The chuck sizes come in discounted starter packages ranging in price from $995, $1195 and $1495. For more information contact Pierson Workholding at www.piersonworkholding.com.

Amazon.com boasts annual sales of $15 billion primarily through books and consumer items. So, why not open an industrial supply division for the rest of us? Well, they have. Amazon.com’s Industrial & Scientific site sells everything from abrasives and endmills to fasteners and raw materials. Amazon’s Free Super Saver Shipping also applies to orders over $25 on products sold from stock.

With a familiar Amazon interface and over 80,000 products, it might just be a resource to watch. Check it out for yourself at www.amazon.com/industrial.

PMI grew slightly by 1.9% but the best of news is a 6.5% increase of production which maintained a positive turnaround starting in September.  Raw Aluminum showed lower pricing which will positively affect the profit margin of most metal manufacturers. Read the latest report.

The Ultra Precision Combination Arbor from GenSwiss is one of them.  Why call up another tool when you can simply combine your slitting saw and drill into one toolholder?  Makes perfect sense.

The tools come in shank sizes from .196″ to .500″ with tool bores of .125″ and .1875″.  TIR is .0005″ to .0001″ depending on model.  Visit www.genswiss.com for more info.

Reuters/Brian Nguyen

What’s interesting about the Wall Street movement is that it erupted about the same time as an annual talent shortage survey by the ManpowerGroup, which found that 52% of U. S. employers are having trouble filling positions. But unfortunately for the Occupy Wallstreeter interviewed, a background in history was not on the list of sought-after skills. Topping the list of jobs difficult to fill were technicians, sales reps, and skilled trades workers, followed by engineers and laborers.

The point: Consider finding a community college that can teach you how to weld or operate a CNC machine.

The article: http://machinedesign.com/article/advice-for-occupy-wall-streeters-1117

The author: Leland E. Teschler

Upon entering weld parameters, e.g. the type of material and material thickness being welded, the calculator will provide suggested settings including wire size and wire feed speed, shielding gas, voltage range and amperage range.

“Miller prides itself in creating high-quality, easy-to-use products that save time and simplify the welding and cutting process,” said Sue Feldkamp, Interactive Marketing Manager for Miller Electric Mfg. Co. “This welding calculator application is a natural extension of that philosophy and allows our customers to quickly access the information needed to complete the weld — all without having to leave the garage.”

All suggested settings are approximate. Welds should be tested to comply to user specifications.

Image courtesy of Nelson Publishing, Inc.

Torchmate’s Colombia-based South American office is growing rapidly to accommodate the increasing demand for CNC machinery across Latin America. The South American division has already posted its best sales year ever, and is setting its sights on completing 10 percent of the sales of the entire company this year, said Andres Rodriguez, South American sales manager for Torchmate.

That growth is only the beginning of what Torchmate sees as a market that should expand exponentially over the next several years.

“Right now the South American economy is growing up. Booming industrial, petroleum and manufacturing industries have opened up a lot of opportunities for Torchmate from Mexico to Chile,” said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez heads a Latin American division of seven staffers who provide expert sales service, technical support and machine and table set-up services throughout Mexico and Central and South America.

Torchmate has won loyal support throughout Latin America for several services that set them apart from the competition. Torchmate sells customers affordable kits for table construction, allowing Torchmate machine buyers to save on shipping fees by only paying to import the actual robotic cutting machine. The company’s highly trained, Spanish-speaking staff back each purchase with a lifetime of free technical support, and also frequently train new purchasers on the full functions of the machine. And Torchmate’s CNC cutting machines also cost exactly the same price in South America as they would if you purchased them up at the company’s main offices in Reno, Nev.

Across Latin America, there is a wealth of industries that demand CNC cutting technology. The large, heavy industries like petroleum production, shipping, mining and manufacturing are healthy, and often growing, segments of economies across the continent. Each of those industries require the fabrication capabilities of large CNC, plasma-cutting machines that Torchmate manufactures to build and repair oil platforms, mining machinery or to build ships. South America’s growing demand for infrastructure improvements to accommodate a booming middle class, is also another source of CNC machine demand.

Finally, the rise of a consumer class with disposable income is fueling a new crop of Latin American entrepreneurs and small businesses. For many of those entrepreneurs, Torchmate machines are the central piece of a new business — an auto repair shop or small manufacturing business.

Rodriguez knows about the growing Latin American entrepreneurial spirit well. He bought a Torchmate machine as a customer, using it to help in his family’s company that set up industrial kitchens. In his off time, Rodriguez used his Torchmate machine to do contract work — repair machinery, cut signs or even build metal sculptures.

As he realized the unlimited potential of the machine and its uses, Rodriguez knew he had struck upon a great business that he not only wanted to do business with, but also wanted to work for. Soon Rodriguez was helping with translations, technical support and machine builds for Torchmate. And not long afterward, he began assembling a team, starting with his brother Camilo, to run a South American office for the company.

Working closely with Torchmate Sales Director Josh Schohn, Rodriguez modeled his Colombian office to include the same sales and customer service ethics that have set Torchmate apart from its competition in North America.

The hard work has paid off. The South American offices of Torchmate surpassed their sales volume from 2010 by July of this year. And the future is looking even brighter.

“In South America we are just on the starting block,” said Rodriguez of Torchmate sales. “We are bringing efficiencies to industries across the continent, making the purchase of a Torchmate machine a revenue-producing decision for many companies.”

Of the 18 manufacturing industries, 17 are reporting growth in April. Several of the fastest growing industries related to machining are:

• #2 – Plastics & Rubber Products
• #3 – Primary Metals
• #5 – Fabricated Metal Products
• #9 – Machinery
• #15 – Miscellaneous Manufacturing

The report was issued today by Norbert J. Ore, CPSM, C.P.M., chair of the Institute for Supply Management™ Manufacturing Business Survey Committee. “The recent trend of rapid growth in the manufacturing sector continued in April as the PMI registered above 60 percent for the fourth consecutive month. The New Orders and Production Indexes continue to drive the PMI, as they have both exceeded 60 percent for five consecutive months. Manufacturing employment appears to have developed significant momentum, as the Employment Index readings for the first four months of 2011 are the highest readings in the last 38 years. Inventory growth also took place in April after two months of destocking; however, the inventory restocking would appear to be necessitated by the strong performance in new orders. While the manufacturing sector is definitely performing above most expectations so far in 2011, manufacturers are experiencing significant cost pressures from commodities and other inputs.”