Page 9 - MetalForming Magazine August 2022

News Fronts
Awards
Arku Named Supplier of the Year by Kirchhoff Automotive
Arku has received a Supplier of the Year 2022 award from one of its customers, Kirchhoff Automotive, in the category of Capital & Tooling. Accepting the award on behalf of Arku, in an online ceremony: Albert Reiss, presi- dent and CEO, Hans-Peter Pflüger, former senior employ- ee, Franck Hirschmann, key account manager, and Har- ald Kohl, project manager. Arku coil lines from its Baden-Baden, Germany, facility have proven their value in the production halls of Kirchhoff Automotive since 2002, at factories on three continents.
Agreements
Grotnes and Nova Sidera Launch Strategic Partnership
Grotnes, Inc., Niles, MI, a supplier of expanding, shrinking, spinning and roll forming equipment, and Nova Sidera Metal Forming Srl, Castell’Alfero, Italy (and with a U.S. sales office and warehouse in Miami, FL), have launched a strategic partnership. Nova Sidera specializes in metal spinning lathes and special machines for metal deformation. Says Mike Walker, Grotnes president and CEO: “This strategic step allows us to provide our customers with a more complete metal forming solution center, a stronger local support structure for customer service and spare parts, and allows both companies’ technical teams to explore new- product development initiatives."
Elena Tasso, president of Nova Sidera, adds: “We believe that cooperation with a company that shares the same values and technical attitude will bring new solu- tions to our customers, responsive U.S.-based technical service and support, and a unique interface for metal forming and packaging-industry needs.”
Hexagon Acquires
TST Tooling Software Technology LLC
Hexagon AB has acquired TST Tooling Software Tech- nology LLC, Clarkson, MI, the U.S. and Canadian master distributor of VISI, Hexagon’s dedicated CAD CAM soft- ware for the mold and die sector, and the PEPS CAM pro- gramming software for laser and wire-EDM machines. TST also develops its own range of applications that work within the VISI interface, and offers support, train- ing and consulting to its North American customer base. TST, whose team of 18 employees will continue to sup- port Hexagon’s production software portfolio, will be consolidated within Hexagon’s Manufacturing Intelli- gence division.
Training
PMA’s Online Training Program Adds 15 New Courses
The Precision Metalforming Association (PMA) has added 15 new courses to its METALFORM EDU online training program, specifically designed for workers in the metal forming industry. The new offerings encompass additive manufacturing, Excel, PowerPoint, critical thinking, sexual harassment and workplace discrimination, bringing the total num- ber of METALFORM EDU courses to more than 700.
“METALFORM EDU continues to be the leading online training system in our industry, and these new courses reinforce PMA’s commitment to training a high-caliber workforce,” says PMA workforce development director Connie King. “We also are excited about additional courses under development, including press brake operations and in-die sensing, which will be available in late 2022 and early 2023.”
NIMS Offers Innovative GDT Teaching Technique
The National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS), Fairfax, VA, has developed a new methodology to learn, retain and transfer knowledge for Geometric Tolerancing & Dimensioning (GDT) across an organization, and will offer the training in a 1.5-day workshop.
Conventionally, most GDT training focuses on print reading, with draw- ings annotated with limit dimensioning and all of its flaws. Lessons in limit dimensioning are further applied in engineering or manufacturing activities, and students then are exposed to GDT--the international stan- dard with symbols to describe parts in a language that is clearly under- stood by any manufacturer. This traditional approach usually results in limit dimensioning being the first language, or “native tongue,” and GDT being the second, which cause employees to struggle as they move back and forth between the two. While the approach can lead to producing parts within specifications, it can prove inconsistent and inefficient.
According to NIMS executive director Montez King, the optimal way to teach GDT is to focus on how it works rather than its applications. Teach- ing GDT applications restricts understanding and only relays a process or procedure. But when GDT is understood, King says, as though it’s the per- son’s native tongue, every application makes sense. In fact, when GDT is well understood, it’s retained, and applications can be continuously improved.
Acme Metal Spinning Awarded Dual-Training Grant
Fifty-six Minnesota employers will benefit from $3.347 million in dual- training grants awarded by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (MOHE), to fund related instruction of dual-training (theoretical and prac- tical) programs. Among those receiving funds: Acme Metal Spinning, Frid- ley, MN.
“This 2022-2023 school year will be the first time our company has received the grant from the state to train our own employees,” says Mary Kay Storhaug, project manager at Acme Metal Spinning. “We first heard about the grant through Anoka Technical College (ATC), which partnered with the Anoka Chamber of Commerce, a dual-training grant recipient. Through the chamber, three of our employees received free college class- es from ATC through the dual-training grant for the 2021-2022 school year. To streamline the classes for the needs of our employees for next year, we applied for our own grant and were awarded!”
6 MetalForming/August 2022
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