Dear Jim, Thanks for your notes from the International Manufacturing Technology Show. You may recall that Lorelle Young, President of the United States Metric Association, estimated that about 60 % of manufacturing industry in the USA was already metric. This was an estimate that she made a few years ago and I don't know if she has updated it more recently.
When I was in the USA last year I felt that the 60 % figure was probably too low and that an estimate of about 75 % to 80 % was more likely. Your observations from the International Manufacturing Technology Show seem to support an even higher figure for metrication in the USA. I hope you're right. Cheers, Pat Naughtin PO Box 305 Belmont 3216 Geelong, Australia 61 3 5241 2008 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.metricationmatters.com On 20/09/06 9:34 AM, "Jim Elwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Last week I was at the International Manufacturing Technology Show in > Chicago. This is the bi-annual show primarily focused on > metal-working and related shows, that fills up the entire McCormick > center (all 200,000 square meters of it). > > Some interesting notes: > > (1) I saw only one major booth that was not running their machines in > metric. I would guess 80% to 85% of all the booths that involved > measurement were selling/running/displaying metric products. The few > that were not were (with that one exception) small companies. > > (2) The accuracy of even entry-level machining centers (fancy name > for 3-axis computerized mills) just astounds me. I have a brochure > for a Fanuc (very large Japanese manufacturer) RoboDrill Mate, > costing $38.500, with a table capacity of 250 kg, a 14-station tool > changer that can swap tools in 2.7 seconds, with an accuracy of 10 > micrometers (!) and repeatability of 2 micrometers!!! Even the > smallest machine shops can lease a piece of equipment in this price range. > > (3) The larger, more expensive machines claim accuracies of 5 um and > repeatability below 2 um. I don't know about the rest of the USMA > list members, but I remain astounded at these numbers. > > (4) I spoke at length with a representative at a lead screw > manufacturer. Their demo was running a 1 m screw, pushing a 500 kg > block of iron back and forth, accelerating it and decelerating it > from one end to the other in about 0.8 seconds. They claimed a > positioning accuracy of about 20 um. I asked him how they can claim > that, as a minor change in temperature would make the screw expand > and contract by far more than that. > > He agreed, and said they machine the screws to about 5 um accuracy, > in a temperature-controlled environment, controlled to +/-0.5C. He > says they let the completed screws temperature acclimate for 12 hours > before they make the final quality control check. Of course, in a > non-temperature controlled environment (i.e., the trade show), he > noted you could not achieve that accuracy without compensation. > > (5) At a metrology booth I talked to a field engineer about their 3D > measuring device, on which they claim 1 - 2 um accuracy in 3D > envelope of about 500x500x500 mm. The tip of the device that touches > the item being measured is a precision round sapphire (perhaps 3 mm > diameter). He showed me video clip showing how they compensate for > the sapphire being flattened (!) where it touches the item being measured. > > (6) Anyone who has an old Bridgeport-style knee mill (numerous > brands): if the "iron" is in good shape (meaning the major large cast > iron components), I talked to a company who will retrofit it with new > screws, ways, etc., and add 2-axis or 3-axis servo computerized > controls. I apparently lost this brochure, but I believe the guy said > that with "good iron" they can achieve accuracies below 10 um. > > (7) I picked up six different sample rulers. All had metric (3 in > millimeters and 3 in centimeters), but only one had metric as its > primary scale. Sadly, their ruler says "mm" but the numbered scale is > actually centimeters (I've sent them an email pointing this out). > Finally, I distributed about 30 of QSI's metric only rulers. > > (8) As always, this show has several huge, multi-million dollar > pieces of equipment: gantry mills that can handle 20 m long items, > punch presses putting holes in 20 mm thick steel like it is butter, > and so on. This year there ware a large number of robots -- they are > becoming quite common and quite versatile. > > (9) Finally, water jet cutting seems to be overtaking laser cutting, > at least in volume of vendors and products. No doubt lasers will > always have some areas they excel (and, actually, there were probably > 20 booths selling laser marking equipment), but for cutting, water > jets seem to be much more popular. One company had samples of 150 mm > thick steel that was cut with a water jet! > > On a personal note, I found lots of companies that OUGHT to be using > my company's products (the real purpose of the trip). Ironically, the > two places I saw our products in use were both one of our oldest > models (introduced in 1991). Guess my sales team has some work to do. > > Jim > > > > > > > > > > > > > Jim Elwell, CAMS > Electrical Engineer > Industrial manufacturing manager > Salt Lake City, Utah, USA > www.qsicorp.com >
