Springtime in LA Means WESTEC®

Manufacturing Engineering, Mar 2005

ADVANCED PRODUCTIVITY EXPOSITION

Exposition Hours

Monday, April 4

10 am-6 pm

Tuesday, April 5

10 am-7 pm

Wednesday, April 6

10 am-6 pm

Thursday, April 7

10 am-3 pm

Kentia Hall Hours

Monday, April 4

9 am-5 pm

Tuesday, April 5

9 am-6 pm

Wednesday, April 6

9 am-5 pm

Thursday, April 7

9 am-2 pm

Conference Hours

Monday, April 4

Registration

7:30-8 am

Keynote Address

8-8:30 am

Sessions

8:45 am-5 pm

Tuesday, April 5

Registration

7-8 am

Sessions

9:30 am-3:30 pm

Wednesday, April 6

Registration

7-8 am

Keynote Address

8-9 am

Sessions

8 am-4:30 pm

Thursday, April 7

Registration

7-8 am

Sessions

8-10:30 am

From April 4-7, West Coast manufacturing professionals warmed by the bright California sun will stream into the Los Angeles Convention Center to see the latest in manufacturing technology. North America's largest annual manufacturing and metalworking event, WESTEC brings buyers, sellers, and end users together.

At this year's exposition, more than 1000 companies will demonstrate some seven million pounds (3.2 million kg) of machinery. Exhibitors will present more than 2500 international product lines to some 20,000 attendees.

Product lines demonstrated will include: machining centers; milling and boring machines; cutting tools and accessories; controls-CAD/CAM software; automated manufacturing and assembly; advanced materials; lean manufacturing; micro manufacturing; and more.

The WESTEC 2005 Conference, New Technology and Innovative Applications, offers attendees information on how to streamline processes and gain a competitive edge. Several pavilions will be featured that offer an extension of the show floor, including:

*The Aerospace and Defense Technology pavilion, which will focus on composites and advanced materials, design and engineering, and lean enterprise and quality,

*The Job Shop and Outsourcing pavilion, which provides buyers with outsourcing opportunities and resources for specialized work, and access to many of California's top job shops, and

*The Software and IT pavilion, which offers software resources from design engineering to shop management and cost-estimating software, to rapid prototyping and tooling.

At 8 am on Monday, April 4, Colonel John A. Daniels of the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) will give WESTEC's first free keynote address, a 30-minute talk entitled: The Fundamentals of Leadership: A Personal Journey. The second keynote, which begins at 8 am on Wednesday, April 6, will be delivered by Barry Sedlik, undersecretary and senior advisor for economic development, state of California.

A number of special events will be offered at WESTEC. The WESTEC Monster Garage, located in Kentia Hall, will feature eight vehicles built by Jesse James and his crew. Vehicles will be placed about the show floor, and a Monster Garage Trivia Contest will be held hourly, with prizes for winners.

In the Technology Theater, exhibitors will offer free 30-min presentations on applications and technologies. Presentations will be held daily at 45-min intervals from 10 am to 2:30 pm, and at 3:25 pm.

The New Product Showcase will feature new manufacturing technologies and applications highlighted in a single location. Exhibitor displays will include tooling, workholding, small parts, machinery, equipment, and accessories.

EXPOtential is a Web-based tool that enables manufacturers to develop peer connections, set up buyer-seller relations, and plan meetings. In the EXPOtential Connection Lounge, each event participant can receive a personalized Web portal, which matches them with other participants based upon common interests. It provides personalized recommendations that take into consideration the markets, technologies, products, companies, and people at WESTEC that are Must-see for the user. For more information, go to http://www.sme.org/exposales.>SME will hold extensive youth programs at WESTEC, including the 19th Annual WESTEC Manufacturing Challenge for college students, the WESTEC 2005 Educator Summit for selected high school teachers, counselors, career advisors, and administrators, and the Student Summit and VIP Student Tour for 600 high school students.

WESTEC 2005 is co-sponsored by SME, AMT-The Association for Manufacturing Technology (McLean, VA), and the American Machine Tool Distributor's Association (AMTDA, Rockville, MD). For more information about WESTEC 2005 visit the WESTEC Web site at www.sme.org/westec or call the SME Resource Center at 800-733-4763, 8 am-5 pm Eastern Standard Time, Monday-Friday.

CNC Options

Users of Fadal vertical machining centers can select any of three high-speed controls at no added cost. The Pentium-based Fadal 104/D digital CNC uses a menu system to capture part, tool, and position data, and can run existing Fadal programs without editing. It also features Quick Code and part rotation/scaling capabilities. The GE Fanuc Series18i MB5 CNC combines a robust processor with simultaneous five-axis capability. It features Manual Guide i software, which provides a straightforward operator interface, interactive screens, and powerful machining functions. Designed for high-speed moldmaking operations, the Siemens Sinumerik 84OD CNC features ShopMill for milling and drilling, which minimizes setup time by reducing workpiece programming and tool measurements to a few button pushes. Look-ahead, dynamic feed-forward and programmable acceleration also support high-speed contouring operations.