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December 19, 2022 - Volume 16 Issue 24
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Image - Happy Holidays!

With 2022 winding down, and as we head into the holiday season, we can all be grateful for one thing -- no more campaign commercials! At least for a few weeks, anyway.

The mid-term election is behind us, and hopefully, so too is the pandemic -- at least the worst of it. We hope and pray that's the case.

2022 was another challenging year for everyone -- and it was no different in our machine tool/metalworking industry. Companies that survived the pandemic are now facing record inflation, ongoing supply chain issues, high energy costs and a lack of skilled workers. According to a recent study by the Manufacturing Institute, the skills gap in the U.S. alone could result in over 2 million unfilled jobs by 2030.

Onshoring, Smart Factory initiatives, Additive Manufacturing, Robotic Automation, Digital Manufacturing, and Artificial Intelligence are the most popular innovations manufacturers have employed to face -- and overcome -- these latest challenges.

On the bright side, trade shows returned in 2022. It didn't seem to matter that they weren't at full-force, pre-pandemic levels. More importantly, they brought a sense of normalcy -- something I think we all needed.

Nelson Publishing was there to cover IMTS and everything else happening in our industry. Our eNewsletters -- Tooling & Production (T&P), Modern Applications News (MAN), and the Manufacturing Center Product Spotlight will continue to bring you the very latest news, product announcements, and success stories from the metalworking world. T&P begins its 88th year in January while MAN embarks on its 56th year serving the machine tool industry!

The staff at Tooling & Production would like to send our best wishes to all of our advertisers and all of our readers. We appreciate your loyalty! We hope that your spirit is renewed with a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, or a Happy New Year celebration!

We have continued our tradition of putting together our "Best of" issue. We have compiled two lists from 2022 -- the Top 10 Most Read Features and Top 10 Most Read Product Spotlights -- as judged by our readers. We hope you enjoy these stories and catch some helpful information you may have missed the first time around. Again, we want to wish you a safe, successful, and prosperous 2023!

Happy Holidays!

Bob West

Associate Publisher/Managing Editor MAN/T&P


  "Top 10" Most Read Features
Image - Hermeus to Build World's Fastest Aircraft (Watch Video) Hermeus to Build World's Fastest Aircraft (Watch Video)
Using Velo3D's end-to-end metal additive manufacturing solution, the hypersonics aerospace company will 3D print parts for its Mach 5 Chimera engine and Quarterhorse aircraft.
Full Article
Image - Travelling Column Machine Provides Flexible Solution for Construction Equipment Manufacturer (Watch Video) Travelling Column Machine Provides Flexible Solution for Construction Equipment Manufacturer (Watch Video)
Modern construction vehicles are often customized to meet a wide variety of requirements. Komatsu Germany, a manufacturer of construction machinery, looked for -- and found -- that necessary flexibility and productivity thanks to EMCO's travelling column machine equipped with a universal milling head.
Full Article
Image - Aerospace Manufacturer Takes Off After Moving to the Cloud (Watch Video) Aerospace Manufacturer Takes Off After Moving to the Cloud (Watch Video)
Enjet Aero manufactures precision machined and fabricated components and assemblies for jet engines. With 9 manufacturing locations a centralized engineering and programming team, finding an integrated operating system was critical for efficiency and expansion. Ironically, they found it in the cloud(s).
Full Article
Image - 3D Printer Changes Everything (Watch Video) 3D Printer Changes Everything (Watch Video)
New York's Caldwell Manufacturing has integrated 3D printing into everything from R&D to internal tools to production parts. By using 3D printers from Markforged, the hardware manufacturing company is producing parts -- that would previously cost anywhere between $300-$5,000 if made using traditional methods -- now for just $30.
Full Article
Image - It's Not Only Automobiles that are Going Electric -- Airplanes are as Well! (Watch Video) It's Not Only Automobiles that are Going Electric -- Airplanes are as Well! (Watch Video)
To ensure NASA's new X-57 "Maxwell" electric aircraft would be energy efficient and safe for use, NASA carried out extensive ground vibration tests, simulating the stresses it would experience during a real flight. With the increasing demand for electric-powered ground transportation, NASA wanted to prove that an aircraft could also be electrically powered.
Full Article
Image - Automotive Supplier Has a Blast Deburring Parts for Electric Vehicles (Watch Video) Automotive Supplier Has a Blast Deburring Parts for Electric Vehicles (Watch Video)
For the expansion of its transmission production facility for electric vehicles, a German automotive supplier purchased a new continuous feed blast machine from Rösler. The highly automated shot blasting solution has provided excellent productivity, easy maintenance and a long service life.
Full Article
Image - 4.0 Has Arrived: Large-Scale Robotic Fiber Placement and 3D Printing Using World's Largest Thermoplastic 3D Printers (Watch Video) 4.0 Has Arrived: Large-Scale Robotic Fiber Placement and 3D Printing Using World's Largest Thermoplastic 3D Printers (Watch Video)
The advantages promised by Industry 4.0 are being realized at Ingersoll Machine Tools in Rockford, Ill. "Digital twin” machine design simulation, higher robotic intelligence, and complex motion are the essential tools here. Those tools are making large-scale mold production, part machining, and process automation accessible to the broader aerospace, marine, and other industry sectors.
Full Article
Image - Swiss Manufacturer Automates CNC Machine Tending to Shorten Delivery Times and Reduce Employee Workload (Watch Video) Swiss Manufacturer Automates CNC Machine Tending to Shorten Delivery Times and Reduce Employee Workload (Watch Video)
WEFAG AG has been offering comprehensive CNC machining services for 35 years. It focuses on the CNC production of components and parts for the fluid technology sector. To maintain high quality, the Swiss company not only invests in new CNC machines but also relies on a collaborative application that includes OnRobot's 3FG15 gripper to tend those CNC machines.
Full Article
Image - Need to Store an Airplane Safely? 3D Printers to the Rescue (Watch Video) Need to Store an Airplane Safely? 3D Printers to the Rescue (Watch Video)
The COVID-19 pandemic halted most travel, resulting in the immediate grounding of 62% of passenger planes. Grounding a fleet is not an easy task and requires the plane engines to have protection from the elements to avoid major issues afterward. CNE Engineering relied on BigRep machines to 3D print the engine covers needed for Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) to safely store their grounded planes.
Full Article
Image - Ford Plant Installs Cobots to Optimize Assembly Line for New SUV Ford Plant Installs Cobots to Optimize Assembly Line for New SUV
Ford Motor Company, one of the global automotive industry giants, has one of its major production sites in Europe located in Craiova, Romania. Recently, Ford deployed cobots on the engine assembly line where they grease camshafts, fill engines with oil and perform quality inspections. The cobots have helped Ford deliver a faster production throughput while also relieving employees of repetitive tasks.
Full Article

