2016 Was a Good Year for Lasers; 2017 Looks Even Better June 21, 2017 Strong 2016 earnings among top industrial laser providers, continued brisk adoption of fiber lasers, cheaper ultrafast lasers, and a host of novel applications and notable corporate acquisitions signal a big year ahead for photonics-based manufacturing.
Fast, Flexible Fixturing May 2, 2017 Secure, accurate workholding sets the stage for consistent machining productivity. Depending on the parts and processes involved, workholding can be as simple and temporary as a plain vise or clamp or as complex and permanent as a machined and fabricated fixture that is custom-designed to hold a unique part.
Making Sense of the Digital Thread May 24, 2017 Siemens PLM has a strategy to reinvent manufacturing by threading digital information from concept, through design to monitoring performance in the field. It is easy to get confused as to what all this means, but some concrete examples and definitions help explain it all.
Methods to Show Automation Cell April 13, 2017 On May 9 -11 2017, at the RAPID + tct Show Methods Machine Tools Inc., a leading supplier of precision machine tools, 3D printing technology and automation, will be showcasing a revolutionary cell solution designed to make quantum leap production increases in 3D manufacturing throughput.
Sandvik Introduces New Turning Concept April 3, 2017 Unlike conventional turning operations–which have remained largely unchanged for decades—PrimeTurning™ allows machine shops to complete longitudinal (forward and back), facing, and profiling operations with a single tool.
Edge Prep Measured, Tool Life’s Extended April 18, 2017 Tool life, geometry, and stability largely depend on proper edge preparation. Tool Flo, located in Houston, TX, is a manufacturer of carbide cutting tools such as inserts for threading, turning, and milling. The company uses optical 3D measurement systems from Alicona Corp. (Bartlett, IL) in the quality assurance of inserts.
Laser Welding for Sheetmetal Fabricators April 18, 2017 Although laser welding is a well-established manufacturing solution, many sheetmetal fabricators have been hesitant to implement the process at their shop.
Getting Connected April 11, 2017 As the IIoT moves from theory to reality, managing shop-floor data grows in importance.
ERP Software Helps Big Builders Grapple with Global Complexity March 14, 2017 When you’re managing a global manufacturing enterprise, there’s no choice but to go big. Large manufacturers, and even mid-sized builders, need the latest and best available technology in fast, real-time enterprise resource planning (ERP) software to handle the rapidly changing situations on the shop floor, often at multiple manufacturing sites located anywhere in the world.
Taking a Virtual Factory Approach in New Tooling Management Systems for the IIoT March 15, 2017 2017 will be an historic time for TDM Systems. We have released our next generation of products that includes two product areas of our software portfolio—standard server/client TDM with TDM 2017 and a new flagship cloud-based software, Global Line.