August 24, 2020 - New Safety Scanners from orbital wrapper manufacturer TAB Industries, LLC, Reading, Pennsylvania, automatically protect workers from accidental contact with the wrapping machinery. Available as an option on all TAB Wrapper Tornado line models, the innovative Safety Scanners feature proprietary sensor technology that emits an invisible field in a 180-degree arc from both the front and back of the wrapping system. If a person enters the field, the Safety Scanners automatically shut down the wrapping process and flash the red status light. Wrapping may safely resume when the field is clear and an operator has reset the status.

Developed to support worker safety and prevent costly workers' compensation claims, the Safety Scanners offer a redundant safety feature beyond the included visual signage to provide an extra layer of protection and peace of mind. The Safety Scanners add to the slate of automated, optional accessories offered on the TAB Wrapper Tornado line that includes an automated cut and wrap system and automated, wireless remote operation system for managing the process from the seat of a forklift.

The patent-pending TAB Wrapper Tornado wraps plastic stretch film 360 degrees around and under a pallet and its load to attach the load to the pallet and keep it securely in place for transport or storage. The orbital wrappers are designed and manufactured at the company's Reading, Pa. headquarters and delivered with a warranty ready for operation.

July 20, 2020 - Kennametal, Pittsburgh, has introduced an expansion its solid carbide drilling portfolio, the HPX drill for high performance, large volume drilling in steel. Designed to quickly and efficiently punch holes up to 8 x D in any ISO-P steel material, the HPX drill provides up to twice the tool life and three times the productivity compared to competing products, even in dry or minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) applications.

Key differentiators

What makes the HPX drill the superior choice for Steel applications? The difference is in the design. Steels are used for a wide variety of automotive, commercial, and industrial applications, often in production volumes where maximum tool life and throughput is critical. Yet steel creates a high degree of mechanical loading during drilling operations resulting in forces that lead to rapid tool wear and chipping of the tool's more vulnerable corners. Kennametal has eliminated this failure point by applying a small corner chamfer and straightening the HPX drill's cutting edges. Together with the rounded margin lands running down the length of the flutes, this serves to stabilize the drill while reducing friction.

Built-up edge is another common problem when drilling alloy steels. The HPX drill's straight cutting edge helps eliminate some of this, but the real clincher is the drill's optimized edge preparation. This gentle hone further reduces the friction that leads to built-up edge, as do the tool's highly polished flutes. Couple that with a carbide grade designed specifically for steel—KCP15B—and a proprietary multilayer AlTiN coating, and the HPX drill sets a new standard for tool life in high-volume ISO-P drilling.

Lower forces, even better reliability

Special gashing on the HPX drill improves the chip formation and curls a smaller chip. The material specific HPX point geometry creates significantly lower cutting forces, which works great for machines with lower spindle capabilities, unstable cutting conditions, or unstable workpiece clamping. A continuous cross section makes the HPX drill more resistant against tool breakage, and the ultrahigh polished chip flutes ensure superior chip evacuation.

Manufacturers wishing to turn off their high-pressure coolant pumps in favor of dry cutting or MQL systems, efficient chip evacuation along with low-friction cutting is a must, and the HPX drill delivers on both counts. In fact, the drill comes equipped with a leakproof MQL interface that meets DIN 6535 and 69090-03 standards—no more special orders or in-house modifications.

June 24, 2020 - Rex-Cut Abrasives, Fall River, Massachusetts, a premium abrasive product manufacturer, has added 6 in. diameter wheels to their popular Type 27 lines.

Aluminator Grinding Wheels, Max Flex, and the Cotton Fiber Grinding and Blending wheels are all available in the new 6 in. size.

“With 6 in. grinders being more common in metalworking, we are now manufacturing these sizes to make sure our customers have the abrasives they need for all tooling options,” states Jon Blake, R&D Manager.

Our 6 in. abrasive wheels are the latest addition to Rex-Cut’s current line of depressed center Type 27 wheels and can offer considerable performance and productivity advantages in many different fabrication applications.

