Supply and (Uncertain) Demand for Electric Vehicles August 28, 2018 The hype around electric vehicles and self-driving cars seems to grow louder by the day. The potential environmental and social benefits are trumpeted generally without reservation.
EDMs Take a Big Step Up To Unattended Eroding September 27, 2018 For the most part, EDMing is an unattended, or at least lightly-attended process. Unlike CNC lathes and machining centers, where a broken cutter during the night can make for a truly bad morning, sinking a mold cavity or cutting a trim die requires little in the way of babysitting—why wouldn’t you let the machine run on its own after everyone’s gone home for the day?
CMMs Grow Their Niche August 30, 2018 For CMMs, the good times continue to roll. “One of the surprising things that has happened in just the last three to four years is the sheer volume of CMMs that we are shipping,” said Angus Taylor, president of Hexagon Manufacturing Intelligence, North America (North Kingstown, RI). “The market seems to be really exploding.”
From Multispot Welding to Limiting Soot: Tips for Optimal Laser Joins September 28, 2018 In our May webinar titled “Lasers in Manufacturing: State of the Art in 2018,” we noted the emergence of some novel technologies to produce the “holy grail” of laser welding: spatter-free joins with no porosity and, when required, highly aesthetic outcomes.
Stepping Up In Class to More Productive Horizontal Machining August 1, 2018 About the time that the equivalent of a couple of vertical machining centers are going full bore out in the shop, you’ll know that it’s time to make that commitment to a major investment in horizontal machining center technology to keep up with your order book.
Creating a Talent Pipeline Requires Collaboration August 9, 2018 Manufacturers, and all businesses throughout Ohio, are looking for talent to compete in a global economy that is rapidly changing. With these changes comes the need for better collaboration between businesses and education and training providers.
2030 August 28, 2018 SME’s Smart Manufacturing Hub will be part of IMTS this year. Smart Manufacturing asked past Hub speakers to imagine what manufacturing will look like in 2030. Here are their visions:
IMTS 2018 Showcases New Manufacturing Technology Trends August 6, 2018 To stay current with technology and peer into the future of manufacturing, take a look at our preview of IMTS—The International Manufacturing Technology Show, to be held at McCormick Place in Chicago from Sept. 10 through Sept. 15. In the following pages, ME provides in-depth examinations of each pavilion at IMTS, as well as previews of the products you will be able to see displayed at exhibitors’ booths.
Faraday Future Reaches EV Build Milestone at Hanford Manufacturing Facility August 29, 2018 Following the recent approvals for business site occupancy and paint shop air permits, Faraday Future (FF; Hanford, CA) hosted several key team members in a ceremony to celebrate its first preproduction build of the FF 91 ultra-luxury intelligent electric vehicle (EV) at the Hanford factory.
Adding it Up at IMTS 2018 August 8, 2018 Additive manufacturing (AM) pioneer Charles Hull introduced the first commercial 3D printer, the SLA-1, in 1987. Jaws dropped, machinists wondered about their next career, pundits said it spelled the death of traditional manufacturing. None of that happened, thankfully; in fact, some said 3D printing was a bunch of hype, good for little more than investment casting patterns and proof of concept prototypes.