Why use a metrology device on or near a machine tool? It isn’t just useful for making sure a tool is present or monitoring tools for wear or breakage. On-machine measurement technologies can save time and money, by speeding up processes and eliminating extra personnel, and they are a critical step in the movement towards “lights-out” manufacturing.
Micro components continue to shrink in size, demanding ever-greater precision and improved handling of parts with sub-micron-sized features. New approaches in micro machining technology include higher-precision systems from traditional micro machining developers, as well as techniques using additive manufacturing processes and semiconductor wafer-scale technology on the smallest of micro parts.
Until the middle of 2010, first-tier subcontract machinist, JJ Churchill, could produce turbine blades only if they had their fir-tree root-forms preground elsewhere, or if they were subsequently added by another subcontractor. No longer is this the case.
While precision, part programs and productivity have improved markedly, the basic process is still the same.
A new partnership between Impossible Objects and Ricoh 3D will make strong and lightweight printed composite parts available to Ricoh 3D’s customers in Europe for the first time.
The adoption of smart manufacturing processes reminds Bob Willig of his “lean manufacturing journey, years ago,” he said.
Shifts in microchip-making to aid automotive, medical
It’s an old challenge: You’re a manufacturer whose customer needs you to assure that the part you’ve contracted to make for them will be held to specified tolerances. So, what’s the best method for making sure the part is within spec?
Factory safety is not a theoretical issue for Gabe Glynn, CEO of the wearable tech firm MākuSafe.
Lungs, hearts, tumor-filled skulls, brains, livers, kidneys, and rib cages, are packed into shelves at the 3D Anatomic Modeling Laboratory at Mayo Clinic.
