Page 8 - MetalForming January/February 2022

News Fronts
Agreements
Dallas Industries Acquires
Coil-Feed Business Unit of U.S. Machine Co.
Dallas Industries, Troy, MI, has purchased the coil-feed busi- ness unit of design, engineering and manufacturing firm U.S. Machine Co., Inc., Fraser, MI. The acquisition includes the patents, engineering drawings and copyrights of the coil-feed business unit, and provides Dallas Industries enhanced equip- ment options for markets using heavy-gauge material, especially when space is at a premium. The
move also opens potentially new mar- kets and runs concurrently to the com- pany recently adding nearly 24,000 sq. ft. with the addition of another facility near its current location.
Training
Metalworking Fluid-Management Education Course Coming in February
NKS Expands, Now Part of Banner Industries
Stainless-steel supplier National Kwikmetal Service (NKS) has been acquired by MiddleGround Capital. MiddleGround operates 10 portfolio companies, all of which are industrial manufacturers or distributors. The acquisition offers NKS and its customers the benefits of advanced operational expertise, as well as a wide range of new products.
Established in 1989, NKS operates three U.S. facilities, and a plant in Queretaro, Mexico. It now will operate as an add- on company to Banner Industries), based in Carol Stream, IL, a supplier of precision-ground bar, centerless grind- ing, turning, straightening and other value-added servic- es. Banner supplies carbon and alloy steel, stainless steel, aluminum, brass, nickel alloys, and titanium.
The Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers will host its Metalworking Fluid Management Course Pro- gram, February 22-24, 2022, at the Hyatt Place Indianapolis
Awards
Comau Named a General Motors 2020 Supplier of The Year
Italy-based automotive supplier Comau, a supplier of high-performance framing, bodyside and body-in-white systems, was named a GM Supplier of the Year winner in General Motors’ 29th annual Supplier of the Year awards. GM recognized 122 of its best suppliers from 16 countries for performance in the 2020 calendar year. The annual awards highlight global suppli- ers that distinguish themselves by exceeding GM’s require- ments, in turn providing GM customers with innovative technologies. This is the third year running that Comau has received the award, in addi- tion to having received the GM Innovation award at the 2016 Supplier of the Year Event.
Airport in Indianapolis, IN. The 2.5-day education pro-
gram provides a comprehen- sive look at the latest tech- niques and practices to improve metalworking-fluid
Facilities
Keats Manufacturing Expands its
Mexico Facility
Keats Manufacturing, Wheeling, IL, announced the expansion of its manufactur- ing plant in Queretaro, Mexico. Opened in 2016, the facility has experienced significant growth in customer demand. As a result, Keats has tripled its size, from 15,000 sq. ft. to 45,000 sq. ft., enough room for more than 30 new machines. Initially, it has plans to add 16 new machines.
Schuler Upgrades Eight Presses at Siemens Drive-
Manufacturing Plant
Schuler has upgraded eight lines that produce electrical motor laminations at the Siemens facility in Nuremberg, Germany. The upgrades
operations.
Program topics include
fluid chemistry, tankside addi- tives, fluid microbiology, micro- bial contamination control, understanding and controlling
involved three presses and five automatic notchers (Schuler and Müller Wein- garten models), adding pro- duction monitors and press- force monitors to continuously detect the operating status and press-force curves of the machines, even remotely.
"As the manufacturer of the presses, we have the neces- sary expertise to connect the machines using the Internet of Things," explains Rohitashwa Pant, chief digital officer at Schuler.
The data provides informa- tion about productivity in the press shop and indicates imminent damage to help avoid unplanned downtime. Data transmits via a secure connection to Schuler's data center, where it is processed and visualized in easy-to-read graphics.
fluid failures, fluid-condition monitoring, waste treatment, and impact of electric-vehicle production on metalworking fluids. Learn more at www.stle.org.
Ross Controls Moves to New Global Headquarters
Ross Controls, Ferndale, MI, which recently celebrated its 100-yr. anniversary, has officially opened its new global headquarters. The new head- quarters also is home to Ross Decco, a coil and solenoid manufacturer the firm acquired in 2011, and Auto- matic Valve, the industrial divi- sion acquired in 2017. All three companies originated from the Metro Detroit area.
The new location brings together the formerly sepa- rate administrative, manufac- turing, engineering, research and development, marketing, and customer-support opera- tions, and is expected to increase internal efficiencies to further improve customer responsiveness.
6 MetalForming/January-February 2022
www.metalformingmagazine.com