Machine Tool Orders Start 2018 With Mixed Results March 12, 2018 Machine tool orders began 2018 with mixed results, dropping from December but posting a surge on a year-over-year basis, the Association for Manufacturing Technology (McLean, VA) said in a monthly report.
Vision and Robotics: Happy Together March 30, 2018 The next “dynamic duo” may not involve humans at all. “Machine vision and robots make for a perfect marriage,” stated Klas Bengtsson, global product manager, vision systems for ABB Robotics (Auburn Hills, MI). This is not new. Vision and robotics have gone hand in hand for years.
DMDII Launches Cyber Hub for Manufacturing March 12, 2018 The Digital Manufacturing Design and Innovation Institute (DMDII) announced today the launch of a “Cyber Hub for Manufacturing” with $750,000 in seed funding from the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
Supplier’s Rover Exploration Vehicle Parts Go to Mars for the Third Time March 1, 2018 As a specialist in aerospace machining parts and assemblies for aerospace and military applications, Next Intent Inc. is accustomed to earth-exiting challenges. An early one came in 2000, when the shop gained a contract to make the wheels and other components for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers—Spirit and Opportunity.
Storied UIUC Engineering Program Tackles Tough Manufacturing Problems March 7, 2018 The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC; Urbana, IL) has a long, distinguished history and tradition in mechanical and applied engineering sciences, and the university will soon celebrate the opening of a long-planned, multi-million-dollar expansion to its Mechanical Science and Engineering (MechSE) building.
Skating Ahead of the Puck — Seeing What’s Next March 5, 2018 According to Tim Cook, CEO of Apple Inc., “The way we look at manufacturing is this: The US’s strategy should be to skate where the puck is going, not where it is.” Cook’s quotation reflects a good strategy for any individual, company or organization looking to be competitive in a future marketplace.
Sensor-Based Control of Cutting Tools, Machine Tools Moves From Drawing Board to Mainstream March 30, 2018 A key success factor for Industry 4.0 and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) initiatives is the emergence of more and better sensors in machining centers, and even in the cutting tools themselves. These sensors provide the data and connectivity that are the foundation for the “factory of the future.”
Applications Expand for Versatile Thread Milling March 1, 2018 Thread milling, a fundamental metalworking process to create threads, is often the operation of choice when working with difficult-to-machine materials, such as titanium, tool steels, stainless steels, hardened steels and other superalloys.
AM Continues Rapid Ascent, Targets New Markets March 30, 2018 Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, is a vibrant and dynamic field. Each year, developments in AM allow organizations to create products that were previously unthinkable.
3D Printed Ceramics Reduce Cost, Leadtimes for Complex Aerospace Parts March 1, 2018 PERFECT-3D might not appear to be an acronym, but it is, standing for Process Enabled Repeatability For Extended Life & Consistent Tools. PERFECT-3D’s process for 3D printing of ceramics for complex components resulted from the collaboration of its parent company, Renaissance Services Inc. (Fairborn, OH), with the US Department of Defense, a major investment casting company, a large chemical company, and an aircraft engine manufacturer.
