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I just bought my second Haas CNC mill. I use them primarily to make parts for implantable medical devices, but they could just as easily make parts for small arms, guided missiles, or aircraft. Most big names in CNC machine tools are Eastern; Japanese, Taiwanese, or Chinese, with a few European. Haas, the biggest and most well known Western manufacturer of CNC machine tools, stands accused of continuing to supply Russian companies involved in military manufacturing, long after the beginning of the Russo-Ukrainian war.
Documents filed with the U.S. Treasury and Department of Commerce indicate that RATEP is one of many Russian enterprises that Haas Automation has serviced with direct shipments of goods in that period.
Per the aforementioned PBS Newshour report, the American company allegedly approved as many as 18 shipments to Russia between March and October of 2022 to the tune of $2.8 million.
(Score: 4, Insightful) by Hartree on Monday March 20, @05:37PM (11 children)
In the machining world, a CNC mill is a bit like a generic data center server is in the IT world. They're available awfully easily if you need one, and if you're an illicit buyer, you can launder them through a front company.
More advanced systems are fewer in number and cost large amounts of money, so they are easier to track. This is similar to why the sanctions focus on things like EUV systems from ASML rather than more generic process equipment in the semiconductor version of this.
i don't know the specifics of this case but given that I can pick up a used quite workable CNC mill for a few thousand in cash with few questions asked, I'd be very surprised if you could plug up the supply of basic ones.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by JoeMerchant on Monday March 20, @06:09PM (6 children)
Thinking we can stop US made machine tools from finding their way to assisting enemy war efforts is _almost_ as misguided as the old cryptography "export controls" efforts. Particularly if you're just talking about the designs of CNC equipment and not just the physical devices.
We might try to crank up trade barriers at US customs, but attempting to stop flow through 3rd countries would be a huge impediment to legitimate trade for very little desired effect (unless the desired effect _is_ to throw up trade barriers with all those 3rd parties as well, not that I want that, but some people do...)
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 3, Insightful) by mhajicek on Monday March 20, @06:48PM (5 children)
I agree, but don't you think it would be reasonable to ban direct sales to military manufacturing companies, to at least make them work for it, and perhaps have to settle for old, half worn out, half obsolete machines?
The spacelike surfaces of time foliations can have a cusp at the surface of discontinuity. - P. Hajicek
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 20, @09:28PM
Not when those companies finance opposition candidates/parties in response to unfavorable legislation.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Monday March 20, @10:24PM (3 children)
The thing that shocked me is that Russia is letting Ukrainian grain exports continue through the Black Sea. I mean, sure, Russia wants to preserve grain production for their control later, but it was still a surprise to hear that.
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Tuesday March 21, @12:58AM (2 children)
They would gain serious opposition throughout the world by alienating a bunch of developing world countries who need that food. And Ukraine won't gain much from selling grain.
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Tuesday March 21, @01:49AM (1 child)
>They would gain serious opposition throughout the world by alienating a bunch of developing world countries who need that food. And Ukraine won't gain much from selling grain.
Which is obviously why they do it, but... what kind of world is "sorta o.k." with invasions, bombings, killings, mass destruction of cities, etc. but would get upset if they stole the grain instead of letting it be sold to support the Ukranian cause?
Україна досі не є частиною Росії Слава Україні🌻 https://news.stanford.edu/2023/02/17/will-russia-ukraine-war-end
(Score: 1) by khallow on Tuesday March 21, @03:29AM
(Score: 2) by sjames on Monday March 20, @08:15PM (2 children)
Not to mention that DIY CNC mills are getting better every year. At this point, for open maker type solutions the CAM software is a bigger hurdle than the hardware. Even that is starting to crack.
(Score: 2) by ElizabethGreene on Tuesday March 21, @06:05PM (1 child)
Has anything open source popped up in the last couple of years for generating 4 or 5 axis toolpaths? The last time I looked there were only commercial solutions and they were painfully expensive.
(Score: 2) by sjames on Tuesday March 21, @09:53PM
Nothing yet, at lest not ready for prime time.
Of course, Russia will just pirate what they want/need.
(Score: 2) by richtopia on Tuesday March 21, @03:06PM
The article doesn't specify what is export controlled. In the 80's Toshiba got in trouble for exporting 9 axis machines capable of milling precise propellers for submarines to the USSR. That is an example where the technology is bleeding edge and the price tag is large enough that only specific actors would be in the market for such a tool.
To extend your IT example, trying to export control any x86 computer is a lost cause. But putting controls on NVIDIA's A100 is possible and has received press thanks to being export controlled to the PRC.