Cotton Fiber Type 27 Grinding & Blending Wheels available in:

6 x 1/4 x 7/8, TYPE 27, A36 GFX

6 x 1/4 x 7/8, TYPE 27, A54 GFX

6 x 1/4 x 7/8, TYPE 27, A24 MTX

Type 27 Max Flex available in:

6 x 7/8, TYPE 27, A36

6 x 7/8, TYPE 27, A54

Aluminator Grinding Wheels:

6 x 7/8, TYPE 27, A36

June 8, 2020 - Thermal Dynamics Automation has upgraded its 400-amp cutting system — featuring Ultra-Cut 400 XT high-precision power source, XT torch with QuickPierce consumables and iCNC Performance Controller — to reduce piercing time by up to 40 percent on mild steel thicknesses ranging from 1.25 to 2.0 (30 to 50 mm). Faster piercing time reduces cycle time, especially for plates with a complex parts nest.

Thermal Dynamics also improved the front-end components on its 400-amp consumables and made several other arc starting enhancements to increase parts life, cut longer between consumable changes and lower total cut cost.

“We improved the gas flow routine within the Ultra-Cut® 400 XT high-precision power source and the 400-amp QuickPierce consumables feature more shielding gas ports on the shield cap,” explains Dirk Ott, VP - Global Mechanized Plasma Systems, Thermal Dynamics Automation. “By increasing gas pressure during arc start, we reduce pierce time. Combined with the additional shielding gas ports, we deflect more molten metal away from the consumables. Thermal Dynamics offers a robust solution for cutting steel up to 2 inches thick.”

New Routines

Thermal Dynamics further improved consumables life by adding pierce-on-the-fly and pierce-puddle-avoidance routines within its iCNC Performance Control. Traditional piercing routines keep the torch positioned over one spot until the plasma jet pierces completely through the plate; once the controller senses the pierce, it then moves the torch along the cut path. This routine inherently exposes the consumables to more molten metal.

“Pierce-on-the-fly starts moving the torch after about one-third of the total pierce time,” says Ott. “The groove behind the torch provides an evacuation path for the molten metal, reducing its impact on the consumables. Also, you don’t have to cut through slag puddle at the end of the cut, which promotes a cleaner cut.”

Pierce-puddle-avoidance also extends consumables life by preventing the front end of the torch from touching the puddle during arc start. During arc start, the torch touches the plate, moves to an arc initiation height (which is relatively low) and starts the arc. After a split second, the controller raises the torch to a higher level, holds it there until the arc penetrates the plate, then lowers the torch to cutting height.

“Pierce-puddle-avoidance keeps the torch at a higher level for a second or two longer to minimize the impact of spatter and the chance of touching the puddle,” says Ott.

An integrated Thermal Dynamics system offers industry-best combinations of performance, cut quality and lowest total cost of ownership, especially through improved consumables life. The company offers a cost savings calculator that enables fabricators to see how much they can save by upgrading to a Thermal Dynamics system.

Thermal Dynamics brings intelligence to the automated plasma table with a suite of fully-integrated components that enable users to orchestrate the fastest cut, best cut and lowest cost per cut regardless of operator experience. Visit www.thermal-dynamics.com to learn more.

June 8, 2020 - Milwaukee Tool continues to enhance their line of unique cutting solutions with the expansion of their Metal Cutting Circular Saw Blade line. Designed specifically to exceed expectations in the most demanding metal cutting applications, these new blades last longer, cut cleaner, and cut faster – without a lubricant.

Engineered with a hand-tensioned, hardened alloy steel body, these new blades deliver the highest quality cuts in the market. The Milwaukee® Metal Cutting Circular Saw Blades are equipped with carbide-tipped teeth with alternate top bevel grind to shear through metal, leaving burr-free and cool-to-touch cuts.

The new Metal Cutting Circular Saw Blades will be available in sizes ranging from 5-3/8 in. to 14 in. These circular saw blades will be available for purchase at select distributors in July 2020.

June 3, 2020 - Metabo Corp. adds to their line of “World’s First” corded large angle grinders with safety brakes.

