U.S. cutting tool orders totaled $175.9 million in June 2022, bringing year-to-date total to 7.9% more than 2021.
June 2022 U.S. cutting tool consumption totaled $175.9 million, according to the U.S. Cutting Tool Institute (USCTI) and AMT – The Association For Manufacturing Technology. This total, as reported by companies participating in the Cutting Tool Market Report collaboration, was up 0.3% from May’s $175.4 million and up 2.2% when compared with the $172.1 million reported for June 2021. With a year-to-date total of $1.1 billion, 2022 is up 7.9% when compared to the same time period in 2021.
These numbers and all data in this report are based on the totals reported by the companies participating in the CTMR program. The totals here represent the majority of the U.S. market for cutting tools.
“As we approach the mid-year seasonal slowdown, June’s numbers dropped almost a half of a percentage point from May,” comments Jeff Major, president of USCTI. “Our industry continues to endure the many economic challenges brought on by the pandemic. Manufacturing remains somewhat steady despite the concerns of a potential recession. Reports of an easing in microchip shortages will certainly help certain market segments in manufacturing, primarily automotive.”
Christopher Chidzik, principal economist at AMT, also spoke on material shortages, stating, “While shipments appear to have hit a plateau, the value of those shipments in 2022 are at the highest monthly average since 2019. There is still some way to go before monthly orders match their pre-pandemic levels. Shortages of materials, particularly certain metals, mean there is an upper limit on the number of tools that can currently be used. Shops only need as much tooling as they have metal to work. If these challenges can be alleviated and consumer demand for manufactured goods and capital-intensive services remains strong, the second half of 2022 could see monthly order activity return to pre-pandemic levels.”
About the presentation Titanium has always placed demands on tools and machines during the cutting process. In recent years, titanium 3.7165 became prevalent among lightweight materials as a material with outstanding properties, especially in the aviation, space, and medical industries. This alloy, normally referred to as Ti6Al4V, shows a very good combination of strength, corrosion resistance, and capacity to withstand stresses. Although this material has good empirical values and cutting data, processing it remains one of the supreme disciplines in machining. WFL pays attention to implementing customer requirements so they become an integrative part of the overall concept. For example, it’s possible to respond to the requirements of customer projects through a special design for guides and spindles and to adapt the machine components to the respective loads. The topic of cooling is especially important where titanium machining is concerned. As titanium burns at temperatures above 880°C, appropriate fire and explosion protection must be ensured. An additional factor is that it’s also possible to measure the workpieces inside the machine when work is in progress on the WFL complete machining centers.
Meet your presenter John Kelly began his career more than 30 years ago as an applications engineer with Cincinnati Milacron in Worcester, Massachusetts. Since then, he’s worked for various production equipment builders, specialty steel manufacturers in the sales and operational capacities. Kelly returned to the machine tool industry nine years ago, holding sales positions with DMGMori and SNK Inc. Currently he is a regional sales manager for the Eastern U.S. with WFL Millturn Technologies. His diversified experience throughout industrial sectors gives him the ability to accept the extensive technological changes and challenges that today’s machine tool industry represents.
About the company WFL Millturn Technologies GmbH & Co. KG is the leading supplier in the field of complete machining. WFL is the only manufacturer worldwide that focuses exclusively on the production of multifunctional turning-boring-milling centers. Both the modular structure of the Millturn’s and the tailor-made special solutions guarantee the perfect solution for complex manufacturing tasks. With a Millturn, the customer doesn’t only acquire a CNC-machine which fulfills the highest quality and precision levels, but also gets an unbeatable competitive advantage.
The Opportunities when Implementing Robotics Webinar is free to attend and give you access to the on-demand recording.
From collaborative to robotics as a service, learn about the latest enabling technologies and applications from our panel of experts who will discuss these trends and answer your questions live.
Presenters: Cory Raizor is SCHUNK’s Business Development Manager, Automated Machine Tending, Automation & Gripping Systems. With nearly 10 years of experience in automation sales, Raizor is a rising expert in the robotics and end-of-arm-tooling industries. Cory joined SCHUNK as a territory manager before transitioning to a focused account-based sales manager role. Cory now serves as a business development manager, leading SCHUNK USA’s Collaborative Accessories Program, a national distribution channel focused on collaborative robot solution providers.
Gary Labadie, Global Product Director of Automation products for DESTACO, is representing Reid Supply Co. on this panel. Labadie has been with DESTACO for 12 years, but in the industry for 35+ years supporting product development and product management. He’s an expert on the topic of collaborative robots (cobots).
Time: August 17, 2022 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Please join us for this insightful webinar. Registration is free and once registered, you will receive a link post-event to watch on-demand.
Learn how to use CLPM to increase productivity.
About the presentation Control loop performance monitoring (CLPM) solutions proactively identify and isolate underperforming control loops. Whereas most CLPM solutions generate analytics based on a single, generic state of operation, a new breed of CLPM solutions detail the performance associated with each of a process’s many and unique states. Using state-based analytics and an innovative measure of PID availability, CLPM solution users can improve process uptime and production throughput. This presentation distinguishes state-based control loop analytics from traditional monitoring capabilities. It also introduces the concept of overall controller effectiveness (OCE) as a proxy for process availability. Industry case-studies are included.
Meet your presenter Heiko Wenzel is managing director and chief digital officer of Wenzel Group GmbH & Co. KG. In 2013, he took over a professorship for process management and business consulting at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences. There he teaches and conducts research in the area of optimization and digitalization of operational processes. Since 2015, he’s supported the Wenzel Group in the realignment of the company's software development and digital transformation
About the company Based in Wixom, Michigan, Wenzel America is part of the Wenzel Group, a family-owned supplier of coordinate measuring machines and metrology equipment. As a CMM manufacturer, Wenzel is committed to CMM technology innovation, German-engineered quality, and unsurpassed customer service. Wenzel CMM and metrology machines are manufactured from solid natural granite and offer precision product testing accuracy. During the past 50 years, Wenzel metrology equipment has been used in nearly every manufacturing industry, including aerospace, automotive, and medical applications.
The updates are designed to further simplify selection and ordering.
Thomson Inc. has enhanced its popular online ball screw selection tool to include online configurability options, expert guidance, and faster performance.
Design engineers using the tool will now have access to more capabilities and expert guidance in configuring end machining, end fixity, thread lengths, nuts, and related assembly preferences. An interactive reference table is updated, providing one-click access to information on the safety factors for each available option. A real-time diagram displays the status of their assembly, and built-in prompts guide them through optimal design sequences.
“We know how important it is for design engineers to be able to size and select linear motion components as quickly, easily and accurately as possible. Building on iterative user feedback and the latest advancements in user interface design, we have made numerous changes in our user interface to enable designers to get to their optimal configuration as quickly and effortlessly as possible,” said Denise Goldman, global product line manager of ball screws and screw jacks at Thomson.
The following are some of the new ball screw configuration capabilities that design engineers can now perform online with the upgraded Thomson tool:
Faster processing and data loading capabilities accelerate operations and enable design engineers to download a CAD diagram of their configuration more quickly.