Industry News

Workholding Sales Up Compared to 2007
Shipments of workholding equipment from the U.S. were $63.6 million for first quarter 2008, up 4.4 percent from first quarter 2007, according to the Advanced Workholding Technology Group – AWT – formerly the Workholding Product Group, The Association For Manufacturing Technology.

Fastener Patent Infringement Suit Settled
PennEngineering, Danboro, PA, announced a settlement agreement with Richard Manno & Co., Inc. that resolves allegations that Manno sold, or offered for sale, products that infringe PennEngineering’s intellectual property. Details of the settlement agreement were not disclosed. PennEngineering develops and manufactures PEM self-clinching, broaching, weld, and surface mount fasteners.

Tesco Technologies to Operate Under Seco Tools Name
Tesco Technologies Inc., Novi, MI, has dropped the Tesco identity and will carry the Seco Tools Inc. name. Seco acquired Tesco in 2004. Tesco was known for its Jabro brand line of tooling, targeted at mold and die, medical, and aerospace applications. Jabro is a Seco Tools Inc. brand.

FARO and DPI Strike Licensing Deal
FARO Technologies, Inc., Lake Mary, FL, a maker of portable computer-aided measurement hardware and software, announced that it acquired an exclusive license from Dimensional Photonics International, Inc. DPI is a provider of high-speed, high-accuracy digital shape scanners – for global rights to develop, manufacture, and sell DPI technology and products. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

KUKA Robotics Celebrates 35 Years
KUKA Robotics Corp., Clinton Township, MI, celebrates its 35th year in the robotics industry with an open house at its headquarters. The robot manufacturer will showcase more than 15 operating robotic demonstration cells.

Student Wins CNC Software Contest
CNC Software, Tolland, CT, developer of Mastercam CAD/CAM software, announced that the winner of its Innovator of the Future contest for the 2007/2008 school year is Bernie Sievers, a student in the Advanced Manufacturing Program at Vincennes University, Vincennes, IN.

Industrial Wireless Communications in Flux
A recently completed market study from Venture Development Corp., Natick, MA, focused on shipments of products for on-site industrial monitoring and control.

Sandvik Coromant Boosts R&D Facility
Sandvik Coromant, Fair Lawn, NJ, a manufacturer of cutting tools, will increase the size of its research and development department by nearly 20 percent, adding 40 new employees during the next three years. Between its R&D department and the research center for cemented carbides in Vastberga, Sweden, the company employs more than 200 employees.