites to find tooling.

Mitsubishi Materials customers will be able to increase productivity and achieve greater accuracy by downloading descriptive, usage, and geometric information into their shop floor software, such as CAM, simulation, and tool management systems. The MachiningCloud application allows users to generate 3D models and 2D drawings of the tool assembly.

“Customers of Mitsubishi Materials are a click away from more complete and more accurate tooling data, which directly affects the quality of the final product,” says Stephane Julien, cloud evangelist for MachiningCloud. “With that kind of information at your fingertips, greater productivity is the result.” www.machiningcloud.com; www.mmus.com

Mazak distributor update for Kansas, Western Missouri

A new business agreement between two longtime Mazak distributors will bring service and support to Mazak customers in Kansas and Western Missouri. Shelton Machinery and Concept Technical Sales Inc. will join forces to provide manufacturers in these regions with more than 40 years of combined Mazak experience.

In an effort to expand Shelton Machinery’s reach as a total manufacturing solutions provider, owners Nick Shelton and Jeff Tucker purchased Concept Technical Sales, a 25-year Mazak distributor based in Overland Park, Kansas.

Concept Technical Sales will remain at its current location and operate under the name Concept Machinery, a Shelton Machinery Co. Plans are to add new applications engineers and factory certified technicians to the area for improved response times as well as increase the amount of training and learning opportunities available. www.sheltonmachinery.com; www.mazakusa.com