American, German, Swedish manufacturers gladly adopt factory-within-factory concept October 14, 2019 Manufacturers of all sizes see an uptick in productivity after adding a factory within a factory via an automated machining cell. The cells are small-scale, clearly defined production units, often for a family of similar parts or a product, and they typically include a robotic arm and one or more machine tools. These can include horizontal and vertical lathes, machining centers and grinders. The cell may also include a conveyor component.
Survey: Manufacturers Behind the IIoT Curve September 10, 2019 Software AG (Frankfurt, MDAX: SOW) announced an original survey of over 125 North American manufacturers in the heavy industry and automotive sectors that revealed they are unable to scale their Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) investments across their enterprises, and therefore are losing millions of dollars in potential profits while falling behind competitors that have invested in enabling technologies that support IIoT across the enterprise.
Sunnen to Open Manufacturing Plant in Monterrey, Mexico September 3, 2019 Sunnen Products Co. is expanding its global production footprint, opening a manufacturing facility in Monterrey Mexico to complement its production in the U.S., China, Switzerland, and Brazil. Sunnen, a large, integrated manufacturer of precision bore creation and finishing equipment, will move a portion of its abrasive and tooling products from its St. Louis operation to the Monterrey facility.
Software, CNC Interface Gains Push Programming Productivity September 11, 2019 Connected manufacturing and digitization technologies are spurring many of the major innovations in CNC machine controls that help machine shops cut metal and create parts as quickly and efficiently as possible. In most cases, software leads the way in helping both CNC programmers and operators on the shop floor to easily manufacture parts with the highest possible precision.
When Is Hard Turning the Right Solution? September 10, 2019 Hard turning has long been used for finishing when it comes to high-volume applications. Now, tooling suppliers have pushed cubic boron nitride (CBN) insert technology further, with geometric innovations that further increase the efficiency—and cost-effectiveness—of hard turning.
CAM Software Automates, Maximizes Five-Axis Machining September 5, 2019 Implementing five-axis machining can be an excellent strategy for efficiently producing accurate, complex parts. However, it takes more than the right machine tool to realize the full potential of a five-axis process. In addition to the right machine, tooling and fixturing options, CAM software must be selected carefully.
Cobots, End-of-Arm Tooling Minimize Automation Barriers August 8, 2019 Gear maker Osvald Jensen knew it needed to speed up work and improve its performance and productivity by shaving seconds off its run time while ensuring round-the-clock up-time on its machinery.
Finding the Right Fit for Custom Products August 7, 2019 There is an ever-increasing demand for the individualization of products from today’s consumer. When consumers are able to get exactly what they want (shape, size, color) they are more satisfied and more likely to do repeat business. But how do you scale custom part production?
Five Suggestions for How to Retain Tribal Knowledge August 7, 2019 What is tribal knowledge and why should a company care? It is valuable, exclusive information stored only inside someone’s mind and communicated only verbally (if at all). The “someone” may have played an important role in an organization for decades and knows a thing or two that the company treasures yet cannot duplicate.
PRN-RIA Partnership: There’s Problem Solving in Numbers August 6, 2019 The Pittsburgh region is a hotbed of activity in robotics and AI. This activity includes research and technology companies that commercialize academic research and solve real world problems.