Metabo offers two 7 in. electronic grinders with safety brake and a 9 in. version. All made in Germany. Models: 7 in. WEPB 24-180, 7 in. Compact WEPB 19-180 RT DS (drop secure model) and 9 in. WEPB 24-230 MVT.

“Safety is an integral part of Metabo’s philosophy, so introducing these large grinders with safety brakes was just a natural progression. They complete our lineup of 4-1/2 in., 5 in. and 6 in. safety grinders, corded and cordless”, said Terry Tuerk, Metabo’s senior product manager.

The 7 in. and 9 in. safety brake grinders stop the wheel in 2.5 seconds of releasing the paddle switch, significantly reducing the risk of injury in the event the operator loses control of the tool, and eliminating the need to ‘stub out’ the wheel to stop it. Keeping the end user's safety in mind, other safety features of these tools include a non-locking paddle switch and an electronic clutch, which helps protect the user against kickback if the wheel binds, soft start, and a tool-free adjustable guard.

All three grinders have high torque and LongLife 15.0 Amp motors and include electronic overload protection with LED warning to protect the motor from damage in heavy use, prolonging the tools life. The WEPB 19-180 RT DS (drop secure) 7 in. grinder has an attachment point for a lanyard when used at height. The WEPB 24-180 MTV has a 7 in. wheel diameter and a no-load speed of 8,500 - ideal for weld seam prep and beveling work. The WEPB 24-230 has a 9” wheel diameter and a no-load speed of 6,600 - for covering a larger surface area when grinding and adding extra depth capacity for cutting. Additional features of the tools include; 3 position anti-vibration side handle and a 3-position Metabo MVT vibration dampened back handle for comfort in both cutting or grinding applications.

May 28, 2020 - Metabo Corp. introduces three new cordless brushless reciprocating saws. 

Metabo’s new cordless reciprocating saws include the (12V) PowerMaxx SSE 12 BL Compact, the (18V) SSE 18 LTX BL and (18V) SSE 18 LTX BL Compact. These three new reciprocating saws complement Metabo’s current line of reciprocating saws (ASE 18 LTX and SSE 18 LTX Compact).   

“The three-new reciprocating use Metabo’s brushless motor technology to produce powerful cutting capacity as well as long tool life and long run times. One feature of the saws is an adjustable shoe and a saw blade that is rotatable by 180° for working in confined spaces. The adjustable shoe allows users to set the cutting depth limit quickly and easily; this is especially useful when cutting into a wall to avoid cutting pipes and wires that lay behind it. Metabo’s “compact” reciprocating saws are the first to have this feature.” said Terry Tuerk, Metabo’s Senior Product Manager. 

The (12V) PowerMaxx SSE 12 BL Compact and (18V) SSE 18 LTX BL Compact (18V) include a powerful Metabo brushless motor that delivers up to 3,000 strokes per minute with a stroke length of 5/8”. For versatility, either a reciprocating saw blade or a T-shank jigsaw blade can be inserted, a feature that is unique to the compact models. The PowerMaxx SSE 12 BL Compact (602322890) and SSE 18 LTX BL Compact (602366840) are available as bare models. 

The SSE 18 LTX BL has a powerful Metabo brushless motor that delivers up to 2,700 strokes per minute with a stroke length of 1-1/4 in. The SSE 18 LTX BL Kit (US602267550) comes with two 5.5 Ah batteries, a five pack of blades, a charger and carrying case; it is also available as a bare model (602267850). 

The new reciprocating saws have a tool-free Quick-change system which makes changing saw blades effortless, and the integrated LED work lights illuminate cutting areas for optimum visibility of the cut area. The ergonomic, angled soft-grip handle and lightweight design reduce fatigue.

Metabo has over 90 tools in their cordless line with many more on the way. They have the most complete range of cordless metalworking and industrial tools in the market. Metabo’s cordless tools deliver industrial productivity and POWER, eliminating the need for cords and hoses. 

Metabo battery systems are 100% compatible with older and newer cordless tools. Since 2009, all Metabo battery packs, tools, and chargers in the same Volt class are interchangeable with each other. Ultra-M technology makes this possible due to the perfect communication between tools, battery packs, and chargers. Ultra-M technology allows batteries to be charged gently and efficiently, and patented air-cooled technology means they can be used again in just a short time. 

Metabo batteries offer the latest cell technology, LiHD, high density lithium-ion, with 80% more available power and 100% longer run time than Metabo’s standard Li-Ion batteries. Both feature electronic monitoring of each individual cell for increased protection and maximum battery durability, while an LED charge capacity indicator shows the charge at the touch of a button. Metabo continues to set the bar for industry standards in battery technology through new innovations. 

All Metabo cordless tools are backed by a 3-year warranty and offer a full 3-year replacement guarantee on the battery and charger systems. 

May 28, 2020 - Gemtex introduces:

Flaptec- Premium zirconia and ceramic flap discs manufactured with high quality cloth provide increased productivity on all metals with less down time.

Gemflex- Economy zirconia flap discs provide high levels of stock removal at competitive prices resulting in cost savings

Options include:

• Fiberglass backing with 7/8 in. arbor or 5/8 in.-11 zinc hub

• Trimmable plastic backing with 7/8 in. arbor or 5/8 in.-11 “Built in Thread”

• Private Label available on ALL SPECIFICATIONS with 50-piece minimum order

May 12, 2020 - Rex-Cut Abrasives, Fall River, Massachusetts, introduces Cotton Fiber Max Mounted Points for rapid stock removal with a low roughness average.

Cotton Fiber Max Mounted Points are manufactured with extra aluminum oxide grain in a specially formulated bond and can reduce grinding steps for various fabrication applications. The new points are a more aggressive solution than the standard cotton fiber points and leave a much better finish compared to resinoid points on all metals. Cotton Fiber Max points are suitable for grinding and blending stainless steel, aluminum, and numerous other metals. 

“The new Cotton Fiber Max Mounted Points remove 85 percent more stainless steel and 46 percent more aluminum than their standard cotton fiber counterparts. If metal removal is your goal, we suggest Max Mounted Points.” states Bob Costa, President of Rex-Cut Abrasives

Cotton Fiber Max Mounted Points are available 36 grit in various shapes. For a mounted point shape chart, visit rexcut.com/mpchart.

May 12, 2020 - ESAB Welding & Cutting Products, Annapolis Junction, Maryland, has globally introduced Cryo-Shield Ni9, a Ni Cr Mo alloy flux cored wire used for all-position welding of 9 percent Ni steel LNG fuel and storage tanks with 100 percent CO₂ shielding gas. This modified 625-type wire offers excellent crack resistance and is superior to conventional NiCrMo-3 wires. Mechanical properties are similar to Hastelloy ENiMo-13 flux cored wires but at lower purchase price because of its modified formula. Further, because it uses 100 percent CO₂ shielding gas instead of an argon blend, it lowers operating cost. The wire carries approvals from the ABS, BV, DNV GL, KR, LR and CCS classification societies.

“We developed Cyro-Shield Ni9 in response to ship propulsion systems shifting from heavy fuel oil to LNG fuel to reduce oxide emissions,” says Neil Farrow, Global Product Manager – Cored Wires, ESAB. “This wire also meets the needs of LNG storage tank fabricators and other 9 percent Ni steel applications. In benchmark tests against leading 625-alloy wires, Cryo-Shield Ni9 provided superior crack-resistance tolerance, which is especially critical for root welding. Customer field tests with 100 percent CO₂ shielding gas also confirmed better tolerance to porosity formation, wet-out for a flatter bead crown and slag release compared to conventional 625-alloy wires. In addition, the slag system supports all-position welding, including over-head.”

ESAB offers Cryo-Shield Ni9 in 1.2 mm diameter and packaged on 300 mm wire baskets or plastic spools; vacuum-seal foil packaging prevents moisture absorption. Typical as-welded mechanical properties are a yield strength of 440 MPa, tensile strength of 730 MPa, elongation of 44 percent and an impact value of 65 J at -196 oC.