The new facility is in Elgin, Illinois, and the grand opening event takes place March 15-17, 2022.
The management teams of Okuma America Corporation and Morris Group Inc. (MGI) announce a new facility to serve as a product showroom and technical center to showcase CNC machine tools and associated equipment. The public is invited to register and attend a grand opening event to commemorate the new facility on March 15-17, 2022.
Okuma and MGI have been business partners for 42 years, with MGI serving as Okuma’s sales, service, and product distribution partner in select regions throughout the United States. Today, the two companies announce the opening of a new facility strategically located in Elgin, Illinois, to serve as a product showroom and a technical center for machine tool users in the greater Chicago and Midwest region of the U.S. The facility includes office space and a showroom to house Okuma machine tools and other manufacturing-supportive technologies.
“Morris Midwest is responding to the needs of our customers with this new facility,” says Aaron Hornyak, COO of MGI. “The simple automation on display is an excellent solution to a skilled labor shortage and high product demand. We have created an environment where machines and automation will be on display together with experts to assist in providing solutions to help our customers gain a competitive edge.”
"This new facility presents our customers the opportunity to explore a variety of Okuma machine tools and witness live demonstrations that showcase the latest CNC technology and the machines' accuracy, high precision, and rigid construction," says Jim King, president and COO, Okuma America Corp. "Our decades-long partnership with Morris Group Inc., provides our customers with extensive industry expertise and comprehensive support and service to identify the best solutions for their manufacturing challenges."
Click here to register for the grand opening event.
Minteq International authorizes Aerobotix with FIREX distribution for DOD programs.
Huntsville, Alabama-based Aerobotix, an AS9100 certified Fanuc robotics integrator and metrology company, has an agreement with Minteq International Inc. to distribute Minteq’s FIREX™ RX-2390 Thermal Protection System (TPS) coating for hypersonic flight hardware. Aerobotix will work directly with Minteq’s Pennsylvania-based Pyrogenics Group, involved in high-temperature coatings for military and aerospace applications.
Minteq engaged Aerobotix for the company’s expertise in robotically spraying parts and test panels within extremely tight tolerances for uniformity and thickness of coverage. Aerobotix also has significant prior experience with major primes using the FIREX product.
“Our desire was to assist our customers and the U.S. Government in fielding hypersonic missiles and aircraft as quickly as possible,” said Kent Pfeifer, Aerobotix’s process development manager. “By making the commitment to keep fresh FIREX RX-2390 on our shelves, we can immediately assist the major programs by robotically spraying accurate panels and even prototype parts for flight tests.”
Aerobotix and the scientists at Minteq worked together to develop a FIREX RX-2390 recipe and a unique robotic paint dispensing system that is optimized for automation and heavy production. The FIREX formulations combine modified epoxy binders with thermally active materials that form cooling gases when exposed to temperatures more than 350°F.
Application of TPS coatings requires precision thicknesses control, even distribution of solids, and strong layer-bonding for optimal performance. Aerobotix’s customized robotic application process provides all this, plus the ability to automatically spray-taper the paint thickness in various areas of the part, which can reduce weight, manufacturing time, and cost.
Mark Breloff, Minteq technical sales manager, says, “Aerobotix can scan the part to get the as-built shape, spray to near-net, and then use the robot to sand down to the optimal shape and thickness.”
Aerobotix’s facility provides a broad selection of services for preparing and painting hypersonic structures, including automated structured light scanning/projection, automated masking tape application, automated FIREX spraying, automated non-contact Terahertz measurement, automated force controlled sanding and adaptive robotic machining of coatings.
The three-year contract with aerospace & defense industry leader is for solar array cables.
Fralock Holdings LLC, an Arsenal Capital Portfolio company, has been awarded a multi-year, multi-million-dollar contract with a leading, U.S.-based aerospace and defense (A&D) company for the design, development, and production of all-polyimide etched foil flexible cables approximately 18m long. Fralock's flat flexible cables are used for power distribution on the back side of the solar array for telecommunication satellites. Fralock's adhesiveless-all-polyimide technology provides the thinnest, full-folding construction available enabling extremely compact stowage of the solar array.
With more than 50 years of product design and process knowledge, Fralock has been the choice for some of the world's largest A&D companies seeking quality products for space-based solar technology in commercial and civil space programs.
"Fralock has developed a process that ensures we meet the stringent requirements and certifications needed for this highly regulated industry," said Marc Haugen, Fralock CEO. "This contract is a testament to the expertise of our engineers and our leadership position in the marketplace, as well as the confidence our customers have in us to develop highly effective technologies."
The cable was fabricated using Fralock's pioneered Adhesiveless Lamination Technology (ALT) that produces flex circuits and etched foil cables with extreme flexibility, durability, and low mass designed to operate in extreme environments.
Headquartered in Valencia, California, Fralock Holdings employs over 660 associates in operations throughout California. Fralock is AS9100, ISO13485, ISO9001, FDA Registered, and ITAR compliant.
Join us on March 31 as we close out Women's History Month with a webinar roundtable featuring women to watch in manufacturing.
Per the U.S. Department of Commerce, although women represent about 47% of the total workforce, they only make up about 30% of the 15.8 million people employed in manufacturing industries. Furthermore, only 1 in 4 manufacturing leaders are women, so the topic of diversity, equity, and inclusion are top of mind for many.
To learn the latest thoughts from women in manufacturing, join Elizabeth Engler Modic as she moderates a roundtable discussion on Thur., March 31 at 12PM ET, with leading women involved in manufacturing. Panelists include Dr. Heike Wenzel, CEO of WENZEL Group; Veronica Messersmith, Vice President of Strategic Relations, Americas at Sandvik Coromant; and Alyssa O’Brien, Product Engineer with OSG USA.
Don't delay, secure your registration here.
Ask questions and get answers from industry experts when you attend Today's Cutting Tool Advancements webinar.
When you register for the March 16, 2022, 12PM ET webinar you will learn what's new in cutting tools – from advanced coating technologies to implementing best tool management practices. Our panel of experts from CGTech, Greenleaf, Hoffman Group, ISCAR, and Sandvik Coromant will dive into these topics as they apply to a range of industries. Learn about:
Registration is open and free, sign up today.