Pilot Composites Workshop Wows Students February 7, 2017 Carbon fiber is a magical material. That or similar comments were heard over and over from Roosevelt High School (Seattle) students attending a Composites 101 Workshop held at the National Resource Center for Materials Technology Education (MatEdU), a National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (ATE)-sponsored program at Edmonds Community College (Lynnwood, WA).
Bridging the Advanced Manufacturing Skills Gap with Talented Military Veterans February 8, 2017 Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These are some of the many values that our nations’ heroes live by every day. Most will agree that these instilled values embody what makes veterans great assets in the workforce. Veterans show up on time, are disciplined, and are great problem solvers. There is a problem though. These skilled veterans are having difficulties making the transition to what they call the “civilian world”. Every month thousands of soldiers embark on this new journey.
Raising the Stakes with High-Speed Aerospace CNCs February 6, 2017 In the aerospace world, as in all sectors of manufacturing, the race is on for faster, more automated and connected machining operations. Aerospace builders have steadily pushed for more automotive-like automation over the past several years in order to improve productivity and more effectively handle large order backlogs in commercial aviation.
The Future of Manufacturing – Big or Small? February 1, 2017 Taking stock of a surprising and challenging 2016, a number of trends may point to a future where manufacturing output increases while continuing to decentralize.
Conductive Thermoplastics for 3D Printing February 9, 2017 As inventive and imaginative as 3D printer technology is, so are the materials that R&D labs have come up with to build parts, including conductive thermoplastics.
Advanced Technology Depends on Controls, Design January 6, 2017 Nothing seems so obvious in subtractive machining than that milling and turning processes really are very different: single point vs. multipoint tools; rotating workpiece vs. rotating tool; static tool vs. rotating tool, etc.
Cutting Tools for Use with New Aluminum-Compound Materials January 6, 2017 New work materials are developed continually to improve the capabilities of finished parts, making them lighter and stronger, among other properties. When these materials catch on, cutting tools must adapt to their often challenging properties.
Smashing Silver Microcubes Toughens Up Materials January 4, 2017 Scientists at Rice University (Houston) are smashing tiny silver cubes into a hard target in order to make these metallic microcubes ultrastrong and tough by rearranging their nanostructures upon impact.
Successful Sabotage of Drone Highlights Additive Manufacturing Security Needs January 26, 2017 Additive manufacturers seeking to protect their products must secure every point in their manufacturing process, a need highlighted by the recent successful hack and sabotage of a drone produced by 3D printing, Richard Grylls, technical director at SLM Solutions, said.
Turbos Turn Up the Heat with Challenging Materials December 8, 2016 A new breed of turbochargers constructed of super tough alloys operates at higher temperatures and rotational speeds than ever before, resulting in greatly increased output in a smaller package for gas and diesel engines alike.
