Speeding Up Moldmaking Processes April 27, 2016 Moldmaking is making a comeback, with more reshoring to North America of mold-and-die manufacturing that left for the Far East and other low-cost manufacturing centers. With faster metalcutting through high-speed machining (HSM) and improved EDM techniques, mold-and-die shops are finding innovative ways to compete with manufacturing operations in traditionally low-cost labor markets.
Quality Inspection and the CAD Connection January 6, 2016 Modern manufacturing is rapidly adopting model-based definition (MBD). When employing an MBD strategy, the CAD model becomes more than the nominal to which all parts are measured and inspected against. MBD keeps the all-important digital thread intact—from design to manufacturing to inspection and quality reporting.
Metrology Gets Connected September 1, 2015 “Metrology and its relationship to manufacturing is rapidly evolving,” Ken Woodbine, president, Wilcox Associates, a brand of Hexagon Metrology (North Kingstown, RI), recently observed. “We are seeing larger quantities and faster speeds of measurement data collection. The next challenge is what to do with all that data.”
Lasers Grow Manufacturing June 1, 2015 Today, laser technology in manufacturing touches all of our lives on a daily basis; lasers cut air bag material and weld air bag detonators for our in-car safety; lasers weld the batteries in many of our mobile devices; lasers drill aero-engine components for planes; lasers cut the glass for our smart phones and tablets screens; lasers weld the drivetrains in our cars and trucks; lasers cut medical stents that increase and enhance our lives, just to name a few.
Connecting the Digital World with the Factory Floor April 1, 2014 The classic manufacturing conundrum is how to make products quicker, cheaper, and better.
Laser Welding Applications Expand March 1, 2014 Solid-state laser technology has matured, leading to development of new, cost-effective welding applications, such as hybrid welding
Nesting, MRP Solutions Can Boost Fabrication Productivity June 1, 2013 Nesting is the process of arranging parts to be cut from sheets of metal or wood in the most efficient manner possible in order to maximize yield and speed the cutting process. By reducing scrap and accelerating the cutting process, fabricators are saving on material cost while running more jobs.
Proactive OT Security—Protecting Before The Attack January 27, 2021 Cybersecurity is growing more critical every year. Much of the focus has been on protecting information technology (IT) assets, and operational technology security can be been overlooked. In this episode, Alan Rooks, Editor in Chief of Manufacturing Engineering magazine, talks with Michael Rothschild, Senior Director of Marketing for Tenable about what has changed to cause operational technology security to gain a high profile; how OT environments are different from, and similar to IT; what types of attacks are impacting OT environments; what can happen if an OT attack is successful; common methods for detecting OT based attacks; and how proactive security is a powerful strategy for OT security.
Tackling Downtime and Inefficiencies with Software November 20, 2019 Turning to software over paper reports does more than just save trees. Chris Mahar, Associate Editor of Manufacturing Engineering, talks with David McPhail, President and CEO of Memex Inc., about how manufacturers can utilize technology to improve efficiency, reduce downtime and boost productivity and profits across their business.
Brushing Up on Deburring and Finishing in Tight Spaces January 5, 2023 Space is usually at a premium for machine shops. Now, in addition to overall floor space limitations, CNC machines and other equipment are becoming increasingly sophisticated and smaller, which can create new challenges.