  "Top 10" Most Read Product Spotlights
Image - Cross-Member Turns Any Vise or Clamp on its Side, Providing More Versatility Cross-Member Turns Any Vise or Clamp on its Side, Providing More Versatility
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Image - Boom! U.S. Military to Obtain Supersonic Aircraft 2x Faster than Today's Airliners (Watch Video) Boom! U.S. Military to Obtain Supersonic Aircraft 2x Faster than Today's Airliners (Watch Video)
View This Product
Image - Ultrasonic Probe Perfect for Measuring Aerospace and Aircraft Parts Ultrasonic Probe Perfect for Measuring Aerospace and Aircraft Parts
View This Product
Image - New Stainless Steel Aluminum Putty Perfect to Fill Holes and Seal Leaks on Equipment Up to 2000°F New Stainless Steel Aluminum Putty Perfect to Fill Holes and Seal Leaks on Equipment Up to 2000°F
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Image - Multi-Spindle Drills Offer Flexibility with Adjustable Hole Pitches, Limitless Hole Spacing Multi-Spindle Drills Offer Flexibility with Adjustable Hole Pitches, Limitless Hole Spacing
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Image - Space-Saving, Vertically Designed Automatic Lathe Ideal for Machining Small Parts Space-Saving, Vertically Designed Automatic Lathe Ideal for Machining Small Parts
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Image - New Hobbing Machines Produce Gears for Electric and Hybrid Cars New Hobbing Machines Produce Gears for Electric and Hybrid Cars
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Image - Mitsui Seiki Concentrating on Small Workpieces with Compact 5-Axis Machining Center (Watch Video) Mitsui Seiki Concentrating on Small Workpieces with Compact 5-Axis Machining Center (Watch Video)
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Image - Torque Motor Rotary Tables Brings 5-Axis Capability to 3-Axis Machines Torque Motor Rotary Tables Brings 5-Axis Capability to 3-Axis Machines
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Image - FARO Acquires GeoSLAM; Can Now Create 3D Models for Digital Twin Applications (Watch Video) FARO Acquires GeoSLAM; Can Now Create 3D Models for Digital Twin Applications (Watch Video)
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