Real Thinking About Artificial Intelligence June 1, 2018 My instincts tell me we need a sense of urgency around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing. The urgency is driven by how quickly technology can move today, and how an unexpected breakthrough can quickly dominate.
Advanced Workpiece Materials Present Challenges to Providers of Deburring, Finishing Tools November 1, 2017 Manufacturing operations frequently leave workpiece edges ragged and part surfaces rough. Metalcutting tools produce burrs, casting processes create unwanted parting line flash, and welding generates built-up areas and splatter.
Keeping Vertical Machining Center Spindles Turning for High Productivity February 1, 2018 New vertical machining strategies and technologies help reduce cycle time, increase metal removal rates, and maintain accuracy. There’s nothing quite like having “smart” vertical machining centers (VMCs) with the latest advanced CNCs.
Outlook 2018: Slow but Steady Growth November 28, 2017 The US economy remains in a steady and sustainable moderate growth mode. Solid employment gains and gradually firming wage growth have supported household income, consumer confidence and outlays. The same dynamics should persist into 2018 and support a steady, modest pace of consumer spending.
AM Producers Seek Solutions to Production Barriers February 28, 2018 Additive manufacturing holds potential for many possible new frontiers in the aerospace industry, and manufacturers in aviation and space flight are reaching for those new vistas. But they’re held back at less than warp speed due to a lack of awareness, unmet technological needs and the absence of a formal regulatory process in their highly regulated industry.
Lasers Target New Medical Applications November 2, 2017 Lasers — well-established tools in the manufacture of medical devices—are continuing to break ground by producing smaller, more precise and more functional parts thanks to faster pulse speeds at lower cost, new applications and the marriage of laser processing to Swiss-style machining.
New Materials Revolutionize Part Manufacturing November 28, 2017 New materials for additive manufacturing are used for a diverse range of applications, including 3D paints for making human tissue-like cells; a hardenable stainless steel powder for surgical instruments; and a sustainable composite reinforced with bamboo fibers that resembles wood when printed.
Two Tracks for Abrasive Waterjets November 1, 2017 Waterjet technology, cutting materials with a jet of water, is proceeding down two parallel paths. The first involves more advanced machines, operating with more sophisticated software finding the right mix of pressure and speed, producing parts faster.
Energy Internet: How Renewables are Changing the World November 15, 2017 The sun comes up every morning, and in general one day looks much like the next. However, in reality our world is rapidly changing. The infrastructure surrounding us might also look the same, but is also evolving quickly.
Heading to Mars? Pack a 3D Printer! November 30, 2017 If NASA’s Journey to Mars project succeeds, the astronauts who make the 140 million-mile (225 million-km) trip to the Red Planet in the 2030s will need someplace to stay. The space agency is looking at 3D printing, using on-site materials, to manufacture humanity’s first deep space